BREAKFAST @ KLUANG STATION, THE SPRING SHOPPING MALL, JALAN SIMPANG TIGA, KUCHING

A try-out of the food outlets at the Food Bazaar was not meant to be, as we're a bit early (10:20 a.m.) as some of the stalls hadn't got their food ready yet , and our tummies couldn't wait any longer! If we waited much longer, it would be brunch. Somehow, there's a bad feeling 'bout this outing...

Starbuck... Nah! Secret Recipe... had only cakes and pastries! It wasn't the best of choice either, as it was the first shop we encountered after getting off the car, and we passed.

The menu on display had something resembling of a Malaysian breakfast, with Nasi Lemak, and the likes. I suspect, not knowing its origin, the toast and coffee are its main attractions, and the rest are just fillers (for those who are not drawn to the breakfast items). I guess, that early wasn't the best time to try out the food here, as quite a few items weren't available yet!

The bun toast looks good at first glance... like one of those used for McD's burger. It has Leng Gu-Eu (cold butter) with Kaya (coconut jam) spread on a lightly toasted bun. Good, eh? Not quite when you bite into it. The bread is stale! They said stale bread toasts crispier... yes... but Pui! Pui! if you can still detect the staleness of the bread. Just imagine paying RM2 to eat something stale.

Does Mee Siam (above) fare any better? For one, it's different from the wet variety we've come to be accustomed with. This is more akin to Thai red curry paste fried vermicelli. It's meatless apart from the julienned omelette. The raw vermicelli is soaked in tap water to rehydrate (the way I treat my vermicelli as well) as opposed to using hot water; it gives the noodle the crunchy feel. However, this is done to the extreme... it tastes raw like it's still in its translucent state. It's either, in their haste to serve its first dish, the noodle is used before it's properly dehydrated, or the noodle is under cooked. Either case, it's another RM4 down the drain for an almost raw plate of vermicelli.

Is that how the roti and beehoon are to be appreciated? Undercooked - toast and fried?!!! The coffee is its only redeeming savior. Unlike most West Malaysian coffeeshop's coffee, this kopi-O is not like those 'thick-tar' coffee. Then again, West Malaysians find Sarawakian coffee too watery, even for the "Kou-Kou".