The yong tau foo is made on the premises using commercially manufactured fish paste.
Highlights at PJ kopitiam include claypot chicken rice served with herbal soup
WHEN a coffeeshop is located across from a large and iconic market, a signboard hardly seems necessary.
Since 1974, Tai Wah Kopitiam has been in a shoplot opposite the Jalan Othman market in Petaling Jaya Old Town, Selangor.
I even had to search online for the eatery’s name.
Inside the coffeeshop, however, there is a sign with the name “Kedai Kopi dan Makanan Majestic”.
I was told by one of the operators that it is the shop’s registered name. But no one calls it that, and it is popularly known as Tai Wah.
Over the decades, certain stalls and their respective dishes have put the coffeeshop on the foodie map.
Hoong has been selling claypot chicken rice at Tai Wah Kopitiam in Jalan Othman, Petaling Jaya for 30 years.
Once, it was very popular for char kuey teow while at another point, people headed here for Penang-style white curry but those dishes are no longer available.
Currently, there are stalls selling yong tau foo, pan mee and wantan mee as well as dumplings during the day.
The wantan noodles are firm to the bite and served with tasty char siew (barbecued pork).
I ordered an additional bowl of the delectable dumplings.
In the evenings, diners come for claypot chicken rice and different varieties of soup.
One of the operators said that initially, a sundry shop used to be here before the space was turned into a coffeeshop.
The current generation of Tai Wah operators are three brothers, named Lim.
The wantan mee noodles are firm and served with char siew.
In the morning, one brother –nicknamed Sunny – is in charge of making drinks while another is in front manning the yong tau foo and chee cheong fun stall, which he has been doing for some 30 years.
In the evenings, another sibling handles the drinks station.
Caffeine addicts should check out this kopitiam in the morning because Sunny makes a mean cup of coffee.
I’m generally used to strong coffee but here, I needed two rounds of watering down my kopi kau before I could drink it.
As for the food, the standard kopitiam breakfast of soft boiled eggs and toast or steamed bread is served.
Small cups of kaya are also available for sale at the entrance, along with kaya-filled pastries, loaves of bread and instant coffee.
It’s worth noting that the yong tau foo is made on the premises using commercially manufactured fish paste – ideal for those who are partial to fish-only yong tau foo.
The kopitiam is busiest on weekend mornings, with people waiting in line for a table.
On weekday mornings, many elderly patrons come for breakfast after their trip to the market.
The aromatic claypot chicken rice and assortment of soups are popular with customers in the evenings.
In the evening, the yong tau foo stall is taken over by the claypot chicken rice vendors, an elderly couple.
The husband does the cooking while the wife takes orders and makes food recommendations to customers.
Hoong and his wife have been at this spot for some 30 years as well.
In the evening, every table will have at least one claypot in addition to soup and blanched vegetables.
On weekdays, the stall has six to seven types of soup while on weekends, there are more than 10 varieties, including herbal soup.
The claypot chicken rice is very aromatic and has a large serving of braised chicken and Chinese sausages, topped with sliced spring onion.
The pork and lotus root soup, recommended by the stall operator’s wife, had a home-cooked feel and was very satisfying on a rainy day.
After visiting Tai Wah, I now understand how families can have all their meals at a kopitiam.
Tai Wah Kopitiam, 90A Jalan Othman, Petaling Jaya, is open weekdays from 6.30am to 2pm, 5.30pm to 8.30pm. Closed on alternate Thursdays and some public holidays.
This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.
