Vintage Hainam cuisine gone? Go to Sukico, Uptown


Pleasantly surprised that tucked away in a bakery in Uptown (Damansara Utama) is to be found vintage and delicious Hainam cuisine.

Strongly recommend Sukico (Suki – Hainamese for “mate”) – time for it to get a full Malaysian exposure and not just to the regulars who realize where to get a culinary bargain both in price and good food.

Originally at No. 26, Jalan SS 21/39, Damansara Utama, PJ, Sukico Hainam Café has moved a road away to share premises with Suki Bakery Mart at No. 59G, Jalan SS 21/60, Damansara Utama (tel: 03 – 77288381). (Map)

Met the owner, “Cowboy” H.H.Tan, 69, (012-2777138) who has a great story to tell of his past exploits leading to his establishment of Sukico Hainan Café.

Sukico’s signature dishes include the claypot stew (lamb and chicken) as well as Chicken Cordon Bleu and chicken chop (authentic style). It also serves full-course English breakfast.

I am not getting any advertisement fee from “Cownboy” Tan or Sukico Hainam Café but I do not want to monopolise a good thing which should be enjoyed by all.

Visit Sukico and let me know whether I have made a good recommendation.

  1. #1 by Chong Zhemin on Wednesday, 19 November 2008 - 11:30 pm

    Uncle Kit,

    Was so surprised that you put up such a post in your blog. Anyways, a good way to take a break from serious topics and have some light discussions. Would tell my friends about these cafe. Must be a great recommendation from u. Cheers~

  2. #2 by blink4blog on Wednesday, 19 November 2008 - 11:37 pm

    I tried that place few times in the past, besides the dishes readers here might want to try the famous hainan coffee and the hainan bun… craving

  3. #3 by hadi on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 12:10 am

    It is all about appreciation.
    It is all about happiness.
    It is all about love.
    Yb Kit, great to read your blog diverting from your real business.
    May God bless you and good health to fight for many more years.

  4. #4 by just a moment on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 1:43 am

    YB Kit,
    Good timing, I have to read twice on the headings, What?
    You’re the best! We all need this break, don’t we?
    Good to know, time out for a bit of life!!
    Cheers,
    Will check out the place.

  5. #5 by KGP on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 6:03 am

    Uncle Lim Thanks again
    Your contribution is for all areas of life not just politics
    GOD BLESS YOU

  6. #6 by M.R.S. on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 6:06 am

    Y B,

    Is the food halal for Muslim.

    (Yes. Try it out. kit)

  7. #7 by alegria on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 6:57 am

    Cheers. Do this more often, write bout other stuff to balance up your writing coz at times it becomes too intense. Not good for readers and Uncle Kit, have a beer or a cup of tea, take a break and enjoy the scenery once in a while.

    Cheers again.

  8. #8 by yhsiew on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 7:54 am

    It’s good that Kit put up this post to temporarily break away from the usual tensed and heated discussions.

  9. #9 by monsterball on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 7:57 am

    Great!! I will gather some friends and eat there.
    I am a hainanese and used to drive to Malacca….just for the original Hainanese chinese rice.
    There was one in Seremban…next to an old theatre.. I wonder if it is still around.
    If chicken rice is what you want…you have not tasted it…until…you neat the original stuff.
    Go to Malacca….opposite OCBC bank…riverside.

  10. #10 by chengho on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 8:18 am

    Try Ampang chicken rice the original recipe but not around Ampang Point but at the hawker centre in front of KL International School the original kelantanese hainanese recipe.

  11. #11 by izrafeil on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 8:21 am

    Uncle Lim,
    Would like to try it…. is it OK for Moeslem?

    (Yes, Ok. kit)

  12. #12 by Kathy on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 8:29 am

    Thanks for letting us know about another great place to dine out and have a good chat. Will definitely try out with friends.

  13. #13 by backStreetGluttons on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 8:42 am

    No doubt , this is one of your rare food posts ! There are many such hidden treasures , being old and inexpensive ( llike some ppl , pun intended )

    We do follow your blog regularly as we believe yours is among the top political blogs in the country , if not the top ! straightforward and truthful ( we think ) unlike many hypocrites out there .

    We would love to share with you and readers more hidden food secrets in the Kelang Valley ( with a twist). Catch up with our site sometimes !
    Or better still we should enjoy an old meal together !

  14. #14 by backStreetGluttons on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 8:45 am

    btw we are at

    backStreetGluttons

  15. #15 by taiking on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 9:19 am

    Its good for LKS to post something like this once in a while. To break the routine. To non politicians like me, things might get boring sometimes especially when work pressure mounts.

    And there is another important reason. The number of young voters joining the band for the next election is very large. They are familiar with the Internet and are heavy users of the Internet. Reaching out to them is essential because it could translate to toppling the umno government.

    Still on the same topic, the number of female bloggers here (pardon me if I am wrong) is low. A little variation once in a while especially like this one on food could be a good way to attract their interest.

    If necessary, just a thought, a page could be added just for food and places to shop for bloggers to contribute and exchange ideas.

