There are mornings when only a bowl of comforting noodles will do — and that is when the locals of Jalan Petanak head to Sung Huat Cafe. Also known to regulars as Soon Fatt Cafe, this unassuming kopitiam at Lot 150 has been quietly feeding Kuching for 26 years. The man behind the wok is Lew, a 58-year-old who never planned to become a cook. [image: 1788606385107-p1.jpg] DayakDaily Lew started his working life in the woodworking industry in Sandakan, Sabah. But when the 1997 economic crisis hit, jobs dried up and he needed a new direction. With his family, he moved to Kuching — travelling on stone roads from Sibu — and began learning to cook from scratch. "We learned by eating out and observing how others cooked. It was a lot of trial and error," he recalled. Together with his wife, he experimented in the kitchen until they perfected their dishes. [image: 1788606385390-p2-resized.jpg] DayakDaily Today, the cafe's menu is built around traditional Foochow flavours. The Big Prawn Mee is a favourite — generously topped with fresh prawns in a rich savoury broth. The Foochow Mee, with its dark soy caramelised profile, draws regulars who have been coming for years. Then there is the Red Wine Egg Soup, a traditional Foochow comfort dish made with red rice wine, ginger and eggs. It is the kind of bowl that warms you from the inside out — especially welcome on a rainy Kuching morning. [image: 1788606385824-p3-resized.jpg] DayakDaily Lew also serves Foochow Kampua and Zao Cai Hong Ngan, each dish carrying the same careful attention to balance that comes from decades of practice. What makes Sung Huat Cafe special is not just the food, but the sense of continuity. Many customers, both local and international, have been eating here for years. The kopitiam has become a neighbourhood anchor — a place where relationships are built over shared meals and the same orders are placed year after year. How to visit Sung Huat Cafe (顺发茶室) is at Lot 150, Jalan Petanak, Kuching. Open in Google Maps. Operating hours: Monday to Friday 6am–2pm and 6pm–11pm; Saturday to Sunday 6am–2pm. Look for the old-school kopitiam signage — it is easy to miss, but the crowd outside usually gives it away. If you are new to Foochow food, start with the Foochow Mee and a bowl of Red Wine Egg Soup. The prawn mee is worth arriving early for, and the portions are generous enough for a filling breakfast or lunch. Cash is preferred.

When a Kuching morning starts before traffic builds at Jalan Rock, I would choose a breakfast still made with a little intention. Joo Seng Cafe's familiar order is roti bakar with teh tarik; the telling detail is that the toast is oven-baked until golden instead of relying on a toaster machine. [image: 1788498427619-p1-resized.jpg] Source That choice connects the present shop to a longer story. Joo Seng has been part of Kuching's breakfast scene since the 1960s, founded by Mr Foo Siang Swee and his family. Its menu also brings together Sarawak laksa, mee jawa and fried chicken rice, so a mixed group can share a table. [image: 1788498428123-p2-resized.jpg] Source The teh tarik is poured between cups to build a fine froth. Public customer notes also single out the cold milk tea, buttered toast and hearty Mee Jawa Special. I would start with toast and teh tarik, then choose mee jawa if breakfast must carry into lunch; it is the fuller option and may come with satay and fried chicken. [image: 1788498428566-p3-resized.jpg] Source Joo Seng Cafe is at No. 125, 1½ Miles, Jalan Rock, Kuching, open about 5:30am–5pm. It is often busy, so arrive early. Open in Google Maps For a first Kuching breakfast, it works when one person wants toast and another wants a local meal. Would you keep it classic, or go straight for mee jawa?

Before Kuching's morning traffic fully gathers, Sung Moh Chicken Rice is already a practical reason to make the trip to Sunny Park. The stall at Hainam Moi Cafe carries a family recipe that began in 1976, now served in its current Batu Kawah home. [image: 1788246692688-p1.jpeg] Source: DayakDaily The plate is built around silky-skinned Hainanese steamed chicken, fragrant rice cooked with stock, and the family's dipping sauces. I would start here if the plan is a straightforward breakfast or early lunch: the stall opens at 7:00am and serves until 1:30pm, so a late-afternoon detour will miss the useful window. [image: 1788246693268-p3.jpeg] Source: DayakDaily There is a reassuring sense of continuity in the details. The chicken preparation begins at 2:00am, while the current operator keeps the same family flavours her father established. That makes this a good stop for visitors who want a classic Kuching kopitiam meal with a clear family story, rather than a heavily decorated food destination. [image: 1788246693754-p5.jpeg] Source: DayakDaily Sung Moh Chicken Rice operates from Hainam Moi Cafe at Sunny Park, Jalan Dogan, Batu Kawah, Kuching. It is open daily from 7:00am to 1:30pm and closes twice a month; for enquiries, call 019-856 2111. Open in Google Maps I would pair this with a Batu Kawah morning route and arrive well before the closing time. For a plate that links today's lunch to a 1976 family beginning, the timing is part of the experience.

