Post by Chiefeater VK

After our management meeting, Datuk Michael said why not have lunch at his friend's new kopitiam in Bangsar South. Hock Kee Kopitiam which hails from Johor Bahru opened their KL outlet only in April 2023 but was already packing in the crowds. When we arrived before 12 noon, there was already a queue of patrons waiting to get in.

After we were seated and had ordered, what was even more amazing was how fast it took for them to get our food out to us. The back of house and front of house were a model of efficiency. It look less than 10 minutes from the time we ordered to when it arrived at our table.

We had the Steamed Chicken Rice, Nasi Lemak Banjir, Lontong, a Egg & Cucumber Toast (such an English thing in a Malaysian way) and we topped it off with an egg tart to round off the meal. We definitely ate too much.

The Food

The steamed chicken was flavourful though I did find the meat a bit tough. The rice was fragrant though I found the rice a tad soft. We later found out that because of the volume of business, the rice had not had time to cool down yet before they served us. That could have explained the softness.

Lontong is not commonly found at many kopitiams in KL. It is a type of Malay dish made by boiling compressed rice cake, also known as lontong, in coconut milk, along with vegetables, such as carrots, long beans, and cabbage, and served with a spicy peanut sauce. All that came together in a lovely combination here.

Our favourite dish, I leave the best to the last, was the Nasi Lemak Banjir. The Nasi Lemak had curry, sambal and the usual condiments that we come to associate with the dish. The tagline for Hock Kee Kopitiam is that it is a Kopitiam Muhibbah. The harmonious integration of the races. And that is what I felt that this dish achieved. It felt like a melange of Malay, Chinese and Indian flavours coming together in a humble yet profound way. It tasted like a perfect blend of Muhibbah in the mouth. Not one flavour stood out against one another. Instead they combined to dance on the tongue.

Egg & Cucumber Toast

Egg Tart

Is Lontong the same as a Ketupat

Lontong is a type of compressed rice cake that is made by boiling rice that has been wrapped tightly in banana leaves or other types of leaves until it becomes firm and compact. Ketupat, on the other hand, is also a type of compressed rice cake that is made by boiling rice that has been wrapped tightly in woven palm leaves.

Business Hours
Opens Daily
08:00 am - 10:00 pm