Written by: Christie Wong

Photos by Tatiana Sutulova

The words ‘KaifeiDian’ literally translates to coffee shop in Chinese and by the looks of this place, they have truly brought a modern twist into the traditional Chinese coffee shop we used to go while growing up. Located inside an old bungalow that used to be a post office, the Malay and Tudor style architecture is a hard one to miss. 

Staying true to its name, the menu mostly consists of local Malaysian delicacies ranging from typical breakfast foods such as ‘Bao’ (buns) to main dishes such as Penang Prawn Noodles.

Entering the café, the first thing you notice would be the ambiance of the place, families littered around and chattering, typical stacks of dimsum containers stacked up sky high and of course, the old fashion way of air conditioning, fans being attached at the wooden ‘attap’ (roof). 

Being in the middle of busy Kuala Lumpur, it was no surprise that Kafeidian attracts a number of patrons with its authentic vibe, offering the solace of local foods and giving out a nostalgic feeling from the olden days, a stark contrast from the skyscrapers we see more and more these days. 

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Of course when we’re at a local place, we had to have the typical Malaysian breakfast consisting of two half boiled eggs and toast with butter and kaya. Nothing can literally go wrong with those two as a pair. Although the eggs were slightly overcooked, the taste was still decent. The toast on the other hand had a perfect balance of kaya and butter.

We washed our first serving down with a cup of Kopi O, served in the famous Ipoh White Coffee cup. Kopi O basically means black coffee with sugar and no milk. The rich taste of the ‘Kopi’ (coffee) blended together with a subtle sweetness truly made me think of home. 

Next, being inspired by the flood of insta-worthy posts of dimsum, we decided to order a serving of the famous Liu Sha Bao (custard cream buns). True what we saw on social media, the moment we split open the buns, custard cream started oozing out all over our fingers. Trust me when I say the trademark ‘Finger Licking Good’ should belong to these buns. The custard cream tasted like melted salted egg yolks, contrasting perfectly with the slightly sweet bun. 

We also had a taste of both Prawn Noodles Soup and Chicken ‘Hor Fun’ (kueyteow). 

The Prawn Noodles Soup consisted of Mee Hoon aka Rice Vermicelli, topped with fish cakes, an abundance of prawns, ‘kangkong’ (water convolvulus) and fried shallots. The broth was sweet and when paired up with a spoonful of silky noodles and fish cake, the combination was close to perfection. 

The Chicken ‘Hor Fun’ consisted of ‘Hor Fun’ aka flat rice noodle, topped with shredded chicken, bean sprouts and prawns. The chicken broth was slightly bland but the sweetness from both the chicken and prawns made up for it. 

What was truly impressive about both the noodles were the amount of prawns that were generously topped, and the portion was large enough to keep you full until the next meal without snacking.

(Writers Note: I was born and raised in Ipoh, where Chicken Hor Fun is from. Forgive me if I sound slightly biased in this review, I may or not may be using the one in Ipoh as the bar.) 

If you’re someone who loves the aesthetic of vintage Malaysia as well as rustic vibes, this is someplace you definitely need to come at least once. The food arrived quickly, which was surprising for the size of the restaurant as well as the amount of people that were there. It was a miracle that we could get a table for two so easily, given the line of families that were waiting outside. If you’re coming with a group of friends, you might want to call before heading over! The prices were decent, given the portion and quality of the food. It was definitely a great experience and if you’re a true Malaysian (or might want to be a Malaysian for a day) you definitely need to check this place out. 

Our Ratings:

Food: 7/10

Ambience: 9/10

Service: 10/10

Accessibility: 8/10 (It is located a stone’s throw away from the Pasar Seni MRT! Or if you’re driving, there’s a parking lot right next to the building.) 

And with that, we conclude that Kafeidian is… MONCH Approved!

KafeiDian 源昌隆咖啡店

Operating Hours: 7am – 5pm (Mon-Sun)

Address: 15-1, Jalan Balai Polis, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

Contact Number: 011-1019 3159