  16. #16 by Damocles on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 9:52 am

    Uncle Lim, it’s UNBELIEVABLE!
    I initially thought that I had gone to someone else’s blog.
    It’s good to know that you’re also a connoisseur of food as well!
    I’ll give the place a try.
    Thanks.

  17. #17 by Godfather on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 9:58 am

    Kit:

    Make sure you recommend this place to another suki-nan, Badawi. After March, he and Jeanne will have to dine more outside, and the cuisine of his grandfather should be a good alternative to his dining needs.

  18. #18 by kenghuei on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 11:15 am

    Uncle Lim,

    Pleasantly surprised to see you posting this! For the first time, I think I see a non-political or non-issue post here.
    It’s good to relax a little in here with no complaints, no grumblings and no tension, like others said =)

    Would love to try this shop but I’m not in KL =(

    Btw, it’s still good and amusing to see you debating passionately in parliament (together with Anwar now), putting those BN junkers in hot soup! =P Keep up the momentum!

    Your Ipoh Timor constituent in S’pore,
    Keng Huei

  19. #19 by frankyapp on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 12:10 pm

    yeah,talking about halal foods,why the fuss in Malaysia particularly the malay/muslim ?. I have several muslim friends,some original malays from Malaysia in the US here and they show no pricky/fussy at all for any foods they consummed.Supermarkets everywhere selling pork.meat,chicken and other food items and no halal signs at all.Muslim and non-muslim shop together as usual and none ever complain.What matters me is who is holier ? Malaysia’s muslim or muslim in America who make up from Malaysia,Indosesia,Pakistan,and the middle east such sardi arabia,Iran .

  20. #20 by waterfrontcoolie on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 1:04 pm

    Common Suki definitely does not mean MATE!! It is nearer to neighbour! Talking about halal food, when Asean members were on a visit to Europe some time ago, on my table was this Charles Bronson look-a-like from Indonesia; he told me of his family back home where all family members celebrated all the festivals because he sais you name it my family got it. He was born a Catholic and became Protestant and then a Muslim because of the current wife.
    While we were being served with steak by the grace of our German host, this guy from another Malaysian port asked my Charles Bronson doubting the meat was halal.
    Charles Bronson replied’ Don’t be an idiot, you have a knife in your hand, just say your prayer if needs be! you are a guest, give your host some respect or don’t eat!’
    See, to some the false pride sometimes makes a fool of themselves. He, of course wanted to eat the steak and in the process of trying to feel holier than thou, he made himself rather foolish!

  21. #21 by undergrad2 on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 1:23 pm

    Hainanese or Hainamese??

  22. #22 by waterfrontcoolie on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 1:24 pm

    YB., I hope you would post a few more apolitical issues here! We may have political differences in resolving national issues but we need not put up social barriers in our relationship. With this, I believe, YB you have taken a positive move to bring down the temperature! cheers.
    I, too am a suki-nan, my parents used to operate a similar shop in a small village in Selangor. My Mum was rather good in making all kinds of kueh-mueh, a combination of both suki-nan recipe and local kueh; the majority of our patrons was local Malays.
    There was this local D.O, who would come and inform the patrons in the shop that the so-called ‘fried bombs’ for the day has been all sold! He apologized and then asked my Mum to pack them; some 50 pieces for his family picnic at the nearby beach.
    In fact, the ‘unpolluted’ village is still on-going, though my family had stopped operating it, having passed down to a near relative to manage it!
    During my teenage years, when I helped to take care of the shop, we would receive plenty of malay cakes during the Hari-Rayas and in return my Dad would send them tinned fruits and kaya, my Mum’s specialty. The local Malays had never doubted our sincerity in handling the food we served.
    Maybe, YB, you should spend a little more time on foods to bridge the Malaysian heads through their stomachs

  23. #23 by waterfrontcoolie on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 1:30 pm

    To Undergrad2, in Mandarin it would be Hainanese; whereas in Hainan dialect, it would be pronounced Hainamese. The other term most likely to be used by a Hainanese would be Nan-nang.

  24. #24 by HB Lim on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 5:34 pm

    Eating together is one sure way of strengthening relationship and my wish is that there will be more and more halal non-Malay food outlets where people of all racial origins can eat together so that the process of national integration between the races can be accelerated. At times I think that it may not be such a bad idea if pork is completely banned as it is the most sensitive matter between a Muslim and a non-Muslim. Also, scientifically speaking, pork is not that healthy. Hey, you bak kut teh lovers, it is just a personal thought and so please refrain from bashing me!! It is very refreshing and gives me a happy feeling to be able to engage in some non-political easy conversation on food. Brilliant break you have made here, Uncle Kit!!

  25. #25 by shortie kiasu on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 11:12 am

    A promotion for the outlet??

  26. #26 by frankyapp on Friday, 21 November 2008 - 1:51 pm

    HB LIM,have you ever visited,Sabah and Sarawak ?Places like Kuching, Sibu,Miri,Labaun,KK,Sandakan,Tawau and there you will find many coffeshops having both muslim and chinese food stalls selling opposite each other and there you will find muslim and non muslim sharing the same table and eating their respective meals without any fuss.You know most chinese coffeeshop food stalls sell roosted pork .People here are not talking about such ban as you suggested.Why do you want to disturd the peace ?

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