Peninsular Hainan Coffee, OUG

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Jien and I have been frequenting Peninsular Hainan Coffee in OUG lately, as we’re on the lookout for a Hainanese coffee shop that offers a variety of food options under one roof. Peninsular Hainan Coffee somewhat fits the bill.

Known for their Hainan cham and house special cham, the main section at Peninsular Hainan Coffee serves an assortment of breads, ranging from the quintessential Hainan toast to croissants. I’ve tried a few of these over several visits, and the croissant with ham, cheese, and egg (RM9.80) is quite good.

The croissant is properly toasted, so it’s flaky without being too crumbly (which can happen if it’s over-toasted), and the egg is still moist and fluffy. I’d say this is better than the one available at Thong Kee. I also enjoyed the ham, cheese, and egg muffin (RM8.20), which tastes like a heartier, non-halal version of the sausage egg muffin at McDonald’s.

The Hainan bread with butter and kaya (RM4) and the Hainan bun with butter and kaya (RM4.60) were also decent. I couldn’t decide between the Hainan cham and the house special cham, as both were good in their own way. The latter is thicker and packs more of a kick, so if you’re looking for a caffeine rush, go for this. That said, I feel both could be less sweet; if you’re like me, ask them to reduce the amount of condensed milk.

Peninsular Hainan Coffee also houses several food stalls to enhance the overall dining experience. I tried most of the stalls and feel that the kai si hor fun (KSHF) and dry curry noodles are the best. The KSHF is very similar to the one I reviewed at Batai, and if I’m not mistaken, both use the same supplier.

That said, Peninsular Hainan Coffee’s version isn’t as thick as the Batai KSHF, but I would say it’s more Ipoh-style. This stall always runs out of KSHF by 1pm, so it’s best to go early if you want your fix. I tried both the chicken drumstick (RM10) and shredded chicken (RM8.50) KSHF, and I prefer the one with the chicken drumstick.

The prawn and shredded chicken hor fun seems to be perpetually unavailable (I attempted to try it four times), so don’t get your hopes up. You can size up your bowl by adding RM1 for more hor fun.

The curry mee stall at Peninsular Hainan Coffee is also popular, as they had run out of curry when we visited for the first time—at 1.30pm. Jien and I opted for the dry curry mee, as it looked more robust compared to the soup version. This became one of our favorite things to eat at Peninsular Hainan Coffee; the curry gravy is thick and rich, with a good kick from the chilies and spices.

I liked how the noodles are tossed in a dark sauce mix before a dollop of curry paste is added on top. Curry broth is served on the side as a soup, which complements the noodles well. Note that this curry is Ipoh-style, so it’s not “santan-rich” but spice-rich.

I didn’t care much for the prawn mee (RM9.50 – small, RM10.50 – large), as the broth lacked the sweetness from prawns and was a bit too spicy for my liking. Our friend had the prawn loh mee (RM9.50 – small, RM10.50 – large), which he described as “just alright.” But it seems popular among diners, so I guess it’s a matter of personal preference.

There’s a stall next to the prawn noodle stall selling mala noodles and clam noodles. I tried the mixian soup with clams and fish slices (RM13), and it came with a good dose of Chinese rice wine. I quite enjoyed this, as you get a nice kick from the wine, and the clams and fish were relatively fresh.

Jien, on the other hand, didn’t like it, as he felt the rice wine overpowered the flavor of the seafood and broth. He prefers his seafood broth to be cleaner-tasting, while I like mine laden with alcohol.

The pork noodle stall is recommended at Peninsular Hainan Coffee, but I thought it was just alright. I was expecting a deeply porky version, but this one is more garlic-based, so it’s cleaner and sweeter. Still, it’s decent enough if you’re craving pork noodles.

We opted for the original taste pork noodles (RM10 – small, RM11 – large) and also the pork noodles with bittergourd slices (RM10 – small, RM11 – large) — the latter adds more texture and bite, but I feel the bittergourd didn’t contribute much to the overall flavor.

There’s a petai char kuay teow stall at Peninsular Hainan Coffee that we tried recently, and it was quite good. I don’t eat petai, but Jien does, and he enjoyed this char kuay teow—it had a good amount of wok char and a nice balance of savory, spicy, and sweet. Our little girls also enjoyed it.

I tried the char siew, siew yuk, and roasted chicken from the chicken rice/wantan mee stall during my first visit, and it was disappointing. All the meat cuts were dry, especially the char siew. Perhaps it was past 1pm, so all the good cuts had been snapped up, but this one completely missed the mark. We also tried the loh pan mee out of curiosity and it was very, very average. The roasted meats and pan mee are the “Achilles’ heel” of Peninsular Hainan Coffee, I feel.

Overall, I enjoyed Peninsular Hainan Coffee. The coffee and cham are decent, and I like the croissant with ham, cheese, and egg. From the stalls outside, my favorites are the kai si hor fun and dry curry noodles.

The ambiance inside is comfortable, as the place is air-conditioned, but there’s a slight wait during peak hours. You can opt to sit outside near the stalls, but I reckon it won’t be as comfortable.

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Ambiance: 6.5/10
Price: 6.5/10
Food: 6.5/10 (non-halal)
Verdict: Good variety of stalls under one roof. Go for the kai si hor fun and dry curry noodles. If you still have stomach space, order the croissant with ham, cheese and egg too.

Do you have a food recommendation? Tell us!

Peninsular Hainan Coffee
75, Jalan Hujan Rahmat 3,
Taman Overseas Union,
58200 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-7971 8238
Business hours: 6am till 3.30pm