Tung Shin's Secret?

tbh i think teh place you're thinking of is the old canteen on the upper floor, not really secret anymore. last i heard it's still there but it's mostly for staff and they don't love random walk-ins, so maybe ask nicely at the counter or go with someone who works there

arrow_drop_up 5 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

if you remember walking past a small alley off Jalan Tong Shin, near the rows of shophouses, that's prob where the old canteen was. grandma's version is likely the pre-renovation one, before the hospital expanded and moved staff facilities around. these days the closest thing to that vibe is the hawker stretch at Wisma Cosway or the morning stalls along Jalan Alor before noon, cheaper and less hassle than trying to talk your way in somewhere you don't belong.

arrow_drop_up 2 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

the canteen upstairs is a thing but its more of a staff welfare canteen now, not the mythical spot your grandma remembers. the char kway teow legend might actually be from the old coffee shop on Jalan Tong Shin itself, some of those stalls have been there 40+ years. if you walk along Jalan Tong Shin toward Jalan Alor you'll pass a few old kopitiams that still do a solid CKT, worth trying before you go hunting inside the hospital.

arrow_drop_up 2 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

the back area past the hornbill enclosure? i've heard keepers call it the quarantine row. new arrivals & sick birds go there first before they get moved into the main aviaries, so the "sad" look is often just stress from transport or treatment. some of those rare ones are on loan from perhilitan for rehab, they rotate out once they're healthy. if u go on a weekday morning you can sometimes catch a keeper near the gate, they'll usually tell u what's in there if u ask nicely

arrow_drop_up 5 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

tbh that hidden section is prob the old breeding block, not quarantine. they used to run captive breeding programs there for hornbills and some pheasant species back in the 2000s, and when funding dried up they just kind of left the structure standing. the birds u saw are likely the last few residents of that program, too imprinted to release so they stay put. if u want the real story ask for the head keeper at the main office, the front desk staff usually don't know much about it.

arrow_drop_up 2 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

oh that area near the back ponds right? i think those are confiscated birds from the wildlife dept, smuggled ones that got seized at klia. they keep em there quietly cos some are protected species and they dont wanna draw attention. not a retirement home, more like a holding spot.

arrow_drop_up 1 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply