Restoran Kin Hua (锦华茶室) — Restaurant in Johor

Restaurant Kin Hua is a local coffeeshop selling varieties of food. Mostly breakfast items with other smaller stalls ie. Popiah; Chee Cheong Fun, and Mee Siam/Nasi Padang & a table displayed kueh-kueh for sales. It’s quite a run down place on the corner along Jalan Trus before turning to the infamous banana walnut cake, Hiap Joo Bakery.

The main-stall is run by the coffeeshop owner (an elderly lady who can be very rude!). She’ll come around collecting payment for drinks, soft-boiled eggs (Kampong Chicken Eggs), Kaya Butter Bun/Toast & pre-packed Nasi Lemak. Whereas, payment is made directly to other individual stalls upon food being served.

I visited this place a few times. Particularly, I like the Nasi Padang vendor (closed during Ramadan month). As for the popiah vendor, I’m surprised that the lady was scratching her foot with bare hands. So, I cancelled the order immediately, as I’m concerned of her personal hygiene issues.

Recent visit, a friend ordered the 巴剎仔水粿 Chwee Kueh ~is a type of steamed rice cake originating in Teochew cuisine that is served with preserved radish. Friend had kindly suggested that I try, since I commented the look of Chwee Kueh doesn’t look appetising, as compared to Bedok Chwee Kueh. Anyway, I asked for some chilli sauce since we were seated right in front of the stall. To my astonishment, the young lady didn’t allow me to self-help by handling the bottle of chilli sauce by pouring the needful amount on the said disposable plate, which was served earlier. She argumentatively cited from the hygienic reason! Ironically, there wasn’t sauce plate available !! I totally cannot comprehend her ‘logic’ from the hygienic perspective, as you can see she didn’t wear gloves when refilling the said chilli sauce bottle!? Furthermore, I wasn’t pouring the chilli sauce directly to my mouth, eh!?? Wondered how is she going to serve differently??! Well, the taste of Chwee Kueh was as expected, lack of fragrant (shallots), just the saltiness/sweetness of preserved radish (far from nice, not recommended, unless you craved for carbs/sodiums).

Overall, the cleanliness of the entire place is doubtful besides it’s old (most restaurants around were renovated, even though Restaurant Hua Mui had recently refurbished just to ensure sustainability). Yet, Kin Hua is still running it like 4-5 decades ago ~cash payment only, lousy attitude (absolutely ignorant of customer service) with poor dining environment. Perhaps, business success and continuity is the least of...

Restoran Kin Hua: A Delightful Early Morning Pit Stop for a Nanyang Breakfast Classic!

My friends and I recently had a weekday breakfast at Restoran Kin Hua, and it was a genuinely pleasant start to the day. At 7:30 AM on a Friday, the traffic was light, and finding easy parking along the road was a welcome relief, setting the stage for a relaxed meal.

The moment we sat down, we were greeted with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. The Nanyang coffee was truly great – a robust, aromatic brew that had that perfect local flavour, providing an excellent kickstart to our morning. It was perfectly paired with the toasted bread, which was simple yet delicious.

What really stood out for me was their soft-boiled eggs. Unlike many breakfast joints in Singapore where you have to crack the eggs yourself, Restoran Kin Hua serves them perfectly cracked open in a small bowl, ready to eat. The yolks were a vibrant, bright red, a clear sign of their freshness and quality, and a testament to the care they take in their ingredients.

We also ventured to the other stalls within the eatery. The chwee kueh stall was a particular highlight. The chwee kueh itself was delicious, and what made it even better was the fantastic chilli and chai poh (preserved radish). The stall owner's touch of adding a little sweet sauce to both the chwee kueh and the chai poh was a delightful surprise that elevated the dish. In contrast, the chee cheong fun was okay—it was decent but didn't quite possess the same memorable flavour as the chwee kueh.

Restoran Kin Hua is a no-frills, traditional eatery that excels at what it does best: providing a delicious, no-fuss breakfast. It's the perfect pit stop for a simple breakfast and coffee before starting your day. The great coffee, the thoughtfully served eggs, and the standout chwee kueh make it a place I would happily return to.

Recommended for an authentic Nanyang...

Like a typical kopitiam, there are various 'stalls' tucked in one small shop area. I guess the main coffee/toast will be run by the owner and their staff are those wearing the back polo/t-shirt with the restaurant name behind, and these are the ones you will order the coffee, toast and eggs from. The coffee is really fragrant to the smell, thick to the sight, and smooth to the taste, and not like some place where the milk can be overpowering and sweet, but the coffee here is perfect. The eggs are very fresh and soft-boiled to the exact and I have never seen and tasted such yellow looking and fresh tasting soft-boiled eggs in my life. Is like you know some place the soft-boiled eggs after you eat it, and your tummy will felt weird after a while, but not this one, very fresh and very yummy. The toast is nice too but not wow.

There are also other food stuff but sold by others, like a lady selling popiah (tried it was ok), another lady selling those noodles/bee hoon etc, and another one I think selling rice, nasi lemak?

In terms of getting a seat here, do not be 'civil', but of course, don't be rude. There is no queue per say and when you arrived, you just have to look out for any empty tables and grab a seat. Once seated, you will have to try to get the attention (as I say prior), the staff wearing the black t/polo with the restaurant name at the back to order the coffee, toast and eggs. Do not bother asking or ordering from the other ladies not wearing the uniform as they will not help you but just ask you to sit and wait. Also, do not go and disturb/order/ask the dude making the coffee, similarly he will also ask you to...