This yellow Kombi sells all sorts of delicious goodies and is the brainchild of Ng Sin Leong, the co-founder of Kafe Kleptokrat.
The cafe has a physical location on Jalan Tun H S Lee. The building it is housed in was originally a backpackers hostel, but when the movement control order (MCO) was implemented in March last year, the business struggled to survive as many of their guests were foreigners who could no longer travel because of the pandemic.
To salvage the situation, the ground and first floors were converted into a cafe last September, serving local food such as rendang daging, lontong kering Pak Cik Alam and laksa Johor.
With its classy building structure – including a swimming pool in the middle – the cafe quickly drew customers.
“During the first MCO, we learnt to bake sourdough bread. There was lots of trial and error but by January, we discovered that one of our bestsellers was our sourdough sandwiches,” Ng tells FMT.
Things were going well until the second MCO was announced early this year. Hoping to capture a new customer base, Ng and his team decided to drive the Kombi around the city centre hawking their wares.
“We started baking pies as well, and they were a hit. Even after the second MCO was lifted, we continued to make trips to Mont Kiara as we had customers there who enjoyed our presence and our food.”
The Kombi story
Ng’s fondness for travel and vintage things led him to the little yellow Volkswagen in 2017. “We had two wonderful guests staying at the hostel. It was through their help that I managed to secure the Kombi,” he recalls.
“Simon and Katrin, who were travelling in Kota Bharu, helped to retrieve it from a man who had purchased it 20 years ago.”
The Kombi has seen its fair share of travel as Ng would transport his guests to exciting locations two to three times a week. He named the vehicle “Katrin” after the guest who helped secure it.
Presently, Kafe Kleptokrat’s Kombi goes out for three to four hours at a time, in different locations depending on the day.
Monday mornings they are on Jalan Ceylon, outside Menara Bukit Ceylon; Tuesdays and Thursdays, in front of Sophia Condominium in Mont Kiara; Fridays on Lorong Stonor at KLCC; and Saturdays outside Bangsar Puteri Condominium on Jalan Medang Serai.
“We are constantly trying new locations but it can be hit-and-miss,” Ng says. “Sometimes there are absolutely no customers.”
Hungry customers meanwhile have plenty to choose from. Their pie selection is varied – creamy chicken, beef steak, beef rendang and lamb. There’s also a vegetarian option. Their top-selling sourdough sandwiches come filled with options like black pepper beef, roast lemon chicken, and simple sliced cheese.
Occasionally there are specials such as nasi ulam and nasi lemak sambal sotong. And for dessert, decadent cakes such as pineapple upside-down cake, lychee rose and coffee walnut.
When dining-in was allowed this year, business at Kafe Kleptokrat was doing so well that customers would queue for up to an hour. Even their Iftar meals were completely sold out this Ramadan.
Now, Ng and his crew find themselves facing a third round of the MCO. While the Kombi business assures him of a fallback plan, he is more concerned for smaller food sellers.
“I hope when we emerge from this pandemic, hawkers are able to survive. Yes, my business has been badly hit, but for a lot of hawkers, they have no business when it rains – what more a lockdown?” he says.
“There is a real danger we might lose many of our traditional hawkers. What is Malaysia without them?”
To find out if Kafe Kleptokrat’s Kombi will be in your neighbourhood, check out their Facebook page or WhatsApp 017 6428052.