UNINESS

Laid out on makeshift tables lining the five-foot walkway of Chai Huat Hin Trading at Jalan Tun H.S. Lee are cartons of dry goods such as garlic, onion, and ginger; tubs of dried marine products such as dried shrimp and anchovies; and a wide array of nuts, beans, and grains. Pre-packed dried fish maw with hues ranging from pale yellow to golden mustard suspend from the retractable awning rail, while bags of dried bean curd skin, shiitake mushrooms, black moss, and other ingredients hang above the entrance. Even though situated far away from the sea, Chai Huat Hin supply the city with marine products.

Practiced since centuries ago, drying has proved to be an effective way to preserve and extend the shelf life of various types of marine products, as well as make them more convenient for storage and transportation. In everyday Chinese cooking, intensely-flavoured and less expensive ingredients such as dried shrimp and anchovies are typically used to lend a rich umami taste to dishes. Exotic dried seafood such as fish maw, sea cucumber, and abalone, can be soaked to rehydrate before being incorporated into a wide range of exquisite dishes carrying auspicious meanings.

As Chinese New Year approaches, the last couple of dried seafood stores standing in Petaling Street are bustling as customers flock in to stock their pantry in preparation for reunion dinner. Chai Huat Hin is exceptionally busy, as customers return repeatedly over decades, even though some of them might have moved to other neighbourhoods or migrated overseas. Many younger family members accompany their elders to learn how to identify and choose the ingredients. Friendly and knowledgeable staff members are on hand to assist, offering suggestions and tips on adding texture, flavour, and nutrition to their dishes.

Chai Huat Hin offers an extensive assortment of products, with wild fungi and game from natural origins and premium dried seafood such as abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, oyster, and scallops. Another staple at Chai Huat Hin is the wide range of dry cured meats, including cured pork belly, Chinese sausages, liver sausages, duck gizzards, and the increasingly rare golden-silver liver sausage, which consists of pork liver stuffed with fatty pork. The store also sells sauces, seasonings, canned foods, dried fruits, and other items, making it a well-established one-stop shop for food ingredients.

The founder, Mr Lim Boon Peng, was originally a delivery driver, constantly on the go. After he got married, his loving wife, Mdm Tan Siew Keng, could not bear to see his always being exhausted. She pawned her dowry as capital, and got help from her father who ran a dried seafood store to introduce her husband to potential partners. Thus, Chai Huat Hin was founded in 1972. When the partnership dissolved 17-18 years ago, he was reluctant to retire despite being 60 years old, therefore he established his own trading at the current premises, maintaining the brand name Chai Huat Hin.

Running a dried seafood store is very challenging, with the greatest difficulty being the wide variety of products, which requires careful selection, quality control, and inventory management. The key lies in good coordination to ensure a steady supply without overstocking. The second-generation owners, Lim Bee Bee and her husband Mark, took over the reins after Mr Lim’s passing in 2016. With the support of veteran staff, Uncle Leng, who is like a walking encyclopedia, they are able to manage the business effectively and efficiently.

Traditional shops in Petaling Street offer customers ingredients they can see, smell, and touch, which is different from modern supermarkets and hypermarkets, giving those who are particular about quality peace of mind. Sincere communication and friendly service also provide customers with an enjoyable shopping experience while ensuring they get the right ingredients.

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Michael Lerk
Drone : Daniel Lim
Video Editor : Michael Lerk
Copywriter : Pua Hui Wen

COPYRIGHTS 2024 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

Kien Fatt Medical Store is the most long-standing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) store in Petaling Street, established for well over 80 years, houses a Chinese herbal apothecary, a TCM clinic, and a pharmacy selling over-the-counter Western medicine all under one roof. Over the years, Kien Fatt Medical Store offers affordable TCM treatment and prescriptions for the public to help maintain their overall bodily health.

Between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Petaling Street was a central hub for Chinese immigrants who came to Malaya to seek a living. It is where they eventually settled down and businesses sprung up to satisfy their daily needs. Back then, those who ran medical stores were typically well-educated and knowledgeable in traditional Chinese medicine. When Kien Fatt first opened its doors in 1942, a scholar was hired to manage the shop, who also doubled as an in-house TCM practitioner. Most of the Chinese labourers would come to seek help when they encountered health issues or needed someone to write letters home.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) originated in ancient China and has evolved over thousands of years, using herbs, acupuncture, and other methods to treat a wide range of conditions. Chinese herbal medicines are mainly plant based, but some preparations include minerals or animal products. They can be packaged as powders, pastes, lotions or tablets, depending on the herb and its intended use. The work in a Chinese herbal apothecary requires tremendous effort, the most challenging part involves memorizing hundreds of classic herbal medicine formulas, understanding the pharmacological and toxicological properties of each herb as well as multi-herb correlation to prevent undesirable side effects. For a start, one needs to learn to identify all kinds of herbs, and how to classify and store them. One then gets familiar with the Baizi cabinet (literally translates as 100 cabinets), eventually knowing the contents of each drawer by heart. Out of a large number of apprentices, only a handful persevered to become herbalists.

