A Hainanese Affair @ Sin Kok Thye Coffee Shop
August 25, 2010 | 8,285 views
Hainanese Chicken Chop – At RM7.50/USD2.30 per portion; this is a throwback to the glory days; the colonial times when our ancestors were great cooks, whipping up lip-smacking dishes in the kitchens in the British residences.
Sin Kok Thye, or New Cathay could possibly pass off as another run-of-the-mill coffee shop in a part of Klang town that has obviously seen better days. Port Klang on a Sunday is deserted; you don’t even see the ‘foreign army‘ scrambling around, making ends meet at the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. Just before you reach the port, you will bear witness to rows of slightly dilapidated shophouses; in no way a haven for food hunters.
But wait, then there’s the almost century old Sin Kok Thye on Jalan Kem in Port Klang. A corner lot at the end of a row of double-storey shops facing a flyover (still operational?); a pork-free establishment reminiscence of the other Hainanese coffee shops like Yut Sun of Taiping and Yut Loy of Kuala Kangsar. Read on to find out more about the Hainanese cuisine served at this charming coffee shop …..
Sin Kok Thye is loosely translated to NEW Cathay; and I was told that this is now being run by the third generation. Look at those fresh, pickled green chillies in the jar. Perfect with their Hailam Mee, or the Chee Cheong Fun from the stall fronting the shop
Do remember that they close on Sundays. So never push your luck and venture out to Port Klang all the way from Kuala Lumpur or wherever you are in hopes of a pleasant cup of Hainanese coffee and some toast. Unless, of course you don’t mind detouring over to Pulau Ketam for a quick respite from the city life and enjoy a round or two on bicycles, then winding up with some seafood.
On a side note, this old man manning our table could almost passed off as my late grandfather!!! Such uncanny resemblance. And yeah, in case you’re wondering, I’m of Hainanese parentage.
Kaya & Margarine Toast for Breakfast – With a cup of Hainan tea, coffee or ‘cham’ for a complete ensemble.
I do not why I am so fascinated by old coffee shops, or ‘kopitiam’ if you will. Those marble tables, wooden chairs, and mosaic-tiled floors, with quaint decorations adorning the walls, and an antique grandfather clock or two. Maybe the ambience, or most probably the same old food selection; Hainanese Chops, Thick toast with homemade “kaya” (coconut + egg jam), Hailam Mee, Fried Beehoon etc.
Don’t ask for White Coffee here. Or in any REAL kopitiam for that matter. That’ll be a joke, for what you get will be a robust brew with a bitter aftertaste, and with less milk (no evaporated/fresh milk business, unless it’s Kopi C).
Hainanese Fish Chop – A slab of real, boneless fish fillet (as opposed to those starchy commercially marketed brands), doused in their tangy tomato gravy and served with the same sides as the chicken chop.
Appearance-wise, the Chicken and Fish Chops looked presentable, but the watery tomato-based sauce was not as drool-worthy at the first glance. But don’t let the appearance fools you. The sourish, tangy tomato sauce complemented the lightly-coated fillets well, without being overly starchy/thickened like most. The sides include boiled green peas (slightly cold though), pan-fried potato wedges, a cut of fresh tomato, and some onions to complete the garnish.
Truthfully I found the chops here to be rather good, and definitely worth the price. About RM7.50/USD3.30 per portion, for both the chicken and fish. You can also opt for a black pepper sauce for your chops, or go for the lamb chop that looked mighty hefty in portion; lapped up ravenously by a table of hungry elderly patrons.
Hailam Mee – A sloppy serving of braised yellow noodles in dark soy sauce and oyster sauce, with prawns, chicken and mustard greens (Sawi)
Though the Mee Hailam at Sin Kok Thye was comparably bland and not as tasty as the famous Parit’s version at Ang Ang, we still had no trouble slurping up the yellow noodles coated with the dark gravy. Mind you, I am not a fan of the alkaline-laden taste, hence I always had my reservations when it comes to ordering the mee.
Something ‘kao’ to kick start the day with? Can’t go wrong with Kopi-O (Black coffee) !!!
All in all, the breakfast at Sin Kok Thye Coffee Shop was a worthy exodus, at least the Western cuisine served were all above average; not sloppily deep-fried fillets of meat doused in a starchy, corn flour-laden gravies. Definitely worth a visit if you’re ever around in Klang, and another Bak Kut Teh meal for breakfast sounds like an overkill.
SIN KOK THYE (NEW CATHAY) COFFEE SHOP (Pork-Free)
23, Jalan Kem,
Port Klang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Opens from 6.30am – 6.00pm.
Closed on Sundays.
Here’s a GOOGLE MAP to Sin Kok Thye
Here’s a review by Eating Asia, and more pics from Essence of Life
Hi there, J2Kfm! How are you? I see there is a Hailam mee, what’s the different between that and the “mun yee mee” ? Oh.. I like the Kaya & Margarine Toast so much.. It’s perfectly toasted =] Not to forget the first picture, the Hainanese Chicken Chop, that’s really special.. to me at least =x I haven’t try that before, it looks so deli.. lol..
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 25th, 2010 at 6:29 pm
Hi wyyv, always nice to hear from you guys.
Hailam Mee uses a darker combination of sauces; soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, etc.
And yellow mee (the alkaline mee) is used.
Mun Yee Mee is braised noodles in an almost similar sauce, but using different class of mee;
the Yee Mee.
