Clean and Pristine. That’s gonna be the keyword for today’s makan recommendation. A master of truly formidable calibre is able to use the most basic form of ingredient to whip up hell of a dish (or so I was told by some unnamed pugilist guru).

Ever dashed into a kopitiam for a quick breakfast ? That’ll probably sum up to a speedy order of kopi-o and soft boiled eggs before rushing off for an appointment you’re suppose to be attending thirty minutes ago. The coffee will be served in a not-so-exciting transparent glass cup with a metal teaspoon and eggs inside a red plastic BMT mug filled with hot water, covered with two plastic saucers. Now here’s the tricky part. Whether you get a proper soft boiled egg will depend on your luck that day, overall experience is somewhat like Russian roulette. 8 times out of 10, the end result is gonna be 2 raw yolks sitting in a pool of translucent uncooked white, likely to induce diarrhoea within the next half hour of downing the mixture. Now that’s one surefire way of getting into a perpetual bad mood for the rest of the day. Doing eggs properly in plastic mugs eludes me till this day and the very thought of this result makes me appreciate gems like what we have in store today.

Located at the corner of Geylang Road and Lorong 35, Sin Huat Eating House is a foodie pilgrimage locale with an array of well known food stalls (in a single coffeeshop), notably the famous duck rice and of course the Sin Huat Seafood Restaurant ran by the notorious food nazi of which we would feature in another separate review. The breakfast fare they serve here is nothing short of divine. With their coffee being the main staple, an order choice of soft boiled eggs and kaya toast can be placed within the shop’s kitchen, fitted with a traditional charcoal stove where all the brewing and toasting action is. Taking your orders would be this serious but shirtless mustachio chinese uncle who operates like clockwork, never missing or messing up an order. After eating here for so many years, I have reasonable grounds to conclude that he’s a cyborg.

The standard fare I’ll usually have would be black coffee with two eggs and sometimes two pieces of kaya toast, a very potent combo which I refer to as my “Happy Meal”. Anyway, other than the variations in the beverage, this is just about what they serve here, straight up with no gimmicks. Their kopi-o is intense and aromatic, full bodied stuff that comes served in those small Hainanese porcelain saucer and cup, ala Chin Mei Chin style. From what i’ve heard, they order coffee beans directly from Indonesia to roast and grind themselves. The coffee goes really well with the thin and crispy kaya bread that’s lightly and evenly toasted over charcoal fire. The fragrant golden brown kaya spread is rich yet not too sweet, bursting with an ambrosia of eggs and coconut. All these ingredients comes nicely sandwiching a slab of melt-in-your-mouth butter. But the piece de resistance, I must say, is the soft boiled egg. Comes laid nicely on the saucer, the big glistening eggs are warm, wobbly and perfectly ripen. It basically screams for a dash of pepper, some dark soy sauce and then a gulp. This is the epitome of how eggs should be done, people who serve them in plastic BMT mugs should be tarred and feathered then dragged thru the Chingay parade.

Tucked away in a quiet corner along Geylang, Sin Huat Eating House is a quaint location that exude charm of the old days. Its the kind of place where you meet a few friends for a chat over coffee on a lazy sunday morning. Time seemingly slows down here as it lacks the hustle and bustle of the busy city life. Forget about those mediocre pseudo traditional cafes mushrooming all around, they have got absolutely nothing on shirtless uncle. You can see the burning passion in his eyes, the passion to cook up a mean breakfast. An egg is an egg but somehow the ones here taste exceptionally savory, I dont know but it could be the ambience or the fact that they use large fresh eggs instead of quails eggs or something. I could have sworn hearing some crazy popeye the sailor man fanfare playing inside my head after indulging in the makan here. I would definitely recommend those of you reading this article to visit Sin Huat for a taste.

Order their eggs … by hook, by crook or by the power of Grayskull!

-Darth Sidtoh