🇲🇾 Muar (Bandar Maharani)~ 434 Elephant Coffee, 2023 •Makan2 Series

The history of Sai Kee Coffee (434)
This cup of 434 Kopi is the legacy of a decades’ old kopitiam still in operation today.
MUAR: Located an hour’s drive from Melaka, Muar is somewhere between a sleepy hamlet and a bustling town. It certainly has its charms and its residents take pride of the fact that they live in the royal town of Johor.
For history buffs, Muar holds some significance as the site of the last major engagement of the Malayan Campaign during the Japanese invasion.
However, for most folks passing through, it is not so much history that draws them there but the food. After all, Muar is synonymous with otak-otak, and folk en route to and from Singapore often purchase whole bags of the fishy treats.
• Founded in 1953, Sai Kee Coffee is also referred to as Kopi 434 by locals and visitors alike.
Sai Kee Coffee is the name of this famed coffeeshop, though locals tend to refer to it affectionately as Kopi 434.
This coffeeshop has been serving hot cups of coffee and affordable meals since 1953, garnering quite the reputation for itself.
So, how did it all start? With one Kiar Am Sai, a Hainanese immigrant who arrived in Malaya when he was just 17.
Despite his youth, he was an enterprising lad and quite skillful in the art of coffee-making. He even formulated his personal recipe for traditional coffee roasting.
• A modern tavern-like ambiance has replaced the traditional wooden shophouse Sai Kee used to be.
Sensing an opportunity to make a living in Muar, he opened Sai Kee Coffee on Jalan Maharani, overlooking Sungai Muar. Unlike the brick structure of today, Sai Kee back then was housed in a simple wooden and double-storied shophouse.
Muar residents fell in love with Kiar’s brand of coffee, which soon required a good name for it to be marketable and memorable.
Kiar was a shrewd entrepreneur and in the 1960s, he figured out a brand name which would stick for decades afterwards, namely “434”.
Why those numbers specifically? Apparently, they formed part of his telephone number back then, and it simply was easy to recall.
• The Elephant Bean Coffee 1960s is a sweet, smooth and soothing coffee.
The name stuck and even now, Kopi 434 gets a bigger reaction than the kopitiam’s actual name of Sai Kee. Those three numbers have also become something of a lucky charm for the Kiar clan, since it has brought nothing but good luck to them.
Fast forward to the present day and Kopi 434 runs its own roastery, producing over 10 tonnes of roasted coffee daily.
So, what’s the secret behind his famous coffee? For Kiar, it’s simple - use the best ingredients without ever compromising on quality.
Today, Sai Kee still stands tall, even after decades in business, with locals and tourists dropping in to dine at the famous kopitiam.
It is no longer the hot and stuffy place of its early years, having something of a tavern-like atmosphere, albeit with air-conditioning today.
Many newspaper cuttings about the kopitiam and the Kiar family are displayed on the walls, and the place is appropriately decorated with coffee-themed décor.
This includes the Elephant Bean Coffee 1960s, a blend of coffee which is sweet and soothing, a great start to any morning.
For folks wishing for some kick in their coffee, the classic 434 Kopi is bitter to the taste, but rich with caffeine.
For something different, try the Fairephant, a cappuccino which features a mix of cream, coffee and grass jelly.
For non-coffee drinkers, there’s always the SK Gold Teh “O” Ice, a drink of balanced tastes with a mild sweetness.
Hence, the next time you should pass by Muar, perhaps take an hour or two to enjoy a hearty meal at this historical kopitiam which harkens back to a time long past.
Don't just trust my sharing, when in Muar give it a try. Some say it's better than that American cold coffee joint 😆
• Not a paid review