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Bushido Reply:
August 26th, 2010 at 8:57 am
Yee Mee is yellow noodles that had been deep fried & kept in coils.
When recooked, it gives a distinctive fried flavour.
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Oh oh, then the cook must have been hvg a lousy day during my previous visit there, coz the sauce was so diluted and bland. I’ll go give them another try. Btw, there’s a better hainanese place for chicken chop. It’s about a few lots away from Maybank. They serve great fried noodles too.
Thanks for the info.
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 25th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Oh Gratitude, the sauce WAS diluted, but thankfully not the watery/tasteless tomato sauce used in ‘lazy chicken chops’ by the roads.
Hainanese Chops usually are served with a brown sauce, or this tangy gravy as far as I know.
You happen to know the name of the other restaurant?
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Gratitude Reply:
August 26th, 2010 at 9:02 pm
So sorry, I’m bad at remembering restaurant names lolz. My friends and I used to call it “slow shop” coz it’s serving period is below par, but still worth the wait.
The shop is directly opposite the corner lot “pasaraya” to which the nite stall that is famous for “tong yuen” is located. Shold be difficult to locate, as there is no other old chinese kopitiam on the same row.
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 26th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
Okay thanks. A famous tang yuen stall in Port Klang?
http://kampungboycitygal.blogspot.com/2007/04/port-klang-tong-yuen.html
That’s the one?
Looks delicious when I am super hungry right now.
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i want i want….that’s the type of chicken chop i love…..yummy looking!!!
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Yum !! too bad Port Klang too far from my place
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 26th, 2010 at 5:30 pm
Nah …. even further from MY place right?
Do a run, breakfast of Bak Kut Teh, then go sing karaoke, shopping, movie or something,
then lunch at Sin Kok Thye. Then do something else …. before a seafood dinner.
Day trip complete. Or hop over to Pulau Ketam for life on the planks.
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hey! there’s a sin kok thye coffee shop in penang too! a pretty popular place for breakfast
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 26th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
So happened?
In fact even in KL city centre, there is a Cathay coffee shop, that sells great Nasi Padang and mee Rojak.
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There was one Hainanese coffee shop (I forgot the name) along Jalan Hang Lekiu, formerly Cecil Street in downtown KL serving similar chicken and fish chop some 20 years ago. I am not sure the coffee shop is still there anymore because I haven’t been to that area for some time. The taste is just fantastic and the price reasonable. I think it was around RM4 then! It was a few doors away from the former Bangkok Bank. Very crowded during lunch hour. And the ambience also the same-very old and traditional looking coffee shop with marble tables, wooden chairs, hanging fans and wall mirrors. You will find some Ah Peks in white singlets and black shorts serving the customers. And they will take their own sweet time to serve you.
The chicken chop and fish chop served in these outlets are definately better taste and cheaper than those at Secret Recipe outlets.
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 26th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Oh let’s not talk about Secret Recipe, ipohgal !!!
I just had another disastrous meal at one of the outlets in KL ….. to imagine now they really reheat everything from the menu. Nothing’s prepared freshly.
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Any coffee shop like this in Ipoh?
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 26th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Hey KL Girl; sad to say I can’t find one in Ipoh. In Taiping, Kuala Kangsar, and even Pengkalan Hulu; yes.
Maybe FMS when they reopen?
Scotch Pub in Ipoh Garden South serves probably the closest to true blue, authentic chops (including pork) as far as I know.
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I love Hainanese style chicken chop! They remind me of how my grandma makes it.. although she’s not Hainanese.. neither am I.. but still!
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 26th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Good … my grandma can’t make Western food. But my late grandpa sure could. He was a cook with a British employer pre-Merdeka period.
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Hi J2Kfm
Yes, not only the food at Secret Recipe sucks but their service SUCKS BIG BIG TIME! I am referring to the outlet at Times Square in KL.
Have you ever been to an eatery where towards the end of the meal, they are very impatient to clear your table, dump the bill infront of you without asking and seeing that you are still chatting, bang the nearby tables and chairs to drown away your voices?
That exactly happened to me and my friend some two months ago. We were paying close to RM80 and have to endure such treatment. No more revisits for sure.
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 29th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Wait …. they couldn’t have done so, unless you and your friends overstayed until their closing hours?
Even if that’s so, they SHOULD politely tell your party to come again another day or something. IF they really wanna pull the shutters and go off.
I tell you ipohgal, I probably won’t return again for a meal at SR. Maybe just for the cakes and a cup of coffee, as it’s incredibly hard to find a cafe that serves both and certified Halal.
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wow, this is the first time i hear about hainanese chicken chop!
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wall mirrors are great for styling your home too. i specially like rounded wall mirrors *
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I grew up in the coffee shop:) memories!
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J2Kfm Reply:
January 18th, 2011 at 9:39 am
Huh? You mean you’re related to them? Or your parents frequented the place a lot back then?
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huhu.. i ate here often.. memang sedap.. we call it ‘kedai koboi’ hhehehe…
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J2Kfm Reply:
February 18th, 2011 at 9:07 am
KOBOI?! Haha … tapi mengapa? Boss tu macak koboi?
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This shop is classic. My usual eating place.
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Anna Ling Reply:
May 6th, 2012 at 5:22 pm
May I have the address or direction to this restaurant and what is the operation hours?Tks & regards
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