04 | May | 2012 | THE GASTRONOMY AFICIONADO

Though originally known as the land where martabak was born but the native Chinese immigrants seem actually more proud for their kopitiam legacy. Heartbroken to found that so far the best martabak are only found in Java, I decided to just unravel the secret behind Bangka’s famed coffee shop, Tung Tau.

The descendants of Mr Tung Tau who found the coffee shop in 1938 are now more organized than ever. I was pretty lucky to find that they recently have opened up their third outlet, marking probably their most notable advancements in decades.

Originally hailed from the laid back town of Sungailiat, the first coffee shop resides in the business district and still maintains its original look aside from the replaced chairs and tables. Tung Tau seems also satisfied with its rustic and conservative appearance, unlike those kopitiams we have in Jakarta with air-cons, cozy cushions, sleek designs, and elaborated dishes. In terms of the dishes, Tung Tau highlights its famed toasts, coffee, tea, and several simple hawker foods like porridge, fried rice or fish broth noodles.

My first visit was highlighted by the notoriously delicious toasts with exotic fillings. The first one was the combination toast filled with pineapple jam, chocolate sprinkles, and grated cheddar. Bangka and Belitung are famed for using pineapples in many of their delicacies and arguably, you might find the best jam here. Aside from that, they’re using old school bread where some people may refer as ‘roti kadet’.

Warkop Tung Tau - Roti Bakar Telur — Roti Bakar Telur

Perhaps the most exotic selection would be the egg toast. Unlike the usual sandwich we know that filled with omelette or fried eggs but this one is with diced boiled eggs. It’s a brand new thing for me and actually quite appetizing, but you might want to add chili sauce for this. Also the difficulty lies at the process of savoring it. It can be pretty messy and you’d need to come so close to the plate just to reach all the bread and the eggs there.

So what’s left then aside from the toast? Well of course, the coffee!

While the heat of Bangka may be pretty unbearable in the afternoon so what could be better than chilled beverages? Teh tarik and milk coffee would do the trick! The condensed milk could be of any brand but the coffee should be the one processed there, even though I heard that they had their coffee sent straight from Lampung.

Warkop Tung Tau - Teh Tarik, Kopi Susu, Roti Bakar Kombinasi — Teh Tarik, Kopi Susu, Roti Bakar Kombinasi (clockwise)

Fragrant, mild, and blends well with the milk, the kopi susu was thick and since served chilled, it felt as if I taste the water of the rivers in seventh heaven! There’s a trick in doing this and one of my coffee expert friend told me just to boil the coffee for two straight hours. In the meantime, the teh tarik was also very milky and to my liking. It’s not too overpowering since the tea taste was still there. Of course, this would be a fine substitution other than the coffee.

Warkop Tung Tau - Es Kacang Merah — Es Kacang Merah

For a fitting end, the original Bangka’s dessert of es kacang merah should be enough to make you return back for more. Though simply only topped with shaved ice, condensed milk, and syrup, the whole bowl of it was just pure paradise.

While the pricing tags in Bangka-Belitung may be quite similar with Jakarta a.k.a quite hefty, but so far many eateries or café there, however rustic they may appear, are not pretentious and provide delectable delicacies. With Tung Tau at its helm, Bangka may boasts itself as the land of original kopitiam but you might want to hear more from my stories later at eastern of Belitung in the small town of Manggar, the city of 1001 coffee shops. Either way, if you want to look for a land for of coffee appreciation, then these islands here may very well become your haven of temptations.

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WAROENG KOPI & ROTI BAKAR TUNG TAU

Halal-ness to be confirmed

Some menu suitable for vegetarians

Wi-fi available (so far only at Sungailiat outlet)

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