K3K Benta Kaya Kopitiam @ SS15, Subang Jaya

Went to K3K Benta Kaya Kopitiam for dinner. It is a nicely renovated corner shop located at SS15 in Subang Jaya, same row with AmBank Berhad.

K3K stands for Kwai Sam Kee (桂三记) and originated from Kuala Lipis, Pahang. They set up their first branch in the urban area at The Place, Damansara Perdana and had since expanded from there.


It was said that the business has passed on to the third generation. K3K Benta Kaya Kopitiam is famous for their heirloom of cultured kaya and toast bread, aromatic coffee and tea.


My friend ordered Curry Chicken Rice @ RM7.80. The curry was flavourful but the portion was pitifully small. See the little drumstick on the big plate?


I ordered the Original Hakka Mee @ RM7.80. Again, the portion was super duper small. The noodles were home-made. Hence, it looks different from those i normally had. The soup tasted like "stew soup". Delish!

However, i do think that the food are over-priced. Nothing is cheap here. Even plain warm water will costs you RM0.60.

Add: No. A13, Jalan SS15/4D, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel: 03-5621 3566


[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Dimple Dessert House @ Cheras, Kuala Lumpur

I was looking for a soya shop beside Cheras Leisure Mall but unfortunately it has closed down. So here i am, looking at this Dimple Dessert House which is located just opposite the shop that i intend to visit initially.



The set-up of the shop is fairly simple. The shop occupies two lot, which makes it very spacious and comfortable. There were still a lot of Chinese New Year decor hanging around though...


My friend ordered Mung Bean Soup @ RM2.90. It tasted just alright to me. Pretty watery yet not too sweet.


As for me, i ordered "Five Colour Tong Sui" (五色糖水) @ RM3.90. It consists of Red Bean, Mung Bean, Black Glutinuous Rice and two other type of beans which i can't recall. I find it very nice, with a variety of beans to chew at.

Add: No. 30 & 32, Jalan Manis 3, Taman Segar, 56100 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-9131 9338

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Tappers Caffe @ CapSquare Centre, Kuala Lumpur

Went to Times Book Fair at CapSquare Centre last Saturday. There were loads of cheap books for sale, mostly in good condition. I managed to grab some interesting books at the Book Fair.

CapSquare Centre is a newly built social and dining destination in Kuala Lumpur. There are still many vacant lots, and the crowd flow is not heavy. If you are looking for a quiet place to walk around, have a meal and watch a movie, then this is the place.

Settled my lunch at Tappers Caffe which is located at the Ground Floor of CapSquare Centre. It is a charming colonial-designed cafe which offers local and western cuisine.

White is THE colour for this cafe. Everything was in white, which made the whole cafe brighter rather than gloomy. There were white walls, white tables and white rattan chairs with black & white photo frames and antique-designed lamps adorned one side of the wall.


Tappers Kopi Ping @ RM2.80. The coffee was thick and smooth, but a tad on the sweet side. Wonder why their Kopi Ping has got so much of bubbles...


Tappers Mini Chicken Chop @ RM7.80. I ordered a "mini" version and obviously the serving is small. Just to give more room for food-testing. Ironically, Kedai Makanan Yut Kee which is famous for its Hainanese Chops is located just a stone's throw away from here.

This is said to be a northern Hainanese-influenced Chicken Chop. Battered eggs is used to wrap the Chicken Chop and pan-fried. The Chicken Chop is bland piece of chicken breast topped with steamed potatoes, steamed carrots and green peas, doused with sweet sourish tomato-based sauce. The dish was just average. The sauce could have been thicker and lesser.


A point of interest. The Tappers Mini Chicken Chop comes with a plate of plain toasted bread. I've never seen anything like this before. I mean... eating chicken chop with toasted bread?

I even told the server: "Errr... I don't think i ordered this (pointing at the bread)..." Then, the server said: "Ohhh... This is to be taken together with the Chicken Chop. (*smile*)" I guess the bread is for me to finish-up all the sauce on the plate. But this is some sort of Malay-infused culinary creations which just seems a bit odd to me.

Original French Toast with Honey @ RM2.80. Instead of normal toasts, i ordered original French Toast with honey syrup. The French Toast was evenly fried and the colour was perfect. It is topped with a thick slab of honey syrup. It tasted fragrant when eaten with honey. However, if you are not into food that are a tad on the sweet side, then it is not recommended.

Overall, i had a satisfactory meal.

I’ll admit that i loved colonial-designed cafe. It reminds me of my first 12 years childhood memory of living in an estate. It's very hard to get authentic colonial-designed cafe in Malaysia these days. The fact that Tappers Caffe is just 50% succeed in depicting a cafe from the colonial era would still warrant a praise.

Add: Lot G-21, Ground Floor, Cap Square Centre, No. 7, Persiaran Cap Square, Jalan Munshi Abdullah, Capital Square, 50100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2691 2888


[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Hainan Chef Kopitiam @ The Summit Shopping Complex, Subang

Spotted the sign "Jalan Jalan, Cari Makan" on the banner outside the Hainan Chef Kopitiam while i was at The Summit Shopping Complex the other day and straight away went in without hesitation. It is a cosy little kopitiam located at Lower Ground Floor.

