Our resident foodie is back with another review and this time she had the chance to try out a kopitiam at Setapak. Who knew that she has found another place that offers a good bowl of curry laksa with a twist? Located on the ground floor of Danau Kota Suite Apartment, the eatery offers a variety of Ipoh favourites such as chee cheong fun, prawn mee, chicken rice and so on.
The first dish that we tried was the Home Cook Nasi Lemak with Chicken (RM 12.80). We have had our fair share of nasi lemak so we went in with some high expectations. No doubt, it was a tasty dish but it can’t be a contender among the bests out there. Though, the portion here is quite huge and can be shared among two people. (if you have a tiny stomach).
Tastewise, we did dig the spice from the sambal but there wasn’t any oomph, if you know what we mean. For us, the star of the dish would have to be the fried chicken.
When it comes to the type of chicken, we would rather go for the roasted version. However, for their chicken rice dish, they only had one option which was the steamed one. It’s true that the roasted chicken version might be much tastier but Jia Kopitiam’s Hainanese Chicken Rice (RM 10.80) was quite delicious as well.
We found that the chicken had a nice, delicate texture though it may look a little too commercialised. The downside was the dish didn’t come with the soup so it does feel a little dry especially with the crunchy bean sprouts.
One of the favourite things we like to order when we visit a kopitiam is the curry laksa. And without a doubt, this has got to be the best one yet. Jia Kopitiam has taken the cult favourite and added abalone, making this Abalone Curry Laksa (RM39.80) the tastiest dish we had so far at this eatery.
The dish came with some tofu, fish cakes topped with cockles. In terms of flavour, the broth was nice and rich, being the reason why we would actually return again. It might be on the pricey side but trust us, it is certainly worth trying it out.
Another noodle soup dish we tried was the Penang Prawn Mee (RM 8.80). Honestly, it was an okay dish for us as we found it lacking a bit in terms of spice and the kaw-ness. In comparison to the previous dish, it doesn’t really scream ‘tasty’ enough for us. Perhaps if they tweaked the recipe a bit, we wouldn’t mind trying it again.
So far we are riding on one dish that we really enjoyed but the Chee Cheong Fun with Soya Sauce & Shallot Oil made it as the second-best dish on our list. We are so used to enjoying chee cheong fun with some sweet sauce and chilli but they really surprised us with this one.
“Where’s the sweet sauce?” is what we were whispering to each other the whole time until the owner himself came and taught us how to relish this dish.
All you have to do is take some rice noodle and dip it in some premium soya sauce that they have provided and you’re on your way to changing your life. It may sound a little exaggerating but truth be told, a mouthful of it would just send you to food paradise. Who knew the saltiness from the soya sauce would actually complement this ‘QQ’ texture-like rice noodles. An A+ for us, all the way.
At the same time, we also went with the Chee Cheong Fun with Curry (RM 2.20). Since we have tried a new way to enjoy this rice noodle roll dish, the curry version was sort of alright for us.
If you’re planning to have something light, it’s just right to try out their Kampung Fried Noodles with Curry Chicken (RM 6.50). So simple yet so tasty, the sambal just elevates the dish even more. Pro tip: Have it with a sunny side up.
Usually, those who had enough of steamed and toasted bread for breakfast can try ordering the Croissant with Fried Egg & Ham or the Croissant with Ham & Cheese (RM 6.80).
The croissant even comes with a Jalur Gemilang flag. How cute.
Overall, it was an experience to try out our local delights but our favourite has definitely got to be the Abalone Curry Laksa. So you should check that dish out if you’re ever in the area.
Presentation: 3.5/5 | Taste: 3.5/5 | Value: 4/5
Hours: 8am – 4pm, daily
Address: G02, Danau Kota Suite Apartment, Jalan 1a/6, Taman Danau Kota, 53300 Kuala Lumpur