Lao Tao Qiu Old Master Coffee 老头手南洋咖啡馆 @ Victoria Street, Georgetown, Penang

There is a hidden cafe located inside Boon San Tong Khoo Kongsi (文山堂邱公司) at Lebuh Victoria which presence is not realized by many people, including both tourists and local Penangites. Bearing the name Lao Tao Qiu Old Master Coffee (老头手南洋咖啡馆), which translate loosely to "senior master" in the local dialect Hokkien, this cafe seems promising in serving the traditional and popular local Nanyang coffee. One of the popular drink here is Hokasai, a local renowned drink in the northern part of Perak which fused Milo (Cocoa Drink) and Coffee. On October, the cafe also introduced the cheese coffee series. However, as much as we would like to support local unique business, the coffee here served here did not meet our expectations, and some local coffee shops produce even better coffee with just a fraction of the price here.

Lao Tao Qiu Old Master Coffee 老头手南洋咖啡馆 at Victoria Street, Georgetown, Penang

The hot Hor Ka Sai (RM 5.90) we had was not impressive. Not only the coffee tasted bland, the expected smell from the cocoa powder was missing too. Usually, Hor Ka Sai possess a delicate Nestum powder smell, which was noticeably absent too.

Another one we had was Hot Premium Gold Coffee (RM 9.90). Apart from possessing a stronger coffee aroma, this cup of coffee has nothing to shout about. It tasted like a concoction from a stronger dose of instant coffee powder, albeit with a better aroma. For RM 9.90, it is a no no.

There ought to be better coffee served here otherwise the price would deter people away. The cafe occupies a great and unique place, just need some efforts to drive up people's expectations.