Favourite Section 17 coffeeshop’s fare is sadly no longer up to par.
THERE is a coffeeshop in Happy Mansion Section 17/13 Petaling Jaya that is well-known for its chicken rice and roast pork dishes.
The place is Choon Yien coffeeshop (N 03 07.362, E 101 38.070), and their siew yuk (roast pork) and char siew (caramelised roast pork) rice comes highly recommended.
But before I get to the lowdown, I would like to wish my buddy Ng Wei Loon (my ex-teambuilding session roomie and former StarMetro sports writer extraordinaire) farewell and all the best!
We met up at Choon Yien coffeeshop for some beers to reminisce over the good old days and actually polished off all the Carlsberg beers in their fridge.
That was when I met an old-timer responsible for setting up the roasted pork rice stall.
He is now in retirement and shared some stories and also made recommendations on what is the best time to makan the char siew and siew yuk at the coffeeshop.
“Eh Sam, you better come over around 10am.
“At this time, you don’t have to wait for your makan,” he advised.
I told the old-timer that I had eaten at the stall and was impressed with the quality of food served there.
As a matter of fact, the char siew seller was Ng’s VIP guest when he got married a few years back.
I found him to be an amusing guy, but his singing was way off when he went on stage to perform a karaoke number back then.
Fast forward to my most recent visit to Choon Yien coffeeshop where I ordered a plate of siew yuk and char siew with a plate of taugeh (bean sprouts) on the side.
Since I had arrived early, I had worked up a really good appetite.
Service was prompt but the foreign worker who served us had forgotten about the taugeh which was included in my bill that came up to RM10.
After a few scoops of rice with the char siew on the side, I felt that the standard at this stall had plunged.
Someone else is in charge of the makan place and yet, despite the difference in taste and texture, people are still lining up to get their lunch fix.
On the Samo-scale, I would rate Choon Yien’s siew yuk and char siew at 3.5 out of 10.
Why? Both roast pork dishes was dry and rough.
My basis for comparison is Char Siew Yoong restaurant in Jalan Pudu Hulu, Kuala Lumpur.
Choon Yien coffeeshop is open daily from 10am to 2pm, except on Sundays.