It was said that the roots of the Hainan Chef Kopitiam started way back in 1933 as an established kopitiam at the Seremban railway station. However, that coffee shop was closed in 1993.

I didn't order their Hoilam Char or Roti Kiap which is what Hainanese kopitiams are all about. I choose something different instead.

White Coffee @ RM3.00. The aroma of the White Coffee was pretty mild with heavy milk-ness which does not suit my appetite.


Hoilam Bun @ RM2.00. They claimed that the Hoilam Bun are spread with New Zealand butter and home-made kaya. The Hoilam Bun was soft, with acceptable sweetness of flavourful kaya.

I had a short conversation with the owner of the shop and he said most of his food suppliers were Hainanese in which the authentic taste are well-guarded. Coffee and bread aside, i feel that the prices are a tad expensive though.

Add: Lot LG 06, The Summit Subang USJ, Persiaran Kewajipan, USJ 1, 47600 UEP Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 016-322 1550
Opening Hours: 9am - 10pm daily.


[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Snowflake Cafe @ SS15, Subang Jaya

Had desserts at Snowflake Cafe (雪花栈) last Saturday. It is located opposite Asia Cafe in SS15, Subang Jaya. This little shop owned by a Taiwanese specializes in natural and authentic Taiwanese desserts.


Saw these along the staircase leading to the shop which is situated at first floor. Nice Chinese lanterns.


Nice view from the Smoking Zone outside. Asia Cafe is just behind the dense bamboo bushes.


This is the first time i had Taiwanese desserts. They claimed that all of their desserts are handmade and freshly cooked for hours daily to ensure the natural flavour of each ingredient.

The shop is humbly simple and neat, with colourful illustrative boards hanging on both side of its wall. It should be a wonderful place to have some chit-chat with your friends.


This is a self-service cafe. This "Beeping UFO" was given to us after we made our payment. Then we return to our table and wait for the desserts to be prepared.

When this "Beeping UFO" flashes and vibrates, it simply means that our desserts are ready and we have to return this "Beeping UFO" to collect our desserts.

What a cool gadget!


My friend ordered Snowflake Bestseller (雪花栈招牌) @ RM5.50. It is packed with Grass Jelly (仙草), Yam Balls (芋圆), Sweet Potato Balls (地瓜圆), fine shaved ice and comes with a tiny cup of creamer.

Creamer were added to enhance the taste. The Yam Balls and Sweet Potato Balls makes the whole dessert chewy, similar to eating glutinous rice balls. It was simply delightful and refreshing.

I ordered Soya Bean Milk and You Tiao （豆浆油条） @ RM3.50. Instead of having it the Taiwanese way, i.e. dipping the whole long You Tiao (fried dough stick) into the bowl of warm Soya Bean Milk, i prefer to have it separately, without the dipping part.

The You Tiao (fried dough stick) was extremely crunchy, as if it comes fresh from the kitchen. The Soya Bean Milk was definitely above average, which comes lightly sweetened with soothing soybean taste. Absolutely savour in satisfaction.

Add: No. 61A, 1st Floor, Jalan SS15/8A, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 017-582 7322 (Mr. Jimmy Tsai)


[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Hai Siang Kopitiam @ Bandar Puteri, Puchong

Went to Hai Siang Kopitiam last Sunday. I was settling some banking affairs at a nearby bank and the shop was just a block away. It is located on the same row with Citibank (Puchong Branch) and next to Old Town Kopitiam in Bandar Puteri, Puchong.

Hai Siang Kopitiam claimed to serve Hai Peng Coffee exclusively, by using the coffee powder from the famous Hai Peng kopitiam in Chukai, Terengganu.

The decor is fairly simple, with a fusion of Chinese and Malay concept. I guess they want to bring back those olden days’ memories to everyone who comes to their shop.

However, the shop seriously need to keep up with house-keeping. Those pile of boxes and things stacked at the back of the shop was indeed an eyesore.

My friend and i ordered Kopi Peng (Iced Coffee) @ RM2.60. We were disappointed with the watery and tasteless coffee. Local coffee comes in various strengths, according to the hands of the brewer, and this is what makes any particular kopitiam a personal favourite. Unfortunately, of all the coffee i have had from modern kopitiam, this Kopi Peng, i must say, ranked the last.

My friend ordered Toasted Bread with Kaya and Butter @ RM2.20. The toast looks thicker than usual (even after toasting), which i think is their own baked bread. Not bad, it was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The kaya taste just average, a bit sweet if you asked me.


I ordered Yau Char Guai with Kaya @ RM2.30. For the price that they are charging, i find it disappointed. The Yau Char Guai (fried dough stick) comes in such a small portion, and a bit over-cooked. It simply lacks in crunchiness. The Yau Char Guai (fried dough stick) taste just average, even though the Kaya was generously spread in between.

Apart from house-keeping, the staffs in the shop also seriously need to take note of personal hygiene. We saw one of the server picking her nose in the public while waiting for the food to be prepared. OMG!

Running the business with such a strong competitor next door would require Hai Siang Kopitiam to improve on whatever is lacking, starting from brewing good, old local roast coffee.

