Passing through…

My young teacher-friend, ah^kam_koko’, was in Sibu that day after his motorbike excursion to Bintulu and Miri and he contacted me to ask if I could go for breakfast with him before he continued his way back to Kuching to spend the rest of the school mid-year holidays.

He wanted to go some place that he had not tried before and that was why we ended up here that morning…

There was a shooting incident here sometime ago and it  was closed for a while but business has resumed and things have gone back to normal. From what I could see, this place is obviously very popular…

…and actually, I have heard some good reviews about what they serve here though I did not think very much about what I had on my previous visits to this place here and here.

They say a lot of people would be seen eating the kampua noodles here so theirs should be good and that was why I decided to order that…

It did not come cheap though. At RM3.30 a bowl (with meat), it was definitely more expensive than in the coffee shops and with the special request for the tripe…

…to be added, that bowl you see cost a lot more. Thankfully, it  was very nice and the use of the fresh blended/pounded chili reminded me of the stall in the lane behind the Standard Chartered Bank here in my teenage years. They tell me it is now at the Sibu Central Market hawker centre but I have never bothered to venture there especially after all the horror stories of how long people have to wait and the old man isn’t exactly the friendliest of persons either…plus it only opens at night.

ah^kam_koko had the chao chai hung ngang (RM10.00)…

…and kudos to them for not using the rather bland and jelly-like frozen fish/Dory fillet. I tasted the soup and I thought it was really very good – different from the usual one would get in the shops elsewhere, thick and flavourful…and without doubt, something that I would order for myself the next time I drop by here. The serving was huge though and I would not be surprised if anyone would need to struggle to finish all of it. I do wish they would serve half of that and charge, say, RM6.00 – that way, they would make a little  bit more even for that same amount of the hung ngang.

I also heard that they serve very thick and pretty good toasts here and I saw the reason why…

They use Golden Churn butter no less…unlike the coffee shops where you would get either Planta or Daisy. I do wish they would use one of those thick and rich homemade kaya (coconut jam) though. Seeing that they’re using Yeo’s, you can be sure that would be the last thing I would order…no, thank you.

I went to the gents and I thought the signs were cute…

Too bad the one on the left was blocked by the whisky bottles and I could not see the fine print at the bottom.

Ir certainly was great seeing you again, ah^kam_koko, and thank you for these goodies that you brought back all the way from Miri…

Frankly, the ones from Kai Joo Lane in Kuching, though the quality has dropped somewhat, are still very much nicer. Still, as they say, it’s the thought that counts and I do appreciate it a lot and I am indeed much obliged.

We’ll get together again sometime, won’t we?