Penang Food For Thought: Good Luck Kopitiam

The Palette is a trending dining hotspot in Setapak. The venue is located between Aeon Big and McDonald's. Good Luck Kopitiam (好彩南洋茶室) is one of the eateries here. The proprietors used to run Restoran Ho Choy (好彩茶餐室) in the 1980s.

Good Luck Kopitiam serves local dishes that fellow Malaysians are familiar with. The restaurant preserves the traditional kopitiam atmosphere with elements of Hong Kong-style "cha chaan teng" (茶餐厅).

Barbecue Pork Pastry (叉烧酥, RM4.80) comes in two pieces per serving. The baked pastry is glazed with honey and coated with sesame seeds. Unfortunately, the pastry is too dry for my liking.

Lucky Fried Mee Hoon (好彩炒米粉, RM4.90) is cooked reasonably well. The rice vermicelli is topped with cabbage and fried shallots. Chili sauce on the side really helps to accentuate the overall taste.

Dried Shrimp Chili Ban Mee (虾米辣椒板面, RM10.90) is served with minced pork, mushrooms and fried anchovies. The noodle dish comes with a bowl of soup that contains sweet leaves (马尼菜).

Minced Pork Loh Shu Fun (大头菜肉碎老鼠粉, RM8.90) has similar ingredients as the previous dish, but uses springy "loh shu fun" instead. This type of noodle is also called "rat noodle" because it resembles a rat's tail.

Curry Noodle Soup (招牌咖喱面, RM12.90) is served with chicken, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, tofu puffs, yardlong beans and mint leaves. Alas, the curry is not as tasty as I expected; more coconut milk would certainly help.

Curry Chicken Nasi Lemak (咖喱鸡椰浆饭, RM13.90) is one of the main highlights on the menu. The rice is infused with coconut milk and pandan. The dish comes with hard-boiled eggs, fried anchovies, roasted peanuts, cucumber slices and sambal (chili paste) too.

We also ordered a serving of Ham, Egg, Chicken Floss Long Bun (熏肉蛋鸡丝面包, RM7.50). The bun resembles a croissant but is not nearly as flaky.

My choice of drink is Ho Ga Sai (虎咬狮, RM5.90), which literally translates as "tiger bites lion". This popular drink from Taiping combines the bold taste of coffee and the familiar sweetness of Milo.

The food at Good Luck Kopitiam is somewhat acceptable, but there is certainly much room for improvement. Meanwhile, the price is pretty reasonable considering the fact the restaurant's air-conditioned ambience.