Nearly 60 Years and Still Brewing: Ann Loke Hui Cafe Keeps Hainanese Legacy Alive on Jalan Sekama

[kuchinghub]

A kopitiam that has survived nearly six decades — and still serves its char siew, steamed chicken and Hainanese coffee the old-school way.

Just five days before Christmas in 1968, Ann Loke Hui Cafe was officially registered on Jalan Sekama. Almost 60 years later, it is still going strong under the Hua family.

John Hua (right) and his 83-year-old mother Chai Lan Jin at their coffee station.

Today, 56-year-old John Hua runs the business, taking over from his father Hua Kia Jin in 2001. His father ran the cafe for 33 years before passing away at 64. His mother, now 83, still helps in the kitchen.

What makes this place special?

The cafe was at its busiest during the Lido Theatre era — cinema-goers would flood in before and after shows. Many regulars still come in today, reminiscing about those days.

Signature dishes: steamed chicken, char siew, three-layer pork with savoury rice, meat curry rice, kueh teow in tomato sauce, and traditional Hainan coffee served in vintage kopitiam cups.

Meat curry rice and pork with savoury rice — Hainanese staples.

Old habits die hard here. They still use old newspapers as takeaway wrappers — a tradition dating back decades.

Coffee served in vintage cups and newspaper wrappers — unchanged through the years.

"It would otherwise go to waste," John explains about the newspaper practice.

The Hua family hopes to pass the cafe to the next generation. John's children already help out, and the memorabilia on the walls tells the story of a kitchen that hasn't changed its ways for six decades.

Location: Jalan Sekama, Kuching
Hours: 10.30am - 2pm daily, closed Sundays
Contact: 019-889 6101

Source: DayakDaily

Ever been to Ann Loke Hui? What old-school kopitiam in Kuching do you still visit?