Luncheon Meat & Egg Sandwich Wasn’t really looking for quite the full meal when the colleague wanted to have Hangawi Korean Food for lunch when I made a trip back to the office — lucky for me how there is always La Teh Cafe as a fallback option given how they share a common seating area with neighbours Hangawi Korean Food and Pasta & Co. so one wouldn’t need to fuss over what to have even if opinions differ. Yet one of those items that I usually wouldn’t quite order and subject myself to order because of how such items are rather easy to put together at home, I must admit how that the Luncheon Meat & Egg Sandwich is actually a pretty decent item to order for comforting fare outside of home. Those sandwich buns are reasonably pillowy and soft — does remind me of those buns that accompanies some western dishes from Western cuisine stalls at hawker centres; all with that somewhat flaky and crumbly browned crust over the top. I appreciate the amount of effort to make this as wholesome as it can get here at La Teh; apart from the rather sizeable slabs of luncheon meat provided that was surprisingly not too salty, the sandwich here comes with leafy greens, tomato slice and mayonnaise — gives the sandwich a refreshing crunch, a good bite and slight tanginess, alongside just the right amount of creaminess from the mayonnaise. The egg pretty much upped the game here with its texture; while it does come with a reasonably molten yolk, I was actually more impressed with the crisp edges of the egg whites that gave the sandwich a textural boost — all that whilst not being too greasy. After having tried a few of their offerings on-and-off, it seems to me that places such as La Teh do have quite a purpose after all — one may be able to argue how such items can be easily thrown together but it fixes those cravings when it hits unexpectedly and making it on the spot just isn’t an option; not to mention its rather affordable price point at $3.70 that works as an alternative for a full meal given the portion size. I thought I would never see myself saying this, but the Luncheon Meat & Egg Sandwich is that soul food that catches me — something homey that touches the heart.

Garlic Bread + Sausage + Sunny Side-Up La Teh is one of the few places at Fortune Centre where the office folks can grab a cup of coffee and get a sandwich or toast to go along — hidden at the second floor of the building just beside Hangawi Korean Food, La Teh has been around for quite a while serving up local coffee and toasts, as well as a couple of mains from dry/wet Mee Siam alongside HK Noodles and rice bowls. The Garlic Bread + Sausage + Sunny Side-Up is just one of the few dishes which are available on their American Breakfast menu — the offerings being vaguely similar to the breakfast-style dishes served at Hainanese Western cuisine stalls in Hawker centres. Coming with 4 triangles of white bread, toasted and lathered with garlic spread, I liked how it comes with a garlicky note but also whiffed of a light hint of dried herbs; seemingly that of rosemary(?) that has been sprinkled atop each slice — also pretty amused how each slice is cut so neatly, whilst being crisp and light without being particularly dense. The two sunny side-ups that accompanies the garlic bread and sausages came with runny yolk and soft whites; some may lament how the undersides do not come browned and crisp, but I can see how some folks would love the way they do their eggs. While some places do serve up boring sausages, the sausages (or franks, I should say) comes lightly fried for a slight crispness on the exterior; almost akin to that of what some Hainanese Western cuisine stalls at Hawker centres will do — high in sodium content, but sinfully tasty without being particularly greasy. Paired my American Breakfast with the Nanyang Mocha — a concoction featuring local Kopi mixed with Milo, though the Kopi was a little watered down and bland which marred the experience a little for me. Not sure if it’s me growing old and wanting to eat less, but I am starting to really enjoy simple treats like this — some may argue how these are often easily whipped up at home, but I like how the different renditions done by individual stalls carry so much character on their own; a dish that one can fully experience the soul and character of the stall that it is being churned out from ... (Pro-tip: Most folks who patronise Hangawi Korean Food, La Teh and Pine Tree Cafe may know this, but apart from the seatings around the three stalls along the aisles of the shopping mall, patrons can also dine-in at a shop unit beside the former premises of Kappou Shunsui and order from either of the three stalls; something that I only got to know fairly recently despite being in this area for a couple of years now probably because most of the folks dining in there usually order from Hangawi Korean Food. Now you know ...)

Cafe Simple cafe, try nutella or 'noo teller' toast