The Ban Hup Coffee Shop which opened in 1951, is still going strong.
AS Miri continues to develop socioeconomically, will the old Hainanese coffee shop towkays hang up their kettles?
Will the Hainanese kopitiams become a thing of the past? It would be a pity if they were to disappear. After asking around, I found some answers.
At the Miri Central Market, Ah Gieng Jie is a Hainanese among a minority group of Chinese vendors, who have made a mark as coffeeshop or kopitiam owners and chicken rice sellers.
The market now has 35 stalls, most of which started just before the Brunei Rebellion in December 1962.
When the Open Air Market first opened in the 1950s, the stalls were covered by canvas roofs with the approval of the British colonial government.
When the Brunei Rebellion broke out, the colonial government gave out more licences. Many of the hawkers were able to start their business, selling noodles, wantons (Chinese dumplings), and other food.
“Many of us were worried about our livelihoods though. Luckily, the rebellion did not last long, We had more customers after that.
“The soldiers also came to eat here and after that, Miri started to grow faster,” Ah Gieng told thesundaypost.
Hainanese coffee-making kettles with long funnels.
The first
The Hainanese were the first to operate coffee stalls in Miri. Many of the bigger Hainanese towkays owned shops in China Street and High Street. Lutong had several Hainanese coffee shops to start the Lutong bazaar. Today, two big coffee shops are still operating and doing well there.
Some of these businesses are run by the third or even fourth generation.
The Hainanese kopitiam owners continued with their traditional way of boiling water in huge copper pots to make their special brand of coffee.
But after years of wear and tear, the pots could no longer be repaired and were substituted with chrome ware.
A pot of water is boiled to make coffee with the help of a cloth filtration bag. Several special pots with long funnels are used to mix and pour out the coffee until the right aroma is achieved.
According to a local Hainanese, Tony Tan, his family’s kopitiam has closed and all the coffee-making apparatus and relics of the shop are in the possession of his elder brother as keepsakes.
The Tan family owned one of the oldest Hainanese kopitiam in Miri but after Tony’s father passed away, there was no one to carry on the family business. Many from the new generation are now living overseas.
Originally, the best coffee beans in Miri were roasted by the Hainanese coffee shop owners themselves. And Hainanese coffee is the best in Miri, according to a connoisseur.
Francis (name has been changed) has been frequenting the Central Market since moving to Miri from Sibu 20 years ago.
He finds the coffee in Miri cheaper than elsewhere. He sips coffee while waiting for his wife to finish buying vegetables.
Francis has befriended many of the hawkers and noticed that in the last 20 years, the stall owners have not given their licences to others.
Iconic coffee shop
The Ban Hup kopitiam is owned by the Ngo family. The head of the family used to do catering for the Gymkhana Club and his Cempaka Restaurant served tasty food as many Mirians fondly remember.
The elder Ngo always wore a white long-sleeved shirt and a pair of grey tro users. People remember him as a friendly man.
In those days, to have a meal at the Cempaka was an event to remember. Ngo served up good Hainanese chicken chops and a great brew of coffee.
Hainan village
When the colonial government took over from the Rajah, it planned to make Miri more vibrant. WWII bombing had caused quite a bit of damage in the division.
The Hainanese settled on the hills, said to be behind St Columba’s Church. Two small footpaths led to the Hainan village.
When the airport road was built, the pathways were expanded and paved in the 1960s and became known as Jalan Hailam Lama and Hainan Road.
Today, many of the Hainanese have moved out of the area to residential areas such as MDL Garden, Pujut, and Luak Bay. At the same time, other ethnic groups have moved in.
The hills are picturesque and some of the properties there are very well maintained. The area remains fairly rustic and a few properties still have large acreage.
A businessman in Jalan Hailam Lama has built several modern longhouses to rent to new rural and urban migrants.
Next to the area is the Lai-Pau Garden, a popular modern residential area.
