Well, the MOC/COVID-19 partial lockdown has eased somewhat but there are still a lot of restrictions and precautions that one would need to follow, not that I’m complaining though. It’s all for one’s own good. No, I did not rush out right away – I would only do so when there is something I will have to do and it cannot be avoided so I do not have a choice.
I did not have the intention to stop by this coffee shop that day, not at all, but I was on my way to the supermarket – the one that stocks up on all the imported stuff as we were out of butter. I could not find any at most, if not all, of the places in town. It was the same here too when my missus dropped by not too long ago but my good friend, Robert, commented on my Facebook post on this. He said that it was available there so I just had to make my way there the next morning but I was way too early.
That was why I ended up here – the supermarket is around 100 metres round the corner….
The coffee shop was so quiet, so very few customers…a far cry from the way it used to be before COVID-19, even when it was so very early in the morning.
Yes, there was social distancing and a hands-free thermometer and a hands-sanitiser were provided and a book to record your name and contact number on a table in front but you would have to do it yourself, nobody to do all that for you. I think the workers had not arrived yet – I noticed a few trickling in while I was eating so they were kind of short-handed at that point in time.
This coffee shop not very far away (across the road from the supermarket) used to have customers spilling over onto the road but it…
…looked so pathetically quiet that morning. I don’t think things will ever be the same again after this. Sad, isn’t it?
I ordered my usual kampua kosong (no meat) with beef soup, special (RM12.00 for the set)…
…and what I was served caught me by surprise. The servings were so huge, unlike what I used to get here before.
The kampua mee was in a bigger bowl and the soup…
…came in an even bigger one, not the usual aluminium bowl that was somewhat small. I sure enjoyed both the noodles and the thick and rich soup with a whole lot of meat, beef tripe and beef tendon in it.
After so long, the first bite…
…made me feel somewhat emotional and so very thankful that I was still around, still able to enjoy all the blessings, praise the Lord!
When I was done, I went round the corner to the supermarket – it was just around 8.00 a.m. and even though the sign said that it would open at 8.30, they were all ready to roll. The security guard checked my temperature, 33.1°C. WHAT? Gee!!! Either the guy did not do it correctly or I was suffering from mild hypothermia…or I had just stepped out of the car, the cold air from the air-conditioning blasting onto my face. I had my temperature checked at two places the day before, 36.6 and 36.1 – no problem at all!
Yes, I did manage to get my butter, Golden Churn, blocks, no less but they were out of mozarella and parmesan cheese, just cheddar (slices) and cream cheese. I guess we will just have to do without those for the time being.
AH SIAN BEEF NOODLE CAFE (2.293063, 111.826106) is located along Jalan Tuanku Osman in the block of shops right in front of the Public Bank, Tuanku Osman branch, right before the tyre shop and below the Kasturi Restaurant at the other end. TA KIONG EMPORIUM is right around the corner.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 