MELAKA, Jan. 27 -- What a beautiful bowl!

It has been quite a while since we last had Hainam Beef Noodles and this is an exemplary serving: the noodles possess that prized "QQ" elasticity; the broth is built on time instead of shortcuts, its savouriness deepened by hours of boiling beef bones and carrots.

We enjoy this and other traditional treats (more on those later) at Nings Hainam Noodles in Melaka Raya.

The shop sits in the thick of the city's business and banking district, where office workers want a hearty breakfast or a quick lunch.

A fourth-generation Hainam kopitiam, Nings has the well-worn rhythm of a place that knows its clientele intimately.

Mornings see steady foot traffic: regulars sliding into familiar seats, orders p...