Appearances deceive, however. And if you happen to pass through this residential area, you might be able to catch the scent of something inviting in the air: coffee.
The smell of roasted beans is hard to miss and, for most of the day, it pervades the senses. A good thing for coffeeholics, for sure.
Where is this delectable scent coming from? As it turns out, Taman Bakariah is home to a decades-old enterprise famed in Muar and beyond.
Most visitors to Muar often make a pitstop at Kopi 434 Muar, close to the centre of town. It is a popular spot where locals and tourists alike gather over hearty meals and, of course, strong coffee.
It is a four-minute car drive from the coffeehouse to the factory, where an “elephant” stands guard outside. The statue is a landmark in this part of town, the animal being a reference to one of 434’s most popular products, Elephant Coffee.
Kopi 434’s roastery is still in operation to this day. Pass through the factory gates and you’ll immediately spot the roastery, its workers engrossed in churning out the best coffee powder in town.
Steam wafts out of great machines as tonnes of coffee beans are processed and eventually packaged to be delivered to destinations far and wide.
On the grounds of the roastery is the humble homestead of the Kiar clan, the family that started the business in 1953 and continues to run it to this day.
While the whole family remains involved in its operation, Kiar Cher Yong, 38, is often at the forefront, and it is he who FMT Lifestyle recently spoke to regarding his family’s history.
Directly descended from 434 founder Kiar Am Sai, this third-generation member of the family said most tourists wrongly think the business started with the coffeehouse in town.
In reality, he said, it started with the factory here in Taman Bakariah. “We started off as coffee manufacturers,” he said.
Most of the beans at Kopi 434’s roastery are of the Liberica variant, commonly grown in Johor. “We collaborate with some farmers here, encouraging them to plant it. When they have a harvest, we buy it from them.”
He also confirmed the urban legend that explains why the official name of Sai Kee is often forgotten in favour of the popular name of 434.
“Back in the day, most of our customers were Malays and they knew our coffee as ‘empat-tiga-empat’. And that name has stuck ever since.”
According to Kiar, the roastery produces up to two tonnes of coffee products per day, an impressive yield for an independent roastery.
“The recipe is different,” he said regarding 434’s popularity. “The way we roast our coffee beans involves more than just roasting.”
Apparently, the family recipe involves a touch of margarine and sugar, although how much is a trade secret. “It has been the same recipe from 1953,” he said.
Kiar added that the best way to learn why 434 has lasted as long as it has is simply to give its coffee a try.
“Take a cup of our coffee and drink it. Describing how the taste is different is difficult, as different people have different experiences,” he said.
He recommends the Elephant Bean Coffee, which was a hit back in the day and remains so today.
Apparently, in the 1990s, when other roasteries were sourcing their coffee beans from overseas, 434 chose to continue buying theirs from farms closer to home.
“With the Elephant Bean Coffee, we just wanted a coffee which could represent Malaysia in the coffee world,” he explained.
But 434 has garnered a reputation outside Malaysia, too, and even though the roastery doesn’t directly export its products to nearby Singapore, they still appear in online stores there.
So far, 434 only has its roastery and two cafés to its name, with one being the aforementioned Muar outlet and the other in Melaka. “The next outlet should be in Kuala Lumpur or Selangor,” Kiar hinted.
Asked if he feels proud for continuing his family’s legacy, he replied: “Of course I feel proud, but there are also so many responsibilities and problems.”
Still, he remains optimistic. “If we can keep this brand running for 100 years, then we must be doing something right. This is my target, my dream.”
Sai Kee Kopi Serbuk Sdn Bhd
111, Jalan Bakariah,
84000 Muar, Johor
Operating hours: 8am-5.30pm (closed on Sundays)
Contact: 019-626 3434