Add: No. 17, Jalan Puteri 1/6, Dataran Puteri, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor.
Tel: 03-8061 6919


[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Alicafé Restaurant @ USJ Sentral, Subang Jaya

Went to Alicafé Restaurant last Sunday. It is newly opened and located at USJ Sentral, opposite Giant Hypermarket Subang Jaya.

Ali Café brand hopes to achieve a wider client base by introducing their beverages with herbs such as kacip fatimah and tongkat ali to customers by venturing into restaurants.

I still remember seeing Raymond Lam Fung, the popular Hong Kong TVB Artist doing the Power Root Ali Café TV Commercial in Petaling Street nearly 1 month ago when he came to Malaysia as the Spokesperson for Power Root Ali Café. He was much more skinnier than what we saw in the television.


Alicafé Restaurant is an up-market kopitiam, with a modern and trendy decor. There are non air-cond open section and air-cond closed section. We chose the latter as it was a very hot afternoon, plus the nice ambiance of the latter. Apart from their beverages with herbs, they also offer a mixture of Western and Eastern dishes.


My friend ordered Iced Ali Café 5-in-1 coffee with Tongkat Ali and Ginseng @ RM3.50. It is a blend of Arabica & Robusta coffee beans, with Tongkat Ali and Ginseng extracts and creamer thrown in for good measure. It taste wonderful and was said to give you loads of energy.


I ordered Iced Ali Café 5-in-1 coffee with Ginseng and Oligofructose @ RM3.50. It's the same ingredients as the previous coffee, except that the Tongkat Ali is replaced with Oligofructose which is a natural component for a healthy digestive system. It taste wonderful as well.

Judging from the price, Ali Café is definitely one of the more expensive brands. Although the coffee flavour was very mild as it has been overpowered by Ginseng and Oligofructose, but it really worth a try.


My friend also ordered Steamed Bread with Butter and Kaya @ RM2.50. It taste so-so only. I do think they should cut the bread into half (in the middle) for easy consumption. The slice was simply too long! As opposed to Toasted Bread, Steamed Bread is too soft to be handled and eaten in such a way. They should have done some research beforehand.


Meanwhile, i ordered Curry Puffs @ RM3.50. 2 Curry Puffs were cut into half, which makes it even more difficult to handle by fork as the filling is easily dropped. (Maybe i should use hand instead?!) It was too oily and the filling was not flavourful. It doesn't look appealing as well.


Highlight of the meal... a fly was "attracted" to our Steamed Bread.


We didn't shoo it straight away as we want to take picture of it. However, this was the nearest it can get... to our bread.


For an up-market kopitiam which had just opened for 1 week or so, 5 flies (1 fly was hidden behind the tissue box) sitting on the table was a bit ridiculous!

The toilet with a "hidden door" beside the customers' table.

From my observation, i can only derive 2 conclusions. Firstly, they don't clean the table properly with multipurpose cleansing spray after each meal but simply dab it with a cloth. Secondly, the toilet is a bit too near to the dining area thus give opportunity for flies to venture into the dining zone since the toilet is not maintained in super clean condition.

Alicafé Restaurant sure has a lot of improvement to be done... in order to become a fly-free zone.

Add: No. F1, Persiaran Subang 1, USJ Sentral, USJ 1, 47601 Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-7880 0319
Opening hours: 8am - 2am daily.


[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Kemaman Classic Kopitiam @ IOI Mall, Puchong

I had lunch at Kemaman Classic Kopitiam in IOI Mall, Puchong yesterday. This is the first time i went to IOI Mall since their new wing started operating a few months ago. The shop is just diagonally in front of Popular Bookstore.

Rumour has it that this is not the genuine Kemaman Kopitiam. The owner started it's first outlet with consent to copy Kemaman Kopitiam concept. All coffee powder were supplied by Kemaman Kopitiam as well. Well... rumour may just be rumour.

The shop's interior is tastefully adorned with contemporary kopitiam wallpaper and old picture frames, in an attempt of fusion with a modern decor.

My friend ordered iced Coffee whilst i ordered iced White Coffee. Both tasted moderate. I just thought that the iced Coffee tasted better with its heavier bitter taste.

Left: Iced Coffee @ RM2.70.
Right: Iced White Coffee @ RM2.70.

My friend ordered Curry Chicken Rice @ RM5.90. You would noticed that their Curry Chicken Rice comes with fried egg and fries. Quite odd a combination. The Curry Chicken was nice and flavourful. With a big bowl of white rice and the odd side dishes, the portion is considerably big.

I ordered Chinese Fried Rice @ RM5.90. It was just average. But the Keropok Lekor was crispy and delicious. Better than those i had in KL. However, how come there are Keropok Lekor in Chinese Fried Rice? Must be a fusion between Chinese food and Malay food. This is yet another odd combination.

With fusion cuisine so common we don't even think about it as fusion anymore.

Add: Lot S17, 2nd Floor, IOI Mall, Batu 9, Jalan Puchong, Bandar Puchong Jaya, 47100 Puchong, Selangor.

Tel: 019-353 8121

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]