Noticing the blank expression staring back at her, the waitress hurriedly points to the large wall-mounted menu as she hurriedly clears the table.
“Have the eggs! Very nice!” she yells, as the clinking of cutleries on glasses and clamorous afternoon chatter fill the air.
Out of the blue, an elderly Chinese man walks up to the table with a wide smile. He introduces himself as Foo Cher Ming, third-generation owner of Klang’s historic Chong Kok Kopitiam.
Located a few minutes away from Klang railway station, the three-storey building is practically an institution known for its iconic trio of crusty roti bakar, rich fragrant coffee and creamy soft boiled eggs.
“My late grandfather, Foo Wah Leng, a chef from Hainan, China, started Chong Kok Kopitiam. It was originally known as Chong Kok Hotel and this three-storey building consisted of a hotel, restaurant and kopitiam — this was the setup in the olden days.
“The ground floor would be the kopitiam, first floor was the restaurant and the third floor, the hotel,” recalled the 61-year-old.
In its heyday, Chong Kok Hotel was full of life with a constant stream of wedding receptions held there but in the 1970s, the family decided to cease hotel operations and convert it into Chong Kok Kopitiam.
“My sister, Foo Mei Lee now helms the kopitiam. She took over from my father in the 1980s. She also makes really delicious blueberry cheesecake,” winked Foo.
In a matter of minutes, the table is full of plates of soft-boiled eggs, charcoal-grilled toast served with a dollop of homemade kaya and butter, roti telur goyang and to cap it off, Chong Kok’s in-house coffee.
According to Foo, the thick Hainanese brew has such a huge fan base that it’s packed into sachets for customers to take home.
“Do you know we take 45 minutes to cook the perfect half-boiled egg?” chuckled Foo.
“Before this, we tried traditional methods of cooking half-boiled eggs. However, the end- result was inconsistent.
“So, when I became involved in the kopitiam back in 2011, I knew there had to be a better way and we found it. Through technology that is!”
Despite taking 45 minutes, Chong Kok’s egg boiler produces the best-tasting half-boiled eggs with a creamier yolk. Each machine is capable of cooking 100 eggs at a time. The rustic kopitiam has two boilers working overtime to meet the constant orders.
Chong Kok’s in-house Hainanese kaya is also something of a novelty. It is made by caramelising sugar over a hot bed of charcoal. Once the essential ingredients are added, the mixture is pounded and stirred using a long stick till it becomes silky, rich and smooth.
The simple blend of homemade kaya and butter complements the hot Hainanese bread and rich coffee.
Every few minutes, Foo checks on his customers, ensuring their bellies are happy and full.
“I have seen my customers grow up. Now they have kids of their own and bring them here. I’ve also met some really old customers who return during the holidays.”
At the back of the kopitiam, loaves of freshly baked bread are stored in glass cupboards awaiting slicing.
Foo explains that since the bread is freshly baked every day, it’s usually kept overnight to harden the crust a little, thus making it easier to slice.
But even this iconic, 81-year-old kopitiam felt the tremors of the Covid-19 pandemic. Foo added that they resorted to takeaways and managed to retain half their business thanks to their loyal customers.
Smiling, Foo remains optimistic about the future of Chong Kok.
“Now, things are much better so I consider us fortunate. I hope the younger generation will appreciate their elders’ hard work of running a kopitiam because it’s definitely not an easy job.
“Be proud of ‘kopitiams’. After all, we are Malaysians.”
If you’re longing for authentic Hainanese chicken chop – deep-fried battered chicken drenched in the signature tomato gravy with potato halves and peas, drop by Chong Kok’s second outlet at Central i-City, Shah Alam.
Chong Kok Kopitiam
5, Jalan Stesen
Kawasan 1
41000 Klang
Selangor
Operation hours: 6.30am – 5pm, Monday to Saturday; 6.30am – 2pm, Sunday.