food

Roti Titab: A simple toast with mind-blowing results

BY JAMES TAN
October 02, 2015

Roti Titab is a simple, but very satisfying, breakfast indeed. It's just one of the many delicacies you can find in the food haven that is Kelantan. – Pic by James Tan, October 2, 2015. Man does not live by bread alone. At least not since we’ve learned to eat it with butter and kaya, and half-boiled eggs.

I've always heard that food in the East Coast is quite a thing to savour. Apparently it's home to some amazing eats that are uniquely native to these parts, like the Nasi Dagang, Nasi Tumpang, Keropok Lekor, Laksam and so on.

And having visited both Kelantan and Terengganu in the last couple of weeks, I have to say that I'm a little partial to the tastes of the former.

I landed in Kota Baru one fine morning and I thought what better way to experience Kelantan than to have breakfast with the locals. So my guide led me to a popular breakfast place, Kopitiam Kita.

Kopitiam Kita is quite a spectacle. This Chinese-owned coffee shop is truly an epitome of muhhibbah if there ever was one. First off, while the owner is Chinese, most of the food handlers are Malays, giving assurance to diners with a halal requirement.

Next up, the place is packed to the brim with Malays, Chinese, Indians and Siamese, most of whom speak "Loghat Kelate" fluently. And finally, it appears that anyone who makes their way to Kota Baru would make their way here, evident by their Wall of Fame – a collection of photographs of celebrities and political dignitaries enjoying their meal here.

A smogasboard of local delights, such as noodles, rice and kuih-muih are yours for the picking. – October 2, 2015.And right beneath the watchful eyes of the rich and famous, laid out on a long table, was a smogasboard of local delights, a wonderful assortment of packet nasi lauk, noodles, kuih and such.

These delicacies are sourced by the coffeeshop owners from different vendors from all over Kota Baru, so you can get your fix of your favourite dish all under one roof.

Unfortunately, at 9:30 most of these were gone, because Kelantanese like their breakfast bright and early. But there was another speciality here at Kopitiam Kita that everyone raves about – Roti Titab.

Roti Titab is essentially margarined toast, with a half-boiled egg on top. What makes it different is, at the four corners of the bread are dollops of smooth nyonya-styled kaya.

Now, this isn't any kind of culinary rocket science of course, but there are a few great things going for Roti Titab. Firstly, the base is a thick-cut and fluffy, fresh white bread, grilled to perfection.

I believe this makes all the difference, as conventional toasting might have made the bread too dry. Instead it's crispy, yet soft and airy.

The Wall of Fame at Kopitiam Kita makes for a nice conversation starter if you happen to be sharing a table with one of the many people of different ethnicities who make their way to this warm, unpretentious coffeeshop for breakfast every day. – October 2, 2015.It is then served with their delicious home made kaya and topped with a nicely done half-boiled egg. Simple and delicious, and you're never quite overwhelmed with the taste of kaya as you might if you dipped your standard kaya-butter toast in half-boiled egg like most Malaysians typically do.

A little bit of trivia for you – apparently Roti Titab was invented right here at Kopitiam Kita by its founder, Uncle Wong.

The verdict is an A+ for the fun environment that is Kopitiam Kita. It feels like one of those things you just have to do when you're in Kota Baru – so as long as you get there early!

As for the Roti Titab, it's almost as good as it gets, though I think they could have been perfect with butter instead of margarine.

But that said, I hope to come back some day and try out their other stuff someday. There's a whole lot more to try at Kopitiam Kita. – October 2, 2015.

Kopitiam Kita | Add: 4357-A, Taman Desa Jaya, Jalan Pengkalan Chepa, 15400 Kota Baru | Tel: 6019-9810888 | Opening hours: 7:00 am – 1:30pm Daily | GPS coordinates: 6.129589,102.249001 | Halal

* All of The Malaysian Insider food reviews are incognito and reflect the personal opinions of our merry band of foodies. If you know of any restaurant serving awesome grub, share it with the rest of the world and drop us a line with details at [email protected].