Just a step away…

That morning, I had to go to the insurance agency as I had to renew Ol’ Faithful‘s insurance and road tax. Gosh!!! It is going to be 28 years old next week, that antique Wira, believe it or not!

Yes, it is as good as new except that it is a manual, not auto gear and there is no power steering but my missus would rather stick to it instead of switching to the 3-year-old Saga. Somehow she feels more comfortable driving the old car.

It did not take long and as soon as it was done, I went next door to the coffee shop just a step away for breakfast…

I remember we had their bitter gourd rice vermicelli before a few times and we did enjoy it a lot. My girl loved it! I was quite positive that they had strips of shredded chicken, breast meat so I would be able to eat that since they would not be using any red meat in the dish. But wait a minute!!! Can somebody please tell me what has happened to the chunks of tomato in the dish? Tsk! Tsk!

The soup was absolutely clear but do not let the appearance fool you. It was so delicious, bursting with flavours…

…and I believe they used the stock from their steamed chicken (for their chicken rice), the bones, the innards and what not to cook it.

The bihun was nice, none of the cockroach smell found in some made-in-China rice vermicelli unless you rinse it thoroughly many many times and I liked how thinly they sliced the bitter gourd…

…which incidentally was not bitter at all.

Another thing that impressed me was how perfectly they fried the finely chopped garlic till that lovely golden colour…

That sure helped to bring the taste of the soup to a whole new level.

If there was a bone to pick, that would be regarding the absence of freshly-sliced chili in soy sauce. I seem to notice that at many places, they do not give it to you anymore. The reason, of course, is obvious – the rising prices…of chili especially and if you do ask for it, you may be given a saucer of soy sauce with a slice or two of chili drowning in it!!! The sign of the times! It did not matter to me one bit of course, as I am also on a low salt diet so I could jolly well do without the soy sauce.

COLOURFUL CAFE (2.316673, 111.837539)…

…is located in the Renew4U building at the junction of Brooke Drive and Lorong Kwong Ann 8, across the road from the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints.