Discovering Halal Hainanese Restaurants in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei

Malaysia
The Chicken Rice Shop, Kuala Lumpur 
Oriental Kopi, Kuala Lumpur Airport 
Hua Mui Kopitiam, Johor Bahru 
Yut Loy Coffee Shop, Kuala Kangsar 
Sin Hwa Air-Conditioned Restaurant, Kota Bharu 
Fook Yuen Cafe & Bakery, Kota Kinabalu 
Yuit Cheong Coffee Shop, Kota Kinabalu 
Yee Fung Laksa, Kota Kinabalu 
Ling Long Seafood, Kuching

Singapore 
MacKenzie Rex Restaurant

Brunei 
Ying Chow Coffee Shop 
Babu's Kitchen 
Mei Kwong Coffee Shop

Upon landing at Kuala Lumpur Airport, we usually take the KLIA Ekspres train to the final station, KL Sentral. Just upstairs is the massive Nu Sentral shopping mall, where we almost always grab a meal whenever we visit Kuala Lumpur. The mall boasts a vast array of restaurants; there are three Halal Nyonya places alone, alongside many other Halal Chinese dining options.

This time, we dined at Malaysia's famous Halal Hainanese chicken rice chain, The Chicken Rice Shop. The founder, Qiu Qingyu (Wong Kah Lin's mother, affectionately known as Shirley Wong in the business), is a former executive director of KFC Malaysia and had 25 years of deep experience in the fast-food industry before starting her own venture. In 2000, 54-year-old Qiu Qingyu and her daughter, Wong Kah Lin, opened the first The Chicken Rice Shop in Taipan, Selangor, officially establishing their brand of Halal Hainanese chicken rice.

Qiu Qingyu's parents hail from Penang, and her mother-in-law was from Hainan, so she grew up with a deep love for Hainanese chicken rice. In the 20th century, Hainanese chicken rice was mostly sold at food stalls, and finding a Halal version was nearly impossible. From the very beginning, the mother-daughter duo had a clear vision: to bring Hainanese chicken rice into clean, comfortable, standalone shops within shopping malls, making it suitable for family gatherings and, crucially, offering it as a Halal meal for all communities to enjoy. Today, The Chicken Rice Shop has expanded to 135 locations, making it the largest Halal Hainanese chicken rice chain in Malaysia. Under their pioneering leadership, Halal Chinese cuisine has flourished in Malaysia, allowing Muslim brothers and sisters (Duositi) from all over the world to savor delicious Chinese food here.

We ordered a set meal for three, which included Nyonya Pie Tee (Top Hats), mango salad, roasted chicken, Hainanese curry chicken, okra, Saito fish balls, and rice. We also added a side of roasted tofu, making it a perfect feast for the family. Pie Tee is a classic tea-time snack often served at Peranakan (Straits Chinese) weddings and during the New Year. It originated in Singapore, where it is also known as "Little Gold Cups," filled with shredded carrots and white radishes. The Saito fish balls are Teochew-style fish balls made from wolf herring (Saito fish), which are incredibly popular in Malaysia.

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After taking the bus from Malacca back to Kuala Lumpur Airport, we found that the most popular restaurant in Terminal 2 is undoubtedly the Oriental Kopi chain. No matter what time you go, there is almost always a line.

Their menu is remarkably extensive, making them one of the more renowned Halal Hainanese coffee shops today. Hainanese people began migrating to Malaysia in the 19th century. Early on, many worked as chefs and waiters in British hotels and restaurants, or as domestic helpers for British military officers. Influenced by their British employers, the Hainanese learned to prepare Western cuisine and blended it with their own culinary elements, creating the unique "Hailam Kopitiam" (Hainanese coffee shop) culture.

We ordered their famous egg tarts with flaky pastry, Polo buns with cold butter (Bolo Bao), Hainanese chicken rice, classic Mee Siam, curry fish balls, coffee, soy milk with grass jelly, and longan sea coconut sweet soup (Tong Sui). The coffee, flaky egg tart, and Polo bun are collectively known as the "Three Treasures of Oriental Kopi," forming a classic Nanyang (Southeast Asian) breakfast combo. Their flaky egg tarts are indeed exceptional—the custard is incredibly tender, and the aroma is intensely rich. The sweet soups were also delightful; as someone from Northern China where such soups are rare, drinking them felt like a true taste of Nanyang culture.

