NAM Wah coffee shop in Pekan Batu 18, Hulu Langat, Selangor is a makan place that needs no introduction to the cycling community in the Klang Valley.
I first came to know about this place through some folding bike kakis (enthusiasts) who train there.
For the uninitiated, the Hulu Langat course is a popular haunt for roadies (road bike cyclists), mounties (mountain bikers) and foldies (folding bike cyclists).
Its tough and hilly terrain is favoured by those who want to build their strength and stamina and with places like ‘Dead man’s climb’ along the route, this is an interesting place to cycle.
Okay, back to the makan story — at the end of the 20km ride (for beginners), the reward is a trip to Nam Wah coffee shop in the town centre.
This is one place where you can observe the 1Malaysia muhibbah spirit.
Orang asli, Malay and Chinese villagers around here can be seen sipping their kopi-O and eating nasi lemak bungkus.
You don’t get to see such as scene in the city centre.
So, what is Nam Wah popular for?
First on the list, is the kaya and butter toast. At RM2.50 a pop, it is the best you can find around the village. Since Nam Wah makes their own kaya, it is fresh and tasty and has a widespread reputation that people from as far as Singapore patronise this coffee shop.
If you love toast and eggs, the good news is this: Kampung Chicken eggs are available and I believe that it is being sold at RM2.50 per serving or cheaper.
How is the kopi-O? Well, I can safely say that it is one of the better ones around. Not too thin, and the coffee is full of flavour.
Other than that, the nasi lemak bungkus (supplied by the Malay residents around the village) is sold fresh at RM1.20 a pack.
This goes well with the coffee, toast and eggs.
A typical meal for three people would cost you somewhere between RM16 to RM18. This depends entirely on how much nasi lemak bungkus you consume.
Besides the light stuff, the shop also serves fried noodles. But it is just so-so in terms of taste and value for money.
This coffee shop opens daily except on certain Fridays and Chinese festivals (a placard is placed at the entrance to inform customers when the shop is closed).
To get to Hulu Langat Batu 18, do a Google Map search and to the GPS-ready makan kaki, Nam Wah’s Lat-Long coordinates are: N 03 09 873, E 101 50 873.