Some of the earliest Hainanese kopitiam owners and their families lived in the Hainan village, such as one elderly resident known as grandfather Wee, whose name is taken by the popular WZT of Miri.
He started with a small stall in the Miri Open Air Market (or Central Market). His son, the late Jimmy Wee, a lawyer, became one of the chairmen of the Hainan Association of Miri. As the family prospered, the children, like many others, moved out of the Hainan village.
A customer sits at a table with Hainanese history in the background.
Hainanese of Miri
According to local history, the first Chinese association in Miri was set up by the Hainanese. The other Chinese associations were formed later.
When the Chinese migrated to Sarawak, they would set up associations so that the clansmen could have a place to stay and help one another to find jobs and get established. By forming a fraternity, they slowly built up a strong base for mutual benefit and growth.
Most of the Hainanese who came from the Guangzhou and Hainan Island were very poor and being the later migrants after the Hakka, Chao Ann, and even Teochews, they worked for the colonialists as domestic helpers and cooks. Later, many became restaurateurs, hoteliers, coffee shop owners, tailors, and even sailors all over Southeast Asia.
Ngiam Tong Boon, who invented the world-famous Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel, was Hainanese.
A few families landed in Miri such as the Tans, the Ngos, Chiams, and Wees, to name a few. They continued to maintain a strong Hainanese association by organising yearly events to promote solidarity among clan members.
A young coffee stall operator at the Miri Central Market.
Hainanese chicken rice
Besides owning coffee shops and making a name in the coffee powder business, many Hainanese operated chicken rice stalls with coffee service.
The original Hainanese chicken rice was most probably derived from the Wenchang Chicken recipe.
The Hainanese are also famous for their pork chop, chicken chop, mutton soup, and beef noodle soup.
As they serve chicken rice, their drinks section in most cases also serves Hainanese coffee. Many people like to drink kopi o (black coffee) after their chicken rice lunch.
Hailam Mee
Some Hainanese kopitiam may offer Hailam Mee, a very interesting dish attributed to the Hainanese but now seems more popular in many halal coffee shops and eateries.
According to a local food writer, this noodle was invented by the Hainanese when they reached Singapore and Malaya.
But a Hainanese friend noted this was rather intriguing as many Hainanese do not even cook this noodle at home. He hasn’t heard his parents mention it.
Hailam Mee is yellow egg noodles which are boiled and served with a flavourful sauce, made of prawns, beef, chicken, and some spices.
There aren’t many coffee shops offering Hailam Mee around Miri but you can find it at Lian Char Pu, a Hainanese coffee shop where you can also order a good cup of Hainan kopi o and a Hainanese breakfast of toasted bread and excellent half-boiled eggs.
Hainanese breakfast
The Hainanese who worked for the colonials brought the unique British-Hainanese breakfast set to the Malaysian food scene. Have you ever ordered your soft or half-boiled eggs with steamed or toasted bread?
Kaya is a Hainanese invention. Hainanese cooks working for the colonials were intrigued by the jams of the English. So they started to make their own, resulting in the invention of kaya, which goes very well with toast.
The Hainanese would serve the best toast with great slabs of butter. Today, the authentic toast must come with Hainanese-made kaya and butter.
Hainanese coffee stalls at the Miri Central Market.
Kopitiam future
Frequent customer Ranggi Baling enjoys his chicken chop lunch and a cup of thick kopi o at the Hainan Café in Miri.
He said Hainanese families could continue their long history of coffee-making and food and beverage businesses.
Meanwhile, a plantation man, R Baling, who has worked in many parts of Sabah and now Sarawak, said he was comfortable having coffee at the open-air markets and small coffee stalls all over Miri.
He had his first taste of kopi o when his teacher brought him and his teammates for drinks and mee at Ban Hup Coffee Shop after their hockey match at the GCM grounds.
He ordered his first kopi o peng (iced black coffee) to go with his noodles.
“It was just so good. Now, a well-brewed cup of kopi o makes my day. It’ll be good for the Hainanese to carry on their trademark,” he said.