凌晨四点半，夜猫子还未入睡，城市还未苏醒，零星的路灯照着尚未被车水马龙扬起的尘。一辆多用途汽车缓缓驶入茨厂街大众银行建筑物后昏暗的小巷中，靠左侧停下。黄鸿汉叔叔下了车，解开「黄美咖啡档」围篱上的锁，这一亩三分地容纳他赖以维生的必须。黄叔叔打开照明灯，清洗杯盘、把饮用水煮沸，然后搬出桌椅排开。一切准备就绪，他坐在摊位前的凳子上，望着渐亮的天色静待顾客上门。
玫瑰色的朝霞从高耸的建筑物身后羞答答地探出头来，巷弄内也开始人头攒动。早上七点半，客人陆陆续续来报到，填满原本空荡荡的座位。街坊邻居循例捧场、上班族果腹后匆匆离去、远道而来的旅客歇歇脚。两鬓斑白的三五知交一如既往共聚于此，大家抽着烟、聊着天，笑笑闹闹度过早晨时光。当黄叔叔忙碌的工作终于告一段落，他也加入这个阵营，直到再有顾客上门。
醇厚的茶水维系着黄鸿汉叔叔与父亲黄美两代人的生计，平淡生活中萦绕馥郁香气。黄美数十年前在距离现址不远的一间狭小棚屋内做起冲泡茶水的生意，由妻儿帮忙外送供周遭店铺内的客人饮用。每天最为忙碌的时段分别是早上10点以及下午3点的茶歇，当时仍年幼的黄鸿汉需谨慎地捧着沉甸甸的托盘，奔走于十余间店铺。他长大后出外打拼，但在1987年父亲逝世之际，毅然辞职回家，与母亲共同打理咖啡档。
即使约莫30年前经历搬迁，黄美咖啡档始终藏身巷弄中，与繁华的街道仅咫尺之隔。摊位现址由一名熟客提供，希望黄鸿汉叔叔继续把咖啡档经营成为社区街坊相聚的宝地。当年父亲亲笔写在红纸上的招牌遭受雨水破坏，他却将父亲的名字印在亚克力招牌上沿用保存。这时黄叔叔已独自当家，基于人力资源不足，无法继续外送，只好请客人上门光顾。他还兼卖一些小食，如面包、鸡蛋、包子、点心。早些年菜单选择更丰富，有来自太太于家中烹饪的猪肠粉、炒粉等等，行管令后干脆删减了。
传统冲茶讲究的并非技巧，而是作为基底的咖啡或茶，与炼奶之间的风味平衡搭配。这是黄鸿汉叔叔经年累月实战经验总结出的心得，并且他已练就“火眼金睛”，一看色泽便知分晓。一杯杯朴实无华却香浓醇厚的咖啡或茶，牢牢俘虏顾客的味蕾。当这一味道已烙印舌尖，成为生活中的日常，顾客即使退休或搬走，还是会回头来找黄叔叔。他不乐意见老朋友们散了，即使将来七老八十也要一直做下去，直到不能做为止。
黄鸿汉叔叔年纪渐长、体力不足，而将原本清晨5点至晚上8点的营业时间缩短至中午12点。每当午后路经此巷弄，原本摆放座位的位置停满了车，档口围篱紧锁，早晨那番景象仿若梦境臆想，从未真实出现。想要在闹市小巷中喝上一杯茶？明天请早吧。
At 4.30AM, night owls have not yet fallen asleep, the city has not yet woken up, street lights illuminate dust that has not yet been kicked up by traffic. A MPV drove slowly into the dark alley behind the Public Bank building on Jalan Tun HS Lee and pulled over aside. Uncle Wong Hoong Hon got out of the car and unlocked the fence of "Wong Mee Coffee Stall". This small plot accommodated his daily necessities. Uncle Wong turned on the lights, washed the cups and plates, boiled the drinking water, and then set up tables and chairs on the roadside. With everything in place, he sat on the stool in front of the stall, looking at the brightening sky and waiting for customers.
The rosy morning glow peeked out shyly from behind the tall buildings, and the alleys began to crowd with people. Around 7.30AM, customers flock in, filling the empty seats. Neighbourhood residents came for their daily drinks, office workers hurriedly left after eating, and travellers from afar took a rest. Long-term close friends with graying hair on their temples gathered here as usual. Everyone smoked, chatted, and spent the morning laughing and joking. When Uncle Wong's finally made it through the morning rush, he joined them until other customers show up.
The rich coffee and tea has maintained the livelihood of Uncle Wong Hoong Hon and his father Wong Mee for two generations, and the fragrant aroma lingers in their ordinary lives. Wong Mee started a coffee and tea-making business decades ago in a small shack not far from the current location, and his wife and children helped deliver it to customers in nearby shops. The busiest times every day were the tea breaks at 10AM and 3PM. Wong Hoong Hon, who was still young at that time, had to bring a tray laden with drinks and send to a dozen shops. When he grew up, he went out to work, but when his father passed away in 1987, he resigned and returned home to run the coffee stall with his mother.
Despite having relocated about 30 years ago, Wong Mee Coffee Stall has always been tucked in the alley, just a stone's throw away from the bustling streets. The current location of the stall was provided by a regular customer, who hopes that Uncle Wong Hoong Hon will continue to operate the coffee stall as a gathering place for the neighbourhood community. The signboard handwritten by his father on red paper was damaged by rain, but he kept his father's name and printed it on an acrylic signboard. At this point, Uncle Wong was running the business alone. Due to lack of manpower, he could not continue to deliver, so customers had to dine in. He also sells some light bites, such as bread, eggs, bao and dimsum. Earlier on, the menu included chee cheong fun and fried noodles homecooked by his wife, but was omitted after MCO.
Traditional coffee and tea making is not about technique, but achieving a balanced flavour between the base coffee or tea and condensed milk. This is what Uncle Wong surmised from decades of practical experience, and he can tell the difference at a glance. Cups of unpretentious fragrant coffee or tea capture the taste buds of customers and became a daily part of life, therefore customers willingly come back to Uncle Wong. He is reluctant to see his old friends break up, and he will continue to work until he is no longer able to.
As Uncle Wong Hong Han is getting older and lacks physical strength, his operating hours from 5AM to 8PM were shortened to 12PM. Whenever passing by this alley in the afternoon, the space where the seats were placed is full of cars, and the stall is fenced up tightly. The scene in the morning is like a dream and a fantasy that has never really happened. Want to have a cup of tea in this alley? Please be early tomorrow.
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