Hap Shing Coffee Shop (合盛咖啡室) is located along Jalan Pryer in Sandakan old town, near the waterfront, right opposite the domestic bus terminal. One of its stalls, which sell coto Makassar, is the main draw of the coffee shop.
Hap Shing sells traditional breakfast set like any kopitiams in Malaysia— traditional kopi, butter-kaya toasts (roti bakar) and soft-boiled eggs. There are hard-boiled eggs on the tables too and diners can take any number of the eggs, peel, eat them with their meals and pay later — similar to packets of nasi lemak being placed on tables in some coffee shops in West Malaysia. Self-service.
The butter-kaya toast was nice too with a well-balanced crispiness and softness. And very traditional and old-taste.
The stall selling coto Makassar, an Indonesian traditional soup dish originating from Makassar, has a list of variants on its menu. The main ingredient can be either chicken, beef, cow stomach, cow lung, tendon, heart or mixed. The soup can be selected from either peanut soup or spiced soup (not spicy soup). And either ketupat (rice dumpling) or rice vermicelli as staple or just the soup. Meatballs can also be added.
The coto daging (beef) with peanut soup and ketupat (rice cake or dumpling) is the original style of coto Makassar. The beef is tender and the soup is not too thick with minced peanuts. The dish is light, flavourful and with a refreshing limey flavour after squeezing in the lime juice.
The coto daging with spiced soup and rice vermicelli is lighter tasting but more flavourful from the spices used in the soup. Personally, I prefer this lighter style for breakfast wheres the thicker peanut soup base for lunch or dinner. Furthermore, a hard-boiled egg can be added to complement the coto Makassar.
Another smaller stall sells mainly soft serve ice cream and non-food items like toys, magazine, etc.
Hap Shing is a great choice to have local food when in Sandakan.
Address:
Jalan Pryer, Pusat Bandar Sandakan, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
Opening Hours:
8am to 6pm | Daily
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