Despite its popularity, I’ve never tried Nanyang Cafe because every time I pass by any of their branches, they’re always packed with customers. The opportunity finally presented itself when N and I were at EKO Cheras Mall on a weekday afternoon.

“Nanyang” is the Chinese moniker for Southeast Asia, which is why you’ll find many kopitiams and local fusion restos in Malaysia and Singapore bearing the name. Aside from local dishes, Nanyang Cafe serves Hong Kong-style cuisine as well, and they are especially known for their polo buns, which are baked fresh on the spot and served with butter on ice.

The EkoCheras outlet is spacious and decorated mostly in red. The floor to ceiling glass windows on one side of the resto afford nice views of the greenery and surrounding housing area.

N’s Hong Kong style wonton noodles came in a generous portion, with five plump wontons stuffed with pork and shrimp swimming in a clear, savoury broth. Diners who enjoy milder flavours should find this up their alley. While not the best out there, it was a decent bowl of wonton noodles.

One of the cafe’s signatures is their pork chop rice with curry sauce. The illustration in the menu is a little deceptive, since it shows that it comes with an egg – but apparently you need to pay extra for the egg.

That aside, the pork chop is massive and should satisfy those with hearty appetites. The curry sauce packs heat, and comes with half a potato submerged in it. Seasoning was on the heavy side, so it was quite salty, but good when paired with the rice.

To wash everything down, N and I shared a red bean and ice cream float, which was served in a giant mug. Perfect beverage to cool down on a hot day.

Nanyang Cafe has an impressive variety of items, so it would be impossible to review them all, but what we tried was okay. I can see why it’s such a popular option on weekends for diners who want the ‘kopitiam / char chan teng’ experience in a comfortable, air-conditioned environment.

NANYANG CAFE EKO CHERAS

M-S03A & 03B, 2nd Floor, Eko Cheras Mall No.693, Batu, 5, Jln Cheras, 56000 Kuala Lumpur

Opening hours: 10AM – 10PM

Phone: 03-2271 9895