Generations of the Ng family have been traditional herbal medicine sellers, the first generation to immigrate to Malaya set up store in Rasa. The second generation, Ng Kien Poon and Ng Fatt Poon, sought work at Kuala Lumpur, amassed enough capital, and co-founded Kien Fatt Medical Store in Petaling Street, selling both Chinese herbs and Western medicines. In the 1980s, due to government regulations, they had to stop selling Western medicine. Instead they focused on herbal products wholesale and supply, becoming the exclusive distributor of Axe brand medicated oil. During the peak phase, their business expanded across Malaysia, and they have their own fleet of delivery trucks.

In the 1990s, the third generation heir, Ng Chee Yat, returned to Malaysia after having graduated from the UK, and took over the business. business. With his accredited qualifications as a pharmaceutical chemist, he set up a pharmacy at a corner of the shop. He then attained professional qualification as a TCM practitioner, and invited fellow TCM practitioners to set up a clinic together at the rear end of Kien Fatt’s premises. Realising the value and potential of TCM, they founded the KL Academy of Chinese Medical Practice, educationally collaborated with the Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine in China, to provide training and further education opportunities, provide alternative career paths for ordinary people, as well as raise public awareness and acceptance of TCM.

It is increasingly difficult for traditional trades to survive in Petaling Street, and Chinese medicine stores are no exception. Kien Fatt Medical Store still holds true to its core belief, offering effective healthcare solutions to the public without costing a bomb, which is truly remarkable.

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Michael Lerk
Drone : Daniel Lim
Video Editor : Michael Lerk
Copywriter : Pua Hui Wen

COPYRIGHTS 2024 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

Upon entering the alley between Jalan Petaling and Jalan Sultan, the warm, comforting smell of delicious food makes one’s mouth water. Situated directly behind Kong Wooi Fong Tea Merchants, tucked beneath gray tarpaulin sheets, is the last remaining stir-fry stall in this alley – Sai Kee, which offers homely Cantonese cuisine made to order.

In the past, the alleyways around Petaling Street were filled with simple food stalls and temporary seating, offering a variety of affordable meals while also serving as community gathering spots. However, in recent years, such “Dai Pai Dong” hawker culture has gradually declined, and now the number of food stalls in the alley is few and far between. Despite the abundance of restaurants and cafés along the main streets, laneway hawkers are the go-to for comfort food.

The stall has always occupied the same spot since being established decades ago by Uncle Lai Seng Wai’s grandfather, who hailed from Panyu in Guangdong, China. At first it was an unnamed stall with no fixed menu, which served claypot chicken rice at one point, economy rice at another, and changed to serving Hokkien noodles when Uncle Lai’s father inherited the stall. Towards the end of 1969, the menu was revamped to serving stir-fry. Uncle Lai sees no reason for change when he took over the reins, therefore he retains his father’s cooking method and recipes.

Popular dishes include braised fish with tofu, sweet and sour pork, french beans with roasted pork, and fish paste soup, among others. All ingredients are freshly purchased and prepared daily. The signature fish balls are made from wild-caught mackerel, chopped, mixed, and beaten by hand to achieve a firm, chewy texture.

Bright orange flames momentarily shoot up as Uncle Lai Seng Wai ladles oil into a hot wok, engulfing the ingredients upon their being added. Uncle Lai stirs deftly with a stainless steel spatula, then instead of tossing the wok, he covers it with a flat metal lid and let the flames lick around the wok. Within a matter of moments, he removes the lid – the food is thoroughly cooked and ready to be served.

The fiery stir-fry is a technique that combines speed and precision, maintaining a high temperature throughout the cooking process. The intense heat elevates the flavors and imbues “wok hei” (breath of the wok), an enticing smoky savory aroma, to the food. The practice of covering the wok with a lid instead of tossing speeds up cooking, improving evaporation as well as flavor due to Maillard reaction. 

Among the Petaling Street community, the stall is verbally known as “Ah Sai” (scrawny lad), the nickname of Uncle Lai’s father due to his rake-thin physique. Later on, it was registered as the official name to be displayed on the stall’s signboard. The main clientele consists of long-time regulars whose families have been frequenting the stall over three generations. In recent years, the crowd consists of more office workers from the nearby area and tourists. 

Uncle Lai, who helms the wok at Sai Kee, displays his multitasking ability to handle four woks simultaneously during peak hours. He is also in charge of procuring goods from the wholesale market late at night after work, and picking up miscellaneous ingredients from the supermarket and wet market in the morning before heading to work. His younger brother Hoong Wye is in charge of taking orders, cutting ingredients and preparing steamed dishes, with the help of their aunt and a few workers. 

For Uncle Lai and his brother, helping their parents since a young age and taking over the family business in adulthood comes to them as something natural. They have been working together for more than 40 years, and as business partners in the past two decades, each taking care of their own duties