Hai Peng Kopitiam, Kemaman

Hai Peng Kopitiam has been around for as long as I can remember.  Whenever we made a stop at Kemaman for tea  time(or should I say coffee time) it had always had to be at  Hai Peng Kopitiam.

The place is full of people as I popped in at 3.30pm on a Saturday afternoon.  Getting a table proved to be a great chore…but hey, good food comes with a ‘sacrifice’ right? So I waited patiently for someone to vacate their table. The long wait finally ended when a family of 4 got up & went off to the cashier to settle the bill.



Some items for sale - nasi lemak, coffee

I sat down & noticed that the shop was filled with people of all races. And lots, and I mean LOTS of smokers too…..which was something that really put me off.

Service was, as usual, lackluster – but I guess this is how it is in Kemaman where the pace of life is definitely many  folds slower than the busy KL life I am used to.

Coffee beans in a big bottle

After several attempts to catch the attention of the waiters, someone finally came to take my order. This is what I had:-

Milo Hai Peng (RM2.50) – a little diluted and I honestly think they ought to put in more Milo powder.

Toasted bun & bread with kaya (RM1 per set) – the bun & bread were toasted using charcoal and when they were served, the aromatic bun will just make you feel like grabbing the bun & eating it right away – which was what I did – Simply great!

Home made tuna sandwich (RM5.90) – I took one bite and looked hard at the menu – no where was it mentioned that it was spicy tuna – so I wasn’t prepared for the spiciness of this!

Garlic bread – 3 pieces for RM5.90 . Although the crust was hard, the bread was surprisingly soft and delicious.

I finished up all my food and left as there was already someone eyeing my table. Wow! Business sure is brisk here.

Hai Peng Kopitiam
3753 Jalan Sulaimani
Chukai, 24000 Kemaman
Terengganu

Tel : +609 – 859 7810

Opening hours: 6.45am – 6pm

Cash terms only

Restaurant Tong Juan, Kemaman

A quiet little town located north of Kuantan, Kemaman thrives on its oil & gas as well as steel industry. I went there just to try out what they are very famous for – stuffed crab. I did not know which restaurant to pick as there were so many of them in a row…..so I chose Tong Juan because I found a parking spot right in front of the shop.

We found a table easily as it was still early  and they have just opened for the day.  We ordered our drinks – lo han kuo, ice lemon tea, coconut and longan.

This is fishball soup (RM10)  – easily 20 fishballs inside. The fishballs were smooth and fresh. They did not have any stale fishiness!

Rice served in a pot

This is grilled prawns – the prawns were placed on a stick and served to us. The prawns were very, very fresh and flavourful. Price? RM12 each.

Half a dozen of stuffed crabs.  They cost RM8 each. The crab meat was soggy. I personally feel that this dish has been overhyped.

Tau miu with salted fish (RM12) – both tau miu and salted fish have very strong smell and taste. So I was pleasantly surprise by the outcome – a very delicious dish!

Sin Kong tofu  (RM15) – I love the gravy which was not too starchy. The combination of capsicum,  carrots onions and button mushroom gave this dish an extra boost.

As I paid for my lunch at 12.45pm, I notice a long queue in front of the restaurant – hungry people waiting for a table…Phew! Lucky I was early.

Address: K117, Jalan Sulaimani,

24000 Kemaman.

Terengganu

Tel: +6 09 859 1346‎

Opening Hours:  11.30am - 3.30pm / 6.00pm - 10.00pm

(Closed on Friday)