Home Food Reviews White House, Kota Bharu

White House

White House in Kota Bharu is an institution; it is so popular among locals and tourists that even before the place opens at 8am, there is already a queue at the door. They say third time is a charm. White House doesn’t have a fixed day off and the previous two visits we made left us disappointed.

Menu

Service wasn’t the friendliest and no photography was allowed, especially of the menu and kitchen. The picture above was taken before the staff informed me about their little rule. Famished, I polished off a set of roti kahwin (RM2.20), telur ½ masak (RM2.20), one packet of nasi dagang and a cup of kopi ais (RM2.50). Ambitious for many, but an easy feat for me. ;)

Roti Kahwin

The toast had a light and crispy exterior, with a fluffy and moist centre. This came with a side of cold butter and kaya. I found the kaya very tasty – it was light in colour and richly eggy with a good balance of sweetness. According to the owner, authentic kaya should be light in colour; I bought a small tub of kaya to enjoy at home. The combination of warm crusty toast, slightly melted butter and rich kaya was simple yet delicious.

Soft-boiled eggs

Drizzled with a bit of soy sauce

The soft-boiled eggs were cooked just right and were evenly wobbly. Good stuff! One of White House’s specialties is the Nasi Dagang (RM3.50). The unpolished rice had a firm yet fluffy texture and came with a side of chicken rendang. I would have liked the chicken thigh, but I got the chicken breast instead. That said, the rendang gravy was thick, spicy and aromatic.

Nasi Dagang with Chicken Rendang

Nasi Ikan Tongkol

I also tried a few bites of the Nasi Ikan Tongkol (RM3), which my mother in-law had. I liked the fish, but didn’t think the white rice did it justice. Even the fried chicken version suffered the same fate. The Nasi Lemak (RM1.50) looked unassuming, but the sambal packed a wallop. Despite that small spoonful, the sambal was quite spicy even for me. Pretty decent stuff.

Nasi with Ayam Goreng

Nasi Lemak

Iced coffee

The iced coffee was smooth and thick with a good roasted aroma. While it’s no Ipoh white coffee, it still makes a pretty good cuppa. The hot version (RM1.50) was better than the former, especially when eaten with the toast.

Hot coffee

Our bill came up to RM40 for the 4 of us (inclusive of 3 additional packets of nasi dagang to go). I would like to come back again when I hit the east coast, but the unpredictable day-offs is quite a turn-off. Imagine driving there only to find the place close. Potong steam!

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Ambiance: 6/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 7/10 (halal)
Verdict: One of the must-try places in Kota Bharu. But don’t expect 5-star service here.

Kedai Kopi White House
1329-L,
Jalan Sultanah Zainab,
Kota Bharu,
Kelantan
Business hours: 8am – 1.30pm, 9pm – 1am

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23 comments

ulric May 29, 2012 - 8:13 am

Such a quaint location! The soft-boiled eggs looks so goooood…*drools*

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Bangsar Babe May 29, 2012 - 9:08 am

It was good. Hehe. But can get in KL la…it’s the nasi dagang that’s the star. ;)

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ulric May 29, 2012 - 9:17 am Reply
Bangsar Babe May 29, 2012 - 9:49 am

Hahahaha!! Ok la…but you can’t eat pork ribs for breakfast. :P

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Simple Person May 29, 2012 - 10:49 am

wow .. everything looks so delicious…
sighh .. the only problem is that the place is at Kota Bharu..
I like the nasi lemak with banana leaves + ayam rendang…
2 thumbs up le…

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Bangsar Babe May 29, 2012 - 11:12 am

When you holiday in the east coast, make a pit stop there lo… ;)

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Chasing Food Dreams May 29, 2012 - 10:53 am

the name of the place it cute! food looks decent and I certainly would not mind trying this when I m in KB!

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Bangsar Babe May 29, 2012 - 11:12 am

Food is good…but it’s the uncertain opening hours that gets me. If you’re there, you must try the nasi dagang. :)

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The Yum List May 29, 2012 - 11:36 am

So annoying when places don’t allow photos! What are they thinking?

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Bangsar Babe May 29, 2012 - 11:39 am

I’m not sure why too… :(

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Baby Sumo May 29, 2012 - 12:20 pm

If the food is good, they shouldn’t worry too much about ppl taking photos. Usually those that are scared are bcos they worry about bad publicity.

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Bangsar Babe May 29, 2012 - 3:42 pm

Ya lor. Maybe they don’t want competitors to copy them…

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FoodnTravella May 29, 2012 - 4:11 pm

All food looks good and decent to me esp Nasi Dagang and half boiled eggs.

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Bangsar Babe May 29, 2012 - 5:03 pm

Wait till you try them!

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Sean May 29, 2012 - 5:02 pm

i wonder about the name though. is it because the shop used to be painted white, or are they fans of the u.s. president? heheh :D and ooh, the soft-boiled eggs look purrrrrrfect :D

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Bangsar Babe May 29, 2012 - 5:03 pm

I think it’s the former. Don’t think the old uncle bothers about the US president. Lol. :P

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Michelle May 29, 2012 - 7:18 pm

OMG i miss nasi dagang!!!

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Bangsar Babe May 29, 2012 - 10:47 pm

Me too!

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Choi Yen May 30, 2012 - 2:45 pm

It doesn’t look like a popular restaurant from its facade :P

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Bangsar Babe May 30, 2012 - 10:04 pm

Yeah, but it’s always crowded! -_-

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See Yong July 27, 2012 - 8:24 pm

You should try up more Kota Bharu food~ A lot of them taste really nice ^^

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Illyana January 31, 2013 - 4:20 pm

Thanks for writing this! It is indeed an “institution” and undeniably a pride to all of us, the Kelantanese!

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Annoyed Customer May 25, 2014 - 8:30 pm

If you’re looking to be ill-treated and love bad manners from the owner and staffs, you’ve come to the right place!

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