The Kopi Shop

I was walking around Campsie this afternoon and I walked past this place.

I noticed the name first and then realised it said it was offering Malaysian hawker food

As it was about 3pm, and I was feeling a bit hungry I was game to check it out.

I walked in and there was nobody except for 2 very well-dressed ladies in one corner chatting away in a Malaysian accent in the Malaysian way – which is basically shouting at each other.

I did not really want to give myself away and sat down waaayy at the back of the shop and just observed them. It was easy, they ignored me 🙂

Anyway, the waitress came to take my order. I think she was Malaysian because she tried a few words here and there in different dialects but I just stuck to my guns and spoke English.

I noticed the menu on the wall.

It looked like pretty much standard fare – Hainanese Chicken, Bak Kut Teh, Nasi Lemak and unusually, Penang Asam Laksa.

But my humming and ahhing must have annoyed the waitress so she gave up and handed me the menu.

The menu didn’t look half bad – very well presented and good pics on it.

After flicking through it, I decided that I would get something which should be easy to do.

So, I picked a mutton curry set meal which I felt would survive the worst of defrosting,

reheating, etc etc. I was expecting the worst because itt was late in the afternoon and I didn’t know if the cook was still cooking or not.

Well, I didn’t really have to worry, because another group of noisy  well-dressed females walked into the place – all chatting away in a Malaysian accent. They joined up with the previous two and did the Malaysian thing – shouting away at each other discussing what they wanted for dessert.

Listening to them shouting at each other about durian smoothies and gula melaka and what not, I just settled in to watch what was going on.

Eavesdropping into other people’s conversation is probably considered rude but I have a feeling that was the whole point of the conversation the ladies were having.

It was difficult NOT to know that some of them were headed back to Malaysia in the next couple of weeks, that the gula melaka dessert was to die for, durian smoothies are easily found in Malaysia, and gawd knows what else because I was beginning to tune out of their conversation.

Fortunately for me, my meal was served rather quickly. I didn’t quick time them but I would guess

it didn’t take more than 15 minutes.

They must have had muted the bell on the microwave oven as I heard nothing go “ding”.

My first impression was that the curry was probably a bit old – yes, I am an fscking expert at heated up defrosted frozen cooked food considering how much of it I have in my freezer 🙂

And then the rice was served.

This was a large good helping of plain rice with a side serve of acar.

I dug in and shovelled in a couple of mouthfuls because I was hungry and then I remembered I was supposed to be writing an article on The Kopi Shop.

Oh well, I stopped to grab a few shots like the good foodie I am.

Tell you what?

It was really quite good mutton curry and rice.

The curry was a little bit sweet for me but quite edible with good spices.

The acar was a bit overpickled so it was limp instead of nice and crunchy. But still, it was nice.

So nice that I finished it all and forgot to take any pics of the empty plate and empty curry bowl 🙂 Some foodies, eh?

Oh well, next time, eh? I intend to be going back there again.

I think the Penang Asam Laksa might be worth a try.

Anybody else wanna go?

 

The Kopi Shop, 108 Beamish Street, Campsie, NSW, 2194.