After a considerably long drive from Johor Bahru to Muar, approximately 2 hours, I need a break to freshen up, food or otherwise. Somewhere I can rest my foot and reward my back with a good stretch. Since it was not exactly lunch time yet when we arrived, and couldn't check into the hotel earlier, I thought we could go for a cuppa at the hugely popular (or overhyped, in another man's word), Sai Kee 434 coffee.
Finding a vacant parking lot along the busy Jalan Maharani is truly a pain in the you-know-what, and eventually we just have to park somewhere further down the street and let the legs do the walking, under the searing hot sun. We finally arrived at our destination, not without tainting our clothes with sweat.
First impression when I managed my way in, very different. I had enviosioned it to be something similar to those traditional kopitiam, dangling with dusty old fans and stove lined with pots and kettles. On the contrary, it is much like a cafe, selling an assortments of cakes and pastries, a coffee maker machine in the counter up front, wifi-enabled and a cosy setting. It's a bag of mixed feelings for me, at one point I enjoyed the cleanliness & the entire setup but at the same time, pitied the loss of tradition for the price of modernisation.
Sai Kee Special coffee, equipped with a (slightly) stronger brew and aroma than what is available elsewhere but other than that, it does not leave any memorable impression in me. I would say its a rather average cuppa. Rating: 6.5/10
Elephant Bean Coffee, the Malaysian version of Jamaican Blue Mountain, originating from the Liberica family. This is definitely much more better than Sai Kee special, comparable to what you get at Coffee Bean or Starbucks. But is it worth its RM5.50 price tag ? I would say yes, afterall alot of people are paying more than double the price for a Grande, without blinking an eyelid. Rating: 7.0/10
Price: 6.0/10
Service: 5.5/10
Conclusion: Shabby, lacklustre service attitude is what turns me off the most whenver I visit a place, be it for food, drinks or even retail therapy. To me, no food is great enough to warrant me from going through such abuse. Unless their service level shows some improvement, a visit from me again is considered a far-fetched idea.
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