Order Half boiled egs , “Cha Kuey Teow” , “Wan Tan Mee” , “Kopi peng”, “Peng Roti” for me please!
The distinct aroma of kopitiam coffee is a result of the caramelised sugar notes that are added during roasting, as well as the rich, nutty flavour of butter or margarine, which gives the beans a glossy appearance and a smooth, inviting sheen when consumed in moderation.
Disregard long blacks and flat whites. A kopi sweetened with condensed milk or evaporated milk (or sometimes both, as in the case of a kopi yin-yong-lai) has more creaminess. An O that is charcoal-black has more depth.
Furthermore, a golden army of “egg pots” will undoubtedly help to fuel the day ahead if the morning sun is absent. You are aware of the ones I mean; they have a base and lid that are canary yellow, just like the cheeriest sunbeams.
The translucent middle vessel containing the eggs and hot water might be the real attraction. Its rounded hourglass-like form and the gradual drop in water level entice us, and when it’s finished, we know we’re in for a treat.
How enchanting and enigmatic: it’s a performance you could watch for hours, not unlike the ebb and flow of the tides, but this one is over in minutes. We are hungry, after all.
I know I am. Removing the lid might sometimes reveal a surprise… and a lesson. Sometimes there is a fracture in the shell and some egg white manages to escape.
Cooked in the hot water, the rascally runaway now resembles a snow-white cloud suspended in mid-flight. The rupture isn’t a defect, then, but an opportunity to discover the beauty in imperfection.
Water drained, we pick an egg up and marvel at its shape. How smooth. No edges to speak of.
Crack the egg and let its contents spill out onto the prepared saucer. Not one to waste, we spoon out every bit of goodness.
A dash of ground white pepper for the fermented perfume and mildest hint of spice. A splash of light soy sauce to coat the gold and the ivory with ebony-umami savour.
Our half boiled eggs are now ready, to slurp as they are, or better yet: the wise ones amongst us would have already ordered some peng roti with aromatic kaya and rich butter for dunking.
The fragrant pandan and coconut milk infuse the sometimes smooth, sometimes grainy kaya with a taste no Western jam can hope to match. The cold butter slowly melts in the embrace of the hot, crunchy toast.
All of this soaking up the runny, rhapsodic wholesomeness of the half boiled eggs. Every mouthful is a race against time before our food gets cold.
This is the King of breakfast!
