Also known to regulars as Soon Fatt Cafe, this unassuming kopitiam at Lot 150 has been quietly feeding Kuching for 26 years. The man behind the wok is Lew, a 58-year-old who never planned to become a cook.

DayakDaily

Lew started his working life in the woodworking industry in Sandakan, Sabah. But when the 1997 economic crisis hit, jobs dried up and he needed a new direction. With his family, he moved to Kuching — travelling on stone roads from Sibu — and began learning to cook from scratch.

"We learned by eating out and observing how others cooked. It was a lot of trial and error," he recalled. Together with his wife, he experimented in the kitchen until they perfected their dishes.

DayakDaily

Today, the cafe's menu is built around traditional Foochow flavours. The Big Prawn Mee is a favourite — generously topped with fresh prawns in a rich savoury broth. The Foochow Mee, with its dark soy caramelised profile, draws regulars who have been coming for years. Then there is the Red Wine Egg Soup, a traditional Foochow comfort dish made with red rice wine, ginger and eggs. It is the kind of bowl that warms you from the inside out — especially welcome on a rainy Kuching morning.

DayakDaily

Lew also serves Foochow Kampua and Zao Cai Hong Ngan, each dish carrying the same careful attention to balance that comes from decades of practice.

What makes Sung Huat Cafe special is not just the food, but the sense of continuity. Many customers, both local and international, have been eating here for years. The kopitiam has become a neighbourhood anchor — a place where relationships are built over shared meals and the same orders are placed year after year.

How to visit

Sung Huat Cafe (顺发茶室) is at Lot 150, Jalan Petanak, Kuching. Open in Google Maps. Operating hours: Monday to Friday 6am–2pm and 6pm–11pm; Saturday to Sunday 6am–2pm. Look for the old-school kopitiam signage — it is easy to miss, but the crowd outside usually gives it away.

If you are new to Foochow food, start with the Foochow Mee and a bowl of Red Wine Egg Soup. The prawn mee is worth arriving early for, and the portions are generous enough for a filling breakfast or lunch. Cash is preferred.