Call me names…

The Chinese have this thing about calling people names…or to put it more nicely, giving them nicknames or pet names. If you are fat, most likely you will be called Ah Pui or Ah Bui…

…and eventually, you will be known to everybody by that name, so much so that often, some may not even know your real name and they will affectionately, without any form of malice nor intent to hurt or insult, call you Ah Bui everytime they see you.

Well, this coffee shop has been around for a very long time but it does not seem to be as popular as another one round the corner or the one famous for its noodles with those giant udang galah (freshwater prawns). I had no intention of going to the latter (and I must say that it looked rather quiet that morning, unlike before) but when I got to the former (that has a name that sounded like a place of worship for one of those Christian denominations), it was so crowded and while I was standing there beside the stall, I was completely ignored. In the end, I just left and went to the coffee shop in the above photograph instead. It has been around for so long that I was quite sure that whatever they would have to offer would not be too bad at all.

I had the kopi-o-peng (iced black coffee)…

…and was stunned when I asked how much that was and was told by the lady waiting at the tables that it was only RM1.20!!! Probably she had made a mistake – maybe that was the price for the drink without ice but no, I just kept quiet. The last time I thought I was undercharged and I went back to ask, I was given  a good scolding in the presence of everybody at the coffee shop…and I swore there and then, never again!!!

I tried the kampua mee (RM2.80)…

…which I thought was good – it was not overcooked, soft and soggy like those at some places around here and though I would not say it was very strong on the coveted lard taste, the fragrance of the shallot oil sure made up for it and I liked the fact that they used stewed pork instead of the char-siew wannabe, the  boiled pork coloured red that they give you elsewhere.

The pian sip (RM2.80)…

…was good too.

I saw the people at the next table eating the Foochow fried noodles with the giant prawns so I asked the guy at the kampua mee stall to confirm that this  would be available here too and he said, yes…at prices ranging from RM30.00 to RM50.00 or more depending on the size of the prawns. Of course, I have no intention of coming back here or anywhere for that, no way. You can call me kiam siap kui or kiam chee sai (thrifty or stingy), Scrooge or whatever, but for RM50.00, I can easily go and buy a kilo of the prawns and eat myself to kingdom come.

AH BUI RESTAURANT 阿肥海鮮 (2.278869, 111.838902) is located along Jalan Aman, among the shops to the left of the Jalan Lanang/Jalan Aman roundabout.