Kolo Mee @ Bishop Gate

Min Joo Cafe used to be located at a very old corner shop at the junction of Bishop Gate and Carpenter Street. It is very popular with Kuchingites, testified by the fact that the small cafe is always packed and also by the willingness of patrons to wait a long time for their kolo mee. The vendor was also known for being unfriendly, but people still flocked there all the same.

I had not gone to Min Joo for years! When I went there this weekend, I found that the corner shop was closed. I went to check and found that they'd moved next door. There was no sign, but I recognised the man behind the stainless steel cooker.

It was only 7.30 a.m., but it was already full. There was a folded plastic table and some stacked plastic chairs, so we were told to set up our own table along the corridor outside the shop.

Then, I had wanted to place my order but was told brusquely that "Everything here is automatic!" So I sat down, and waited. And waited. And waited. About 30 minutes later, someone came to take my order. Then I waited. And waited. It was only 30 minutes later that my noodles arrived.

Kolo Mee, RM3.80

What makes the noodles here popular is the use of malt vinegar to flavour the noodles, resulting in not only distinctively fragrant but also slightly tangy. They are also quite generous with the ingredients, as there were char siu, blanched pork slices, minced pork, fishballs and fish cake garnishing the noodles. Thankfully, it was all well-worth the long wait!

Another popular dish here is the offal soup. One could have their soup customised, i.e. request for specific items in the soup. I asked for one with "everything" in it.

Offal Soup, RM7.00

So there were liver, kidney, tripe, intestines, tongue, minced pork, pork belly, meat balls, fish cakes, salted vegetables and seaweed in the umami soup.

Soon people started hovering around, waiting to snap up our table when we finished.

The food aside, eating here certainly wasn't quite pleasurable at all. The service sucked. The ambience sucked. Still, people would put up with it all, just to consume these delectable bowls of noodles and soup. Oh, why??