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.
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. ;)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
23 comments
Such a quaint location! The soft-boiled eggs looks so goooood…*drools*
It was good. Hehe. But can get in KL la…it’s the nasi dagang that’s the star. ;)
Naah…I won’t trade it for my salted egg pork ribs…
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150878554203171&set=a.10150232928043171.328984.671183170&type=1
:P
Hahahaha!! Ok la…but you can’t eat pork ribs for breakfast. :P
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…
When you holiday in the east coast, make a pit stop there lo… ;)
the name of the place it cute! food looks decent and I certainly would not mind trying this when I m in KB!
Food is good…but it’s the uncertain opening hours that gets me. If you’re there, you must try the nasi dagang. :)
So annoying when places don’t allow photos! What are they thinking?
I’m not sure why too… :(
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.
Ya lor. Maybe they don’t want competitors to copy them…
All food looks good and decent to me esp Nasi Dagang and half boiled eggs.
Wait till you try them!
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
I think it’s the former. Don’t think the old uncle bothers about the US president. Lol. :P
OMG i miss nasi dagang!!!
Me too!
It doesn’t look like a popular restaurant from its facade :P
Yeah, but it’s always crowded! -_-
You should try up more Kota Bharu food~ A lot of them taste really nice ^^
Thanks for writing this! It is indeed an “institution” and undeniably a pride to all of us, the Kelantanese!
If you’re looking to be ill-treated and love bad manners from the owner and staffs, you’ve come to the right place!