Jiu Feng Kopitiam gives visitors a convenient way to fit Nanyang-style food into a Kuching city-centre itinerary: it is inside Plaza Merdeka, close to the Waterfront and Main Bazaar, rather than in a traditional roadside coffee shop. [image: 1787564232198-jiu0-resized.jpg] Source: Jiu Feng Kopitiam menu image [image: 1787564232634-jiu1.jpg] Source: Jiu Feng Kopitiam menu image [image: 1787564232791-jiu2.jpg] Source: Jiu Feng Kopitiam menu image [image: 1787564232875-jiu3.jpg] Source: Jiu Feng Kopitiam menu image The menu is broader than a coffee-and-toast counter. The menu includes Nasi Lemak from about RM9.70, Crispy Chicken Rice from about RM11.90, Jiu Feng Fried Kuey Teow at about RM18.50, Curry Laksa at about RM20.90, and Hainan Tea Kaw or Cham Kaw from about RM12. Prices may change. For a first order, I would keep it simple: choose one of the rice or noodle meals and pair it with the Hainan tea or cham if you want the kopitiam part of the experience. The menu also includes Korean fried chicken, chicken chop and other fusion choices, so this is useful when a group cannot agree on one cuisine. It is less suitable if you are specifically looking for a tiny old-school stall with only a few local dishes. Jiu Feng is at Plaza Merdeka Level 2, units 39–41, 88 Pearl Street, Kuching. Daily hours are listed as 9:00am–9:00pm; the mall’s general opening hours are separate. If you are planning an early breakfast before the shopping centre gets busy, check the latest venue announcement first. Open in Google Maps Would you go for the fried kuey teow, a rice meal or just coffee and toast?

开了快60年的古晋海南咖啡店：Jalan Sekama 的 Ann Loke Hui Cafe，叉烧、白切鸡、海南咖啡，味道依旧。 1968年12月20日，距离圣诞节还有五天，Ann Loke Hui Cafe 在 Jalan Sekama 这条街上正式注册。一晃近60年，这家海南咖啡店至今还在华家的守护下继续经营。 [image: 1780016782710-ann-loke-hui-01.jpg] 56岁的 John Hua（右）和他83岁的母亲 Chai Lan Jin 在店里冲泡咖啡。 John Hua 在2001年从父亲 Hua Kia Jin 手中接手这家店。父亲经营了33年后，64岁时离世。如今83岁的妈妈仍然在厨房帮忙。 这家店的特色是什么？ 最热闹的年代是 Lido 戏院还在的时候——看电影的人潮蜂拥而至，吃完才进场。到现在还有老顾客回来，一边吃一边聊那些年的故事。 招牌菜： 白切鸡、叉烧、三层肉配油饭、咖喱肉饭、茄汁粿条，还有用传统咖啡杯盛的海南咖啡。 [image: 1780016787269-ann-loke-hui-02.jpg] 咖喱肉饭和三层肉油饭 — 海南风味代表。 这家店还保留着一种老习惯：用旧报纸包外卖。这个传统从来没有变过。 [image: 1780016787451-ann-loke-hui-03.jpg] 咖啡杯和报纸打包 — 几十年不变的古早味。 "反正报纸也是给客人看的，当包装纸也不算浪费。"John说。 华家希望把这家店传承给下一代。John的孩子已经开始帮忙了，店里的旧物和老照片，都在诉说这家厨房60年不变的故事。 地点： Jalan Sekama，古晋 营业时间： 早上10.30 - 下午2点，星期日休息 联络： 019-889 6101 新闻来源： DayakDaily 你去过 Ann Loke Hui 吗？古晋还有哪些老式咖啡店是你还会去的？

A kopitiam that has survived nearly six decades — and still serves its char siew, steamed chicken and Hainanese coffee the old-school way. Just five days before Christmas in 1968, Ann Loke Hui Cafe was officially registered on Jalan Sekama. Almost 60 years later, it is still going strong under the Hua family. [image: 1780016782710-ann-loke-hui-01.jpg] John Hua (right) and his 83-year-old mother Chai Lan Jin at their coffee station. Today, 56-year-old John Hua runs the business, taking over from his father Hua Kia Jin in 2001. His father ran the cafe for 33 years before passing away at 64. His mother, now 83, still helps in the kitchen. What makes this place special? The cafe was at its busiest during the Lido Theatre era — cinema-goers would flood in before and after shows. Many regulars still come in today, reminiscing about those days. Signature dishes: steamed chicken, char siew, three-layer pork with savoury rice, meat curry rice, kueh teow in tomato sauce, and traditional Hainan coffee served in vintage kopitiam cups. [image: 1780016787269-ann-loke-hui-02.jpg] Meat curry rice and pork with savoury rice — Hainanese staples. Old habits die hard here. They still use old newspapers as takeaway wrappers — a tradition dating back decades. [image: 1780016787451-ann-loke-hui-03.jpg] Coffee served in vintage cups and newspaper wrappers — unchanged through the years. "It would otherwise go to waste," John explains about the newspaper practice. The Hua family hopes to pass the cafe to the next generation. John's children already help out, and the memorabilia on the walls tells the story of a kitchen that hasn't changed its ways for six decades. Location: Jalan Sekama, Kuching Hours: 10.30am - 2pm daily, closed Sundays Contact: 019-889 6101 Source: DayakDaily Ever been to Ann Loke Hui? What old-school kopitiam in Kuching do you still visit?