I’m here now…

I went back to the coffee shop hoping to buy some more of the nice bak chang to store in the fridge and heat up and eat as and when we feel like it but unfortunately, it was not open. I guess Monday is their off day and this coffee shop round the corner was closed as well, another one off on a Monday. 

This guy used to be here but since they took over the coffee shop and renamed it…

…as well, they have taken over his kampua mee stall…

…too so those people are the ones here now. I like that “Yes, we’re open!” sign – I don’t remember seeing it at any other stall, shops yes…but not stalls like this one.

I also liked how, unlike at many other shops and stalls, one does not get to see all kinds of things stuffed here and there including boxes and tins and whatever on top of the cabinet, plastic bags of all colours and sizes hanging here and there, carton boxes of all sizes and huge tubs of soy sauce and chili sauce and at times, even gas tanks, on the floor all around the stall. Blame it on my OCD but I get quite put off to see a place so messy. After all, it only takes a little bit of effort to clear everything and put them away properly where they belong.

The moment the complimentary soup…

…was served, I knew straight away from the look of it that it would be a whole lot better than most of the rest – most of the time, what I got tasted like plain water with salt or light soy sauce added and a sprinkling of chopped spring onion. I would just leave it untouched.

The pian sip (RM3.00)…

…was good but the kampua mee (RM3.00)…

…was a bit on the mild side. It could do with a bit more shallot oil/lard but they were very generous with the chili sauce – they gave one whole bottle of it unlike many places where they will give you a spoonful in one of those tiny saucers – so I could add all I wanted and I also tossed the pian sip with the mee and yes, I quite enjoyed it after that.

Yes, I do appreciate the fact that they do not use plastic plates and bowls and they do not bother to dye the boiled meat red in colour like what they do at a lot of places in a failed attempt to make it look like char siew, which it isn’t! Having said that, yes, I may stop by again for this if I happen to be in the vicinity but no, I would not go out of my way just to come here and eat. It is good like many of the rest but there is nothing that makes it stand out and will get me rushing back for more.

SOON KIEN WANG CAFE, formerly Wan Long Cafe (2.312977, 111.847257) is located past Delta Mall, if you are coming from town, at the corner among the shops at the junction of Jalan Gambir and Jalan Dr Wong Soon Kai, formerly Jalan Pedada.