Hainan Cafe - Lintas

The owner invited us to Hainan Cafe in Lintas after seeing our earlier food posts. Before accepting, we explained that our review would remain honest and include both strengths and weaknesses. The owner agreed, and this visit gave us a mixture of both.

When the food arrived, the portions looked large enough for us to ask whether they had been enlarged for photography. The owner said these were the standard serving portions. That was the explanation given to us at the table.

Curry Chicken Mee Siam was the clear favourite. The Hainanese-style curry was thick, rich and aromatic without being intensely spicy. We particularly liked the tender thigh meat and appreciated getting that rather than dry breast meat.

The full combination made the dish memorable: soft, runny egg yolk, a squeeze of calamansi, fried peanuts, sambal, Mee Siam and curry chicken. The acidity and the different components worked well together. The vermicelli itself was a little salty for our palate, however. We thought Curry Chicken Rice might be an alternative for a future order if we wanted the curry without that concern, but we did not try it on this visit.

The Hainan Chicken Rice Whole Leg came with three small rice balls. Its garlic sauce was a strong positive, and the chicken tasted fresh, but the meat was slightly dry. It did not reach the same level as the curry dish for us.

The Sukeebun 3pcs Set gave us SugarBun-style vibes, with acar and sweet, moist raisin rice. The chicken seasoning was good, though the meat was not juicy enough. We told the owner straight away. The owner acknowledged that the chicken looked darker than usual, said it might have been a little overcooked and would pay more attention to heat control. We appreciated the willingness to listen; that response does not change what we ate that day.

We tried both Iced Hainan Coffee and Iced Hainan Teh-C. Both were rich, with the Teh-C our personal favourite. Less sweet would be our own preference when ordering it.

There was a large menu covering breakfast, tea-time food and mains, but we did not try everything. Hainan Coffee Chicken and the other dishes we considered for another visit remain untested by us.

The café felt comfortable for gathering with family or friends. Parking around the Lintas Pick & Pay side was more difficult, and we had to park farther away. Our conclusion remains mixed: we would remember the curry first, while the slightly salty vermicelli and the drier chicken in the other two dishes are part of the same visit.