However, the rice in their Hainanese chicken rice was disappointing. The quality of the rice grains seemed subpar, giving it a slightly gritty texture that fell short compared to other establishments.

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In the morning, we took a quick 5-minute train ride from Woodlands, Singapore, across the border to Johor Bahru, Malaysia. From the Johor Bahru station, we walked into the old town to experience an authentic Hainanese coffee shop at Hua Mui Kopitiam.

Hua Mui Kopitiam has a history of 78 years, having opened in 1946, making it the oldest Hainanese coffee shop in Johor Bahru. Like many old-school Hainanese coffee shops in Malaysia, despite having a Chinese Hainanese boss, they employ Malay chefs and staff. This inclusive practice ensures that Chinese, Malays, and Indians can all enjoy the food together in the same establishment.

The term "Kopitiam" is a beautiful blend of the Malay word "kopi" (coffee) and the Hokkien word "tiam" (shop). They specialize in charcoal-grilled toast, white coffee, and soft-boiled eggs. In the early days, Hainanese coffee shops were highly favored by the British. Today, they serve as vital social hubs where the elderly gather to discuss news and daily life.

At Hua Mui, we ordered the mutton claypot rice, Hainanese noodles, Cham C (a mix of coffee, tea, and evaporated milk), and a breakfast platter. The environment remains deeply traditional. Set in a classic two-story arcade building with bamboo blinds hanging over the doors and windows, it effortlessly transports you back to a bygone era.

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Taking a train north from Ipoh for about 30 minutes brought us to Kuala Kangsar district. Kuala Kangsar has been the royal town of the Sultan of Perak since the 18th century. The town center still preserves an old street with arcade buildings, home to the vintage Hainanese coffee shop, Yut Loy Coffee Shop. Here too, the Hainanese boss employs Malay staff, creating a space where the three major ethnic groups—Chinese, Malay, and Indian—can dine side by side.

Since Yut Loy only starts serving main meals at 1:00 PM, we spent the morning enjoying coffee and toast, topped with honey and butter. I used to read Nanyang-themed novels where elderly folks would sit in Hainanese coffee shops all morning with a cup of coffee, a slice of toast, and a newspaper. This time, we got to experience that exact leisurely pace of life ourselves.

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The Hainanese form a significant portion of the Chinese community in Kelantan. At the Sin Hwa Air-Conditioned Restaurant, a time-honored Hainanese establishment in Kota Bharu with over 50 years of history, we enjoyed Hainanese chicken chop, Hainanese noodles, and fragrant grilled toast. These are all authentic Nanyang Hainanese dishes. Right next door is the Sun City Coffee Shop, which is rumored to serve the best Hainanese chicken rice in Kota Bharu.

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Although Gaya Street in Kota Kinabalu has a larger population of Hakkas and Hokkiens, the restaurant business is still predominantly run by the Hainanese. I started my morning with breakfast at Fook Yuen Cafe & Bakery, a tremendously popular spot bustling with tourists. The ordering process is semi-self-service, offering everything from Cantonese-style porridge and dim sum to Malay Nasi Lemak, as well as Western-style breads and coffee, catering perfectly to all ethnic groups in Malaysia. I had a portion of Hainanese chicken rice, two servings of Siu Mai (dumplings), and a glass of iced milk tea. Their chicken rice has been slightly adapted—the rice includes small dried fish (ikan bilis), a variation that is likely more appealing to local Malay tastes.

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Yuit Cheong Coffee Shop, established in 1896, is the oldest Hainanese restaurant in Kota Kinabalu, its history even predating the founding of the city itself. Originally located at the British North Borneo Chartered Company headquarters on Gaya Island, it moved to its current location on Gaya Street after the settlement was destroyed during the anti-British rebellion led by Mat Salleh in 1898. It is safe to say that Yuit Cheong has witnessed the entire evolution of Kota Kinabalu. The walls are adorned with old photographs; one from the 1960s shows the coffee shop in the exact same spot it occupies today.

The shop is divided into two sections. The Hainanese boss personally brews the coffee and grills the toast. He is incredibly warm, offers superb service, and even speaks excellent Korean, which helps draw in Korean tourists. At the other stall, Muslim sisters are employed to prepare Hainanese beef noodle soup and various Malay dishes. This collaborative setup is a hallmark of traditional Hainanese coffee shops. To attract customers from all backgrounds, they must offer food that suits everyone's tastes—a key reason why many time-honored Hainanese restaurants in Malaysia have thrived for decades, or even over a century.

We ordered fresh milk coffee, three-layer tea (Teh C Peng), Luo Han Guo (monk fruit) herbal tea, oatmeal, toast, and beef noodles. The Luo Han Guo and barley water herbal teas are absolutely perfect for the tropical weather here.

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The most popular Halal Chinese restaurant on Gaya Street in Kota Kinabalu is undeniably Yee Fung Laksa. The owner, Zhuang Qiuwang, is from Johor and started selling Laksa on Gaya Street in 1984, marking exactly 40 years in business. Like many Halal Chinese restaurants in Malaysia, they employ Muslim chefs and staff to ensure all ingredients are strictly Halal.

They are famous for their "Three Treasures": Laksa, claypot chicken rice, and beef offal (Ngiu Chap). We ordered lettuce with oyster sauce, a pure beef offal bowl, a pure fish ball bowl, and chicken wonton noodles. The Hainanese beef offal typically includes beef meatballs, tripe, stewed beef, and beef slices. It is featured in many Hainanese restaurants in Kota Kinabalu and is a local specialty. Authentic Hainanese beef offal strictly avoids MSG; the rich flavor is achieved purely through slow-stewing with spices, leaving you feeling satisfied without any lingering thirst.

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For brothers and sisters (Duositi) visiting Kuching, I highly recommend the Top Spot Food Court in the city center. It is a Halal Chinese seafood center with distinct Nanyang characteristics. Operating from 5 PM to 10 PM, it looks like an ordinary multi-story parking garage from the outside. However, taking the elevator to the rooftop platform reveals a vibrant, bustling seafood market. The vast majority of the Chinese stalls here display Halal certification. A dazzling array of fresh fish, shrimp, and vegetables is laid out openly for you to choose exactly what you want to eat.

We selected a stall named "Ling Long Seafood." The lady taking our order was Hainanese—another classic example of Hainanese people running Halal Chinese restaurants in Malaysia. She spoke excellent Mandarin and enthusiastically helped us order according to our preferences. We chose a Sarawak specialty: Midin (wild fern) stir-fried with shrimp paste, and Mani Cai (sweet leaf) stir-fried with eggs. All their stir-fries come in small, medium, or large portions, making it easy to enjoy a great meal even if dining alone.

Midin is a type of fern native to Borneo; when stir-fried, it is not bitter at all but wonderfully fragrant and crisp. Mani Cai, also known as Sayur Manis, is a wild vegetable highly favored by the Hakka people in Sarawak, commonly found in homes and small eateries. Preparing it is quite labor-intensive: the leaves must be crushed and washed in water to remove any slight toxins, and all small twigs must be carefully picked out before cooking.

For seafood, we ordered Lokan (a type of local clam), sea prawns, and a Coral Trout (Seven-star Grouper). The staff honestly advised us which items were the freshest catch and which were frozen. The meal was absolutely delicious. Given its prime location by the water in the city center, I felt the pricing was very reasonable. In total, our five dishes plus rice and a 6% consumption tax cost 313 RMB. The small stir-fried dishes were 24 RMB each, the Coral Trout was 148 RMB (though they had cheaper fish available), a plate of sea prawns was 48 RMB, and a plate of clams was 40 RMB.

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If you are visiting the National Museum of Singapore and Fort Canning Park, it is well worth taking a short detour to the nearby MacKenzie Rex Restaurant for authentic Halal Hainanese chicken rice. Opened in 1966, it is the first and most famous Halal Hainanese chicken rice restaurant in Singapore. The owner is a Hainanese Chinese who speaks fluent Mandarin and is always happy to introduce the dishes to guests. Besides their signature chicken rice, they excel in various Chinese home-style dishes, known locally in Singapore as "Zi Char" (cook and fry).

We ordered the classic chicken rice and Ngoh Hiang (five-spice meat rolls), along with stir-fried mixed vegetables and fish soup. Every single dish was outstanding, easily making this the best meal of our Singapore trip. The star of their chicken rice isn't just the chicken itself, but the rice, which is steamed with rich chicken fat—it's so flavorful you can't stop eating it even without any meat. Their Halal version of Ngoh Hiang uses minced chicken seasoned with five-spice powder, rolled in tofu skin, and deep-fried. Served piping hot, it is incredibly fragrant.

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When traveling to Brunei, a visit to the most famous, legendary Hainanese coffee shop is a must: Ying Chow Coffee Shop.

The founder, Han Qiongyuan, was from Wenchang, Hainan. In 1939, during the Japanese invasion of China, 17-year-old Han migrated to Nanyang (Southeast Asia) and arrived in Brunei, where he worked odd jobs at his uncle's coffee shop. In 1946, he officially opened the Ying Chow Coffee Shop, serving coffee, bread, and other meals, becoming widely known for his "Roti Kuning" (longevity bread). As the business flourished, Han expanded into real estate, spearheading the construction of the Hainan Building in Brunei. After 1993, he returned to his hometown annually to visit relatives and invested heavily there, earning the title "Patriotic Son of Hainan" from the Hainan provincial government three times.

Like many historic Nanyang Hainanese coffee shops, Ying Chow serves strictly Halal food and holds Bruneian Halal certification, making it a beloved spot for all ethnic groups. Their variety of bread is astonishing. The classic stuffed buns come in four flavors: peanut, red bean paste, butter, and coconut. They also offer peanut "Yin-Yang" bread, cheese bread, "Yin-Yang" yellow bread, and French toast, to which you can add fried eggs and cheese, or simply order half-boiled eggs on the side. Their cake selection includes custard cakes, egg tarts, coconut tarts, red bean pastries, butter cakes, and pandan cakes. These Western-style breads and pastries are skills the Hainanese learned while working in British kitchens in the 19th century, and they are now an integral part of Nanyang Hainanese dining.

Beyond baked goods, they offer a variety of noodles, including sesame Kueh Teow, dry-tossed noodles, fried noodles, Hainanese noodles, fried rice vermicelli, and smooth egg Hor Fun, all tailored to Chinese palates. We had a feast combining East and West: smooth egg Hor Fun, sesame Kueh Teow, egg tarts, custard cake, yellow bread with fried egg, chicken curry puffs, peanut Yin-Yang bread, ginger milk tea, and lemon tea. The peanut Yin-Yang bread, filled with Kaya jam, butter, and crushed peanuts, offers a delightfully rich texture. The sesame Kueh Teow, balancing sweet, savory, and spicy flavors and served with fried tofu and fish pieces, is one of their absolute specialties.

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For lunch in the old town of Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, where many Chinese shops are located, we found another great Halal Hainanese spot: Babu's Kitchen. The place was packed for lunch, with a diverse crowd of Chinese, Malays, and Indians—a classic scene in a Hainanese restaurant. Since they didn't have a Chinese menu, we asked the boss for recommendations. We had Assam sliced fish, salted egg fried mushrooms, beef Yee Mee, and braised chicken with tofu skin. Just like in Malaysia, the Chinese in Brunei speak very standard Mandarin. The food was excellent; the Chinese dishes had a subtle infusion of Malay flavors, yet remained completely comforting and familiar to a Chinese palate.

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We continued our culinary exploration with a Hainanese breakfast at Mei Kwong Coffee Shop in the old town. The boss is Hainanese, his wife is from Xiamen, and the staff are Indonesian. As they cater mostly to the nearby office crowds, it gets very busy on weekdays. We visited on a weekend, so it was quieter and the selection of steamed dim sum was smaller than usual. We ordered large chicken and radish buns, red bean buns, beef congee with small fried dough sticks (Youtiao), longan herbal tea, fried noodles, and Siu Mai. If any Duositi visit on a workday, I highly recommend trying their other specialties, such as the Fuzhou "Zhao Cai" (wealth-attracting) rice vermicelli soup, dry-tossed rat noodles (Lao Shu Fen), and chicken intestine noodles.

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