The shop named Ali, Muthu &
Ah Hock near Jalan Balai Polis tends to arouse the curiosity of passers-by.
The name itself is unique. The exterior,
meanwhile, suggests that it is a shop selling antiques or artefacts from the
1950s. Those who venture into the premises, though, would be pleasantly
surprised to find that it is in fact a kopitiam.
A welcome sign hangs in the
middle of the restaurant in three languages – Malay, Chinese and Tamil –
greeting visitors who wish to enjoy traditional Malay, Chinese and Indian food.
The establishment was set up by
three friends: Ernest Ong, Colin Soh and Bruce Wong. They chose the name Ali,
Muthu and Ah Hock to signify the muhibbah (unity) among the races in this
country.
Wong said the concept was also
chosen to recreate the environment of the kopitiam back home.
“We want the atmosphere to be
evocative of that of warung kampung (village stalls) or traditional kopitiam.
“This is because such traditional
establishments are rarely found nowadays,” he said.
The 1960s furniture and decor is
bound to evoke a sense of nostalgia among patrons.
The arrangement of tables and
chairs is a combination of those found in village stalls, kopitiam and mamak
restaurants.
“We use benches and long tables
like those found in village and mamak stalls, and round marble tables and
stools like those typically found in kopitiam,” said Wong.
The restaurant’s manager Jimmy Ng
said the menu boasts traditional offerings like chee cheong fun, mee goreng
mamak, nasi goreng and nasi lemak ayam berempah.
Ng, who is also the head chef,
said the most popular item on the menu and one he would recommend was the nasi
lemak ayam berempah (nasi lemak with spicy fried chicken).
“Nasi lemak is our signature dish
and it is also a favourite among patrons, perhaps because it is a dish loved by
all the races in the country,” he said.
“All our food are guaranteed pork
free.”According to Wong, the kopitiam in Jalan Balai Polis is the second
branch, following the one in Oasis Damansara which was opened in 2013.
Kopitiam
Ali, Muthu & Ah Hock
13, Jalan Balai Polis
(Jalan Panggong), Malaysia
TEL: 03-7832 3138
BUSINESS HOUR: 08.00 –
19.00
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