Of kopitiams and durians

I remember about 4 or 5 years ago when the urban 'kopitiam' have just begun sprouting around town, furnished in the old charm of marble tables and polished wooden floors. Back then, I was aghast that everyday favourites like nasi lemak and asam laksa were being sold for RM 8 + when a typical bowl at the typical kopitiam costs RM 2.00 and RM 3.80. It seemed as if this new wave of entrepreunership was really cashing in on people by spinning a new chic to what is arguably most Malaysians' comfort food.

But now fast forward to present times, I admit I do patronise the new urban kopitiams quite frequently and have stopped chastizing the steeper prices as they are strategically located within malls, do not have the typical sticky and dirty kopitiam floors and are even offering free wi-fi. (and did I mention air-cond too ? :P Though the latest of this chic kopitiams, Pappa Rich, does try to push the price level even higher than the rest of its competitors (sigh.. inflation of the nasi lemak price again)

I think one of the best things that 'urbanizing' the kopitiams has done is that the tradition of kopitiams are carried on for the new generation. The little kids may not know that the original kopitiams did actually use marble tables and those cute porcelain, 'cracked' looking coffee cups, but for those who are at least in their twenties, they can identify with it. Whoever who started this whole urban kopitiam madness whether it was Kluang Station or Old Town, it is a brilliant tribute to keeping the Malaysian tradition of kopitiams intact. At one point, kopitiams were losing out to the wave of frappucinos from Starbucks, I wouldn't say they have won the battle now, but at least people have a choice.

And speaking of almost dying traditions and past times, I read an article where someone lamented people don't eat durian like they used to anymore. Those days when whole families sat around the prized fruit and watched it being pried open are now just sweet ol' memories. We used to wait anxiously for the durian season and when it did come, lorries full of durians will be parked side by side along the road. They'd set up makeshift stalls, with flimsy canvas roofs and you might remember customers even eating at the stalls itself. And whenever my father when out of town and passed by cheap durian stalls, he'll fill his car boot with so much of the prickly fruit we'd be eating for hours.

Whatever happened to those days?

Who in the world talks about the best durian they had last night anymore?

Maybe someone should take a cue from those kopitiams and give a new urban chic to eating durians. Set up a 'shack' like structure outside malls with scraps of wood to give that 'authentic' yet polished feel of a modernised durian stall. And we could have box like stools for customers to have their durians at the stall itself, complete with a mist-fan to cool down. Sounds like an idea? Waiting to see it happen.. :P