May 28, 2026
MELAKA – At 100 years old, Ong Hai Lan still shows up daily at Kheng Tong Coffee Shop.
Her daughter Foo Kia Boi, 70, runs the kitchen.
Together, they have kept this 65-year-old Hainanese coffee shop alive, and their signature dish—braised pork fried beehoon—has turned it into a destination worth the detour from as far as Melaka town, Muar, and beyond.
The dish came about when nearby hawkers began bringing canned braised pork for Foo to stir-fry with beehoon over charcoal fire—and the combination turned out to be a perfect match.
Even MCA Jasin division chairman and former senator Datuk Koh Chin Han cannot stop thinking about it after his first taste.
Kheng Tong is located at Merlimau, which sits roughly midway between Melaka town and Muar in Johor, making it a natural pit stop for travelers along the route.
The shop sells buns from 7 a.m., and is a regular haunt for families looking for late breakfast or brunch as cooked dishes start at 10 a.m.
The special braised pork beehoon with barbecued pork. PHOTO: SIN CHEW DAILY
Koh recalled dropping by the coffee shop for lunch after school or while waiting for extracurricular activities in the afternoon.
He said he was away during his university years and after, and only discovered the shop’s braised pork beehoon when he came back here to help campaign for the 2011 Merlimau by-election—and was blown away on his very first taste.
Koh makes it a point to visit the shop not just for the food, but also to check on Foo’s mother, Ong, who is a Hainanese, the same clan as his own mother.
Besides dining there with grassroots leaders to discuss matters, Koh also recommends the shop to his friends—and word has spread so far that even out-of-town friends have asked specifically about the braised pork beehoon.
“It’s better to share the joy than to enjoy it alone.
“I usually invite a few friends along to share the food. We always order the braised pork beehoon—it is a must—along with dishes like silky egg flat koayteow or wat dan hor in Cantonese.”
Foo said the coffee shop, which opened in 1960, initially operated from an attap house before moving to its current premises in 1970, and she has been helping out at the shop since childhood.
The 2011 Merlimau by-election, which drew large crowds to the area, gave the dish significant exposure, and braised pork beehoon quickly became a must-try food for many.
“Some customers traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Johor will make a detour to Merlimau just for the beehoon.
“We have never done any advertising ourselves—most customers know about us through social media, while some locals learned about it only later,” she said.
Kheng Tong Coffee Shop at Merlimau has lured outsiders with its unique signature dish. PHOTO: SIN CHEW DAILY
Foo said her customers are mainly from Muar and Melaka.
The shop begins selling buns and dim sum from around 7 a.m., with wok-cooked dishes available from around 10 a.m. until the shop closes at 3 to 4 p.m.
There are no fixed rest days—the shop only closes when there is a family matter to attend to.
Retirement is not in Foo’s mind.
“The young ones are working in big cities like Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. No one is interested in taking over the shop.. As I have no insurance coverage, I have to continue running the business,” said Foo.