Chai Song Soon Café: Serving succulent pork leg rice in Kuching for over 60 years

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By Wilfred Pilo

KUCHING, Oct 20: Sixty-four-year-old Chai Keng Huat is gobsmacked by how fast time has flown since he started helping out at his family eatery, Chai Song Soon Café, which was established in 1958, after leaving secondary school four decades ago.

According to Chai, their eatery, which is well-known for its succulent pork leg rice at the bustling Padungan commercial centre, was started by his uncle and is now operated by his cousin.

Chai, who now manages the cafe, said to DayakDaily that his uncle’s father-in-law was invited to serve the dishes by his late father as there were not many eateries serving rice dishes in the vicinity.

He added that their culinary story began after the demise of his uncle’s father-in-law and when his aunt took over, followed later by his cousins in the last thirty years, resulting in a culinary journey of three generations of over 60 years.

Chai elaborated that those who patronised the cafe from the 1960s to the early 1990s would be familiar with his aunt and her father.

He reminisced about how his aunt’s father’s pork leg rice was made and how it was slightly different from how his cousin would do it now.

“However, my cousin is good at maintaining the consistency of his pork leg rice dishes, which still bring back our regulars.

“My father’s youngest brother, who handled the beverages, did a very good job, and many customers missed his coffee and iced lemon tea. He was among some the best self-taught local baristas,” he opined.

Despite the good reviews on his cousin’s pork leg rice, Chai shared that there are many eateries in the city that serve the same dishes and are just as well-known.

To recall the nostalgic past and give them an extra push, Chai decorated his cafe with retro-modern and bohemian vibes, echoing the feel of the 1960s and the 1970s, which he hoped would bring back fond memories to the customers.

“It has intricate classic designs and offers ways to promote our eatery in the old part of Kuching,” he chuckled.

Chai said that over the years, he had noticed many public figures had come to their cafe because they knew his family.

“I am glad they and many customers still remember us through our pork leg rice. We hope it will stay that way for many more years to come.”

His cousin, 59-year-old Chai Keng Pui, who helms the pork leg rice stall, appreciated how he inherited his mother and grandfather’s skills.

“I took over after my elder brother passed away. I have been doing this for 15 years. For the moment, I do it to keep the legacy going.”

Keng Pui added that work for him begins at 3am to get the ingredients ready for their stall.

“When everything is done, we start our operations at 6.30am to serve early birds,” he said.

The Chai cousins are grateful and glad about what they inherited, and their eatery continues to remain a popular spot for its succulent pork leg rice.

Chai Song Soon Café is located at 240 Jalan Padungan. It operates daily from 6.30am to 4pm except on Wednesdays. For more information, call 010 774 7761. — DayakDaily