Ho Kow Hainam Kopitiam — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

Everyone who travels to Petaling Street or KL Chinatown for breakfast or brunch would have known this hainanese restaurant with a highly rated and an almost legendary reputation. I was deterred many times to visit because of the long queue which is a guarantee here. It also didn't help when the parking here is so limited and because of that, one has to opt for the expensive parking in the area. Today happened to to be that day where I convinced myself to face these challenges just so I could finally try the food myself and confirm if it lives up to its gigantic status. We were first met with a queue but luckily, it was moving fast. Upon seated, we were given the menu and I must say that the choices of food were decent but could have included curry noodles at least. We ordered the nasi lemak with ayam goreng, kaya and butter roti bakar, signature hot cham and hot kopi. It didn't take long for the food to arrive so they could maximise on their customers turnaround. The nasi lemak rice was fragrant, grainy and I can certainly taste the sweetness and the coconut milk aroma. The sambal was sweet, wasn't exactly spicy and I love the crunchy onion chunks. I was also pleased with the fried anchovies or ikan bilis as it was light but crunchy and tasted freshly made. All seemed to be well prepared but then I was completely let down when I tried the ayam goreng. The rempah wasn't aromatic and the chicken wasn't flavorfully marinated and it also wasn't crispy. Frankly I couldn't quite put my finger on the flavors here. The moist and tender chicken meat were the plus points but those alone couldn't redeem the ayam goreng itself from the underwhelming taste. The roti bakar was pretty standard and so were the half boiled eggs. The hot kopi and cham were good. I enjoyed the velvety smooth texture and richness of both hot drinks. All that said, I personally do not think that I will revisit. The food wasn't terrible but rather average at best. Now would I endure the long queue and horrible parking just to have an average meal? I think you can decide for...

⭐ = Recommended

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (10/10) Hainan Cham Iced : Rich and nice coffee flavour, ordered less sweet and it was exactly the balanced sweetness I wanted.

⭐⭐⭐ (10/10) Butter and Kaya Toast : Baked to soft and crispy perfection, the bread melts in your mouth when you take a bite of it. They are generous with the butter and kaya. Satisfies your toast cravings.

⭐⭐⭐ (10/10) Ho Kow’s Signature Hainanese Chicken Chop : The outer skin is fried to a nice crisp golden brown color, and the skin melts in your mouth. Chicken is really tender along with the Hainanese sauce that is sweet yet savoury, you won’t feel jelak all the way eating it.

(7/10) Nasi Lemak with fried chicken : Fried chicken skin is a bit overfried. Peanuts and anchovies are perfectly crispy and fresh. Sambal however, is average, and doesn’t quite pair well with the rice for me. Meat portion is a lot, sufficient to finish with the rice.

(7/10) Sambal : • Sweetness : 7/10 • Saltiness : 5/10 • Spiciness : 2/10 A bit on the sweeter side, it has rich belacan flavour, umami rich, slightly spicy. However I think it doesn’t pair well with the rice and fried chicken.

⭐⭐⭐(10/10) Curry : • Sweetness : 3/10 • Saltiness : 3/10 • Spiciness : 0/10 Rich santan milkiness, fresh and not spicy at all. Really the type of curry I’m looking for.

Pricing : Considerably nice as it was around under RM20 for main dishes.

Environment : A nostalgic Chinese vibe open-air kopitiam, comfortable air flow, with lots of fans, with a proper and detailed queue system. ————————— Compliments :

✅Great and efficient queuing system, waited for around 5-10 mins for a seat ✅ Toilet and handwashing available ✅ Not too hot inside (despite it being open air) ✅ Cleanliness and service are absolutely awesome ✅ You may request extra sambal/curry at no...

Ho Kow Hainam Kopitiam: A Nostalgic Delight with Unique Flavors

Rating:

• Food: 3.5/5 (Delicious and unique dishes, but skip the fried chicken)

• Service: 4/5 (Excellent and friendly)

• Atmosphere: 4/5 (Charming old-school vibe)

• Value: 4/5 (Good value for the quality and experience)

Overall: 4/5

Donkey and I were craving some good kopitiam fare on a rainy morning, so we headed to Ho Kow Hainam Kopitiam. The moment we stepped inside, we were transported back in time with its charming old-school vibe. It's beautifully renovated while still retaining that nostalgic feel.

We were a bit indecisive about what to order, so we asked the staff for recommendations. We ended up trying some of their unique dishes: the Cham (a coffee-tea blend), Teh-C, Curry Chee Cheong Fun, and the Butter Crunchy Peanut Sugar Bun. Every single dish was delicious! The Cham was flavorful and refreshing, the Teh-C was nice and thick, the chee cheong fun had a great curry, and the bun with the peanut butter and kaya was a unique and satisfying treat.

I was especially hungry, so I ordered a plate of Nasi Lemak with Fried Chicken. The nasi lemak itself was fantastic - the rice was flavorful, the peanut and ikan bilis were delicious, and even the chilli was good. However, the fried chicken drumstick was a bit of a letdown. It was quite salty and tasted like it had been deep-fried in old oil.

Overall, Ho Kow Hainam Kopitiam is a great place for a nostalgic kopitiam experience with delicious food. The service was excellent, and the atmosphere was cozy and inviting. Just skip the fried chicken! We highly recommend trying their...