A Sip, A Slurp & A Bite @ Toh Soon Cafe, Campbell Street, Penang
July 25, 2010 | 17,964 views
Campbell Street – The most beautiful street of Georgetown, personally. Take a stroll, and immerse yourself in the unbeatable heritage quality and charm.
Why Penang food all of a sudden?! No reason in particular. But this Sunday brought back memories from last year, when I intended to have my breakfast at Toh Soon Cafe on a beautiful Sunday morning, but the place was closed, ironically.
Toh Soon Cafe looks more like a rundown shack; pardon the lack of a proper description, as the eatery looks more like a stall sandwiched between the colonial structures of Campbell Street.
Not the most savoury of sight, to be eating your breakfast at a congested backlane next to the drain? You’re so wrong. Just look at the crowd ……
A famous breakfast haunt amongst the locals, tourists and shutterbugs alike; Toh Soon prides on their charcoal-toasted bread with own-produced kaya (creamy egg jam with a whiff of coconut milk), half-boiled eggs served in a transparent plastic cup, and a cup of coffee or tea to complete the experience. What sets them apart from the other toast-and-eggs coffee shop is how they literally “get down to business” and painstakingly watch over the bread over charcoal fire ……
And no, don’t get the misconception that only the older folks visit this place. We saw a sizeable young crowd slurping up their eggs, as well as some foreigners (maybe expats?) happily seizing the day with a caffeine kick!
I could not help but wonder – with the amount of people thronging the back alley on a daily basis, and the prospects of growing to another successful chain (think Old Town White Coffee), why oh why is Toh Soon Cafe STILL chooses to operate from this same (sore) spot, that can barely handle a busload of visitors?
Look at how they toast/grill the bread over charcoal fire, and boil the water on top of the contraption. The Nasi Lemak in packets will satisfy those seeking a heavier breakfast. And you can buy their homemade kaya, so you can push your luck in replicating the same taste at home?
Possibly to retain the authenticity and taste of the yesteryear’s. Nothing beats biting into a piece of fluffy charcoal-toasted thick bread, lightly slathered with their aromatic kaya. And watching them in action while bracing yourself for the wait. We had to endure a good 15 minutes of people-watching as they do not compromise on the method of toasting their bread.
A large green drum had been modified to accommodate a brazing charcoal fire fueling the boiling water in the kettle above, and the nicely-laid pieces of bread on a steel mesh directly over the fire. At any one time, only four pieces of bread can be toasted, hence you can imagine the wait if say, a table of four order a set each!
Highly recommended to order more than one set per person. The fluffy bread was almost without a toothsome texture albeit being roasted over the fire. Soft, and slightly chewy but not crispy nor hardened.
Don’t ask for a menu, for that will make you stand out among the crowd. 🙂
But instead, go with the flow. Order a set of toast with eggs (MUST), and a cup of coffee or tea. Wonder if they have ‘cham’, a mix of coffee and tea with predominantly coffee kick.
A dash of pepper and drizzles of soy sauce, then drink up the whole concoction. Or dip the toasts into the velvety eggs.
While counting sheeps people, we saw paper cuttings of various media coverage prior to our visit. Even the current Chief Minister was here. If you’re thinking, hmm … to be eating at some back lane, for sure there would be putrid stench, or rats scurrying along your legs.
But hygiene was maintained well, and the breakfast was even comparable to eating at any random coffee shops in Penang.
Coffee with milk, in its most robust form. Not as strong as you might have feared, but still complemented the toast and eggs very well.
This place reminded me of Ah Weng Koh Hainan tea and toasts at Bukit Bintang market in Kuala Lumpur. To be seated on plastic and steel stools, circling an already battered (rusted?) steel table, and jostling with the crowd for a seat. And even to the extent of sharing with random strangers, who might just be as addicted to the breakfast fares served here.
The irresistibly charming streets of Penang
TOH SOON CAFE – Coffee & Toast
At a small alley off Cambell Street (Lebuh Chulia)
Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.
Business hours – 8am – 6.30pm
Closed on Sundays.
(Enter from Penang Road’s side to find this cafe on your LEFT)
Here’s a GOOGLE MAP to Toh Soon Cafe to assist you.
* The other toast, eggs and coffee lovers – CK Lam, Vkeong, Pikelet & Pie, Allie Food Talk, iamthewitch
Aww….a classic place to have breakfast. 🙂
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I like the half-boiled eggs very much.. Yup, I really like to dip my toast with the eggs xD It’s very yummy that way..
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 25th, 2010 at 10:03 pm
Yeah, toast and eggs. With a cup of coffee. Breakfast does not get better than this!
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these are all the great start for the day!!!
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[…] Charcoal-Toasted Bread & Coffee @ Toh Soon Cafe, Campbell Street … […]
This is always the place for breakfast whenever I visit the nearby market 🙂
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 25th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
The Campbell Street market? Yeah …. I kinda forget to post that. The building alone is worth a shot. Exuding such class.
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Must ask my local fren where this shop is.. there was one time i ate at back lane too.. but that one was koay teow tng..
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A Sip, A Slurp & A Bite .. or a hop skip jump to a massive but delicious selection of breakfast grub! i like this place too. good choice
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I really impressed with how they toast the bread when I 1st watch it at Ah Xian’s TV show 🙂 Half boil egg + roti (I prefer steam roti) is my favorite breakfast, I can have this EVERYDAY!
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know what?? you’re more adventurous than me… hahahaha 🙂
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Yes the wait is a bit long… the egg, is just like any other egg… only thing that make this place different from ytour normal kopitiam is the atmosphere….. I was also asking the question why they do not want to move to a bigger premises.. and the answer I guess is what they are doing now is what draws the crowd, if they move than nothing special anymore just another kopitiam..
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 27th, 2010 at 8:19 am
The atmosphere no doubt. The coffee also not as good as white coffee (hehe, I’m an Ipoh boy after all!)
but the bread was good.
I hope they don’t move out and go down the commercialization route though.
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CW Yee Reply:
July 28th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
YES to Ipoh White Coffee…. Penang coffee stand aside..
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Anonymous Reply:
September 6th, 2012 at 5:20 pm
does this cafe serve pork?
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My favourite toast in Penang! In Malaysia maybe! LOL! Just regretted that I didn’t find out about this place earlier!!
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This is my kind of place. Down to earth and good food. I will have to go there soon.
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I saw the Nasi Lemak bungkus and reminded me of my favorite at Pengkalan Weld hawker center. So good. I love it. Have you tried that?
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 1st, 2010 at 10:21 pm
No lah … But I know which one! Coz we had the beef noodles inside instead.
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Anonymous Reply:
September 6th, 2012 at 5:23 pm
TOH SOON CAFE, does this cafe serve pork in their menu?
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 9th, 2012 at 9:43 pm
hi Anonymous, no. Toh Soon only serves breakfast of toasts, eggs and beverages.
[…] from Toh Soon Cafe on Campbell Street, Eng Loh Cafeteria maybe your next best choice for good toast in the heart of […]
Nice .
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Would we not read this more in magazines if this were reality? I rarely hear of this on newspapers. Either this article is advanced, or you have overextended your piece.
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Anonymous Reply:
September 6th, 2012 at 5:19 pm
is it serve pork?
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lilang Reply:
February 1st, 2013 at 8:01 am
yes. i have to ask the same way too…
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