Ramen, cold beer, and Haagen-Dazs ice cream @ 3 AM

c11 kuching

I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t get back to sleep…I looked at the clock. It said 2:56 AM. I always remember the time if it’s close to a certain hour e.g. high digit 50 minute to the next hour. I felt like getting something to eat. There is nothing to eat at my place, so I thought about which establishment would be open at this hour. I wanted:

Instant noodles (ramen) in a cup (craving for it for some reason)
Cold beer (nothing like a cold beer in the middle of the night ;))
Haagen Dazs ice cream (or just any ice cream, but Haagen-Dazs would be good)

These are not very easy criteria to meet at 3 AM in the morning in Kuching. I wanted a place with seating arrangements too (the F&B industry calls it “tables and chairs”).

I drove out in the direction of my office (while under the influence of a cocktail of benzos, namely, alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Rivotril), and a lot of midazolam (Dormicum)). I suddenly saw the light – C-11!

C11 is a 7-11 clone in Kuching. It’s supposed to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, 10 years a decade, 100 years a century, you get the idea…

Not all of them do, though. Ironically, some close at 10 PM but the one right after the Simpang Tiga Flyover (King Center roundabout bypass) opens 24/7 AND has tables and chairs outside too.

I parked and entered the establishment. It was a little after 3 AM.

c11 ramen

I randomly grabbed a Styrofoam container of instant noodles…

c11 beer

…opened up the cold drinks fridge and grabbed a can of Skol beer.

c11 haagen-daz

…and went to the Haagen-Dazs freezer

c11 cookies cream

…and picked up a mini tub of Cookies and Cream ice cream.

Sorted!

c11 staff

I paid at the counter (and got the C-11 graveyard shift people to pose for me)…

c11 hot water

…filled up my instant noodles using the self-service hot water dispenser.

c11 food

…and went outside to dig in. Instant noodles, beer and ice cream. This combination is great, take my word for it.

c11 chinese serial

The C-11 outlet right after the Simpang Tiga flyover even has a projection TV system showing some Chinese serial.

c11 mtv

One of the staff came out and asked me if I wanted to watch another channel. I said I didn’t mind and he probably thought I was on something coz he switched to MTV and turned down the lights (“Is this better?”).

Damn good service, I tell you. Minimum wage workers at the equivalent of a 7-11 going out of their way to please a customer coming in at 3 AM in the morning.

…albeit a customer that wonders around the aisles blankly, forgets the change from a RM 50 note (which they kindly returned to me), and leaves his keys at the table (which they kindly reminded me of as well). Three cheers for the three friendly staff!

Back to the question:
Where can you get a meal of instant noodles, cold beer and Haagen-Dazs ice cream at 3 am in the morning?

Nowhere.

c11 end

…er, I mean at C-11, that’s where. The service is great to boot!

(and they don’t mind if you come in looking fucked up)

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