Like most double-income married couples with no kids, our Saturday mornings are spent at home, with breakfast either on the patio or in front of the TV, while the part-time maid cleans the house. Our usual argument would be about who had to stay at home. “I wanna go to the gym.” “No way, dude. Last week, I took care of the maid. It’s your turn.” “But I stayed with her for four weeks in a row last month when you said you had to work weekends at the office.” “That doesn’t count. Work’s work. Work doesn’t equal play. 3 Work weekends off = 1 Gym weekend off. I have 2 more work weekends to redeem.”
Never argue with a woman. Especially if she knows how to count with her fingers. Especially if she has all twelve of them.
Breakfast on a Saturday morning with half of the Just Heavenly duo is such a pleasure. Part of the pleasure is in escaping the responsibilities of staying at home on a sunny Saturday morning, and the other part is in hearing Nigel’s loud booming laughter reverberate through the cafe.
Chawan had just opened a few days earlier (at time of writing, it has been open for over 2 weeks), and we were curious to try this place having seen it being used as a meeting point for the last BN team campaigning for the losing candidate. I like the interior -grey walls and bare stones encased in galvanised wire netting, surrounded by steel and cement structures. Situated at a corner lot, the idea of keeping the cafe open with lots of air is a great one as it appears more welcoming. So one inhales the fumes from the passing vehicles along the busy Bangsar stretch, but at least the illusion of wind is there, albeit a manufactured one.
Food is typically Malaysian fare. The nasi lemak bungkus served before 11am is great despite its RM3 pricetag for a simple packet without any frills. The nasi kunyit served with thick chicken curry is delicious, but it would be better if they served it with more curry. Nigel doused the Ipoh koay teow in soy sauce before he ate it. Soy sauce is the boon for many types of food to make the food more palateable. It tasted fine after the special treatment, of course, but I probably wouldn’t try it the next time. The rice dishes looked a lot more tastier. I liked the keropok lekor, but it was a teensy bit too soft. Do try the mango juice….thick and pulpy. There is also an amazing variety of local coffees; the Kemaman coffee is one of their bestsellers. At the end of the day, flavours were good, but there were little deficiencies in other areas – texture, quantity, value-for-money. There were also some initial teething problems which I hope they have sorted out. Waiting half an hour for a packet of nasi lemak bungkus just doesn’t cut it. Judging by the crowds that throng this place, I suppose they’ve improved. Having said that, I thought the staff who served us were great. They were all friendly, courteous and knowledgeable, and these traits go a long way. Would I go to Chawan again? Without a doubt.
As for my Saturday mornings in the near future, I shall be putting in my share of work when the hubby goes off to Austria for the Euro 2008 finals while I’m stuck at home taking care of the maid. It’s a fair world after all.
Also see masak-masak.
Chawan (at the former Devi’s Corner), Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar (opposite Bangsar Village). Open daily from 8am till late.
Food pictures:
Nasi lemak bungkus
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Nasi kunyit with chicken curry
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Ipoh koay teow
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Keropok lekor
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Interior
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Customers at Chawan
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Oh I love that third pic of the chawan just dripping, nay — dare I say it? bleeding kopi slowly but surely. Damn seductive. Gosh I need my fix. Uhm, caffeine fix, I mean. 😛
Ahh, wanna come drink a chawan of kopi with you lot…and ha you stuck on saturday monrings, I stuck everyday, and heyyy…I Am the Maid. What Happened??
It’s nice to see that design of kopi cup and saucer is evergreen. Ah, I long for nasi lemak bungkus and nasi kunyit with lots of curry sauce (mmm, I can make this, can’t I? Must try.) How about a picture of the place, Lyrical? Your description of it got me real curious. (For dinner, I just ate five egg tarts made from genius Mrs HBT’s recipe and let the dog lick the eggy crumbs off the plate.)
shake hands with another DINK couple ! lol… wow.. we’v read so many blogs on chawan… we must swing by !
haha yes, i dont remember seeing nigel ever quiet or silent during a meal (not a bad thing!)..
so much food for 2? respect..
oh so that’s what happened to the ex-devi’s corner.
so where is devi’s now ah?
btw, i so wanna eat nasi kunyit now…arrgh…i’m still on my muesli diet ler….
Babe, teach me how to count with twelve fingers 🙂 I need to learn as my calculations sucks big time!
the nasi lemak bungus looks good….
RM5? Bangsar mar…. :p
Kenny Mah: I’m amazed how you can sensationalise everything. Must be your high sex drive.
Msiagirl: What to do…cost of labour so cheap here. (but not for long maybe hor?)
argus: instead of letting the dog eat the crumbs, send some over to me ler. Fedex – 24 hours only leh. Btw, I’ve added 2 more pics for your benefit.
cumi&ciki: you DINK too? Yay. The more the merrier, eh? Maybe will bump into you in Chawan sometime.
Joe: No lah….those are pics that I accumulated. Must do repeat visits mah.
yin: Devi’s moved up the road. You can’t miss it. Telawi 2, if I’m not mistaken.
Live2Talk: Hahaha. Was wondering when someone would catch on to that. I always need a calculator to count.
ling239: RM3. Not that bad, actually. I’ve eaten more expensive substandard nasi lemak bungkus at other restaurants. This is pretty good.
Hahaha…you should just resort to “Rock, paper or scissors” to decide if negotiations fail. You have the edge since you have twelve fingers! :o)
hmmm … RM3 for the plain nasi lemak? but this in Bangsar, guess self-explanatory. But the lekor really look lacklustre la. I love them thin and crispy.
i thought it was a japanese restaurant at first. chawan as in chawan mushi..hehe…zen”ish” kopitiams…cool.
question: how come women have 12 fingers when men only got 11 ar?
Thanks for uploading the pics of the kopitiam, Zitroengrasskirt. You’re very obliging hor? Much appreciated. That pillar of rocks held together with wire looks solid or not? I’d be a tad worried sitting next to it.
Would you like to try making Mrs HBT (HipFood) eggtarts? It’s under her Dim Sum category on her blog. Very easy-peasy one (won’t egg your nice hair) and delicious to boot.
I do love the food at Chawan. Must go back and see if I can score a cup of local shot of caffeine
Now I know that a new place has occupied the old Devi’s corner…. I will make sure I try this new place when I am back from US in Sept.
lol the comment thread is once again senget to another direction. Hm… Chawan looks Old Town Koptiam-ish…no?
its alwiz memorable to see those classic cup and saucer..and those thinny crispy lekor is just luring..girls power are alwiz useful in anykind of ‘discussion’..
I love the photos!
I found the smell of keropok lekor repulsive. They sell it at Queensbay Mall in Penang and I swear I could smell it at the other end of the food court. LOL.
omg! i just went there today! i wanted to find the picture’s for my blog because i didnt bring my camera, so i just stumbled on your blog from yahoo. btw i took 2 photos from your site, if you dont mind. i did link your blog too! =)
im going to check out your blog for foods in future! thanks! XD
Those were the days.. i can vaguely remember.. 🙂 having a kid .. definitely made things real different.
That’s right! Never mess with a woman with 12 fingers! Back off! Todd think’s that I have 12 fingers too! 😉
i’m quite baffled. the landlords apparently kicked devi’s corner out, coz they wanted to go upmarket, and they replace it with cawan, which is ……. what exactly? okay, since it got such rave reviews from you, i shall give it the benefit of the doubt but sperm donor and me walked in one day and walked straight back out….
hi,
just read about your friends visit to malaysia in 2006.
checking on your food blog, i would say impressive.
going there this dec on gap tour….and browsing where to eat
I’m a big fan of nostalgia. I miss those tea cups and coffee. Had my fill when I was i SG-nonetheless different from the place u mentioned above but something like that always gets me.
rasa malaysia finds the smell of keropok lekur repulsive? haha..
i want to know if it taste good, the ones in chawan ;-P
At times, a simple packet of nasi lemak bungkus, a cup of nice coffee and keropok lekor as bonus will make me feel so contented. Ahh..how i wish i could have one now. I am craving for nasi lemak and yours look so good ler.
FOC biscuits with coffee?
That was a fun day 🙂
Their Nasi Briyani Lamb is EXCELLENT!
Your photos are fabulous! And I love the dripping stains on the kopi cup.
wmw: Hehehe…you’re right…women have so many advantages. 😛
J2Kfm: Yeah, bangsar pricing! I guess we all have different tastes, hor. I like mine thick and soft on the inside and crisp on the outside.
HairyBerry: You mean 10 fingers and a huge thumb. Well not so huge in some cases.
Argus: Hahaha…I wouldn’t dare try something like an egg tart…..sounds scary. Anyway, some things are best left to the experts. But then again, I can find em at my doorstep.
Boo: Gotta love local coffee. It doesn’t get much publicity.
Peb: You’re accumulating quite a lot of places on your list of must-eats hor. I hope you get to try them all!
Jian: I guess Chawan belongs to the new generation of coffee shops.
christine: Nowadays, one can find these cawans in almost all kopitiams wan.
wokandspoon: chankyew!
Rasa Malaysia: Awwww…the smellier the tastier mah. 😛
Idan: Hey no probs. Do visit often…got loads more to share! 🙂
Mama BoK: Yeah…kids do change your life, eh?
White On Rice Couple: Hehehe. I guess it’s how we use our twelve fingers to make the most of things, eh?
fatboybakes: Well, it does look a bit more upmarket mah.
mareza: Loads of good food here in Malaysia. I hope you’ll have fun!
daphne: I know what you mean. It’s good to know that the cawans are still out there to remind us of where we came from.
keropokman: I did like the taste of the keropok lekor in cawan. In fact, most of the stuff there was good. I’m assuming you’re a big fan of anything keropok? (RM should avoid you like the plague hor…hehe)
Precious Pea: Yeah…simple breakfasts like these are always enjoyable….washed down with some local coffee, it’s pure bliss.
mimid3vils: Yepz…FOC biskits. 😀
Nigel: Yeah…we always have fun together. 🙂 Aiyoh…must try their nasi briyani lamb now…..:-D
tigerfish: Thanks, dear! That’s one of my favourite photos too!
i still havent try their nasi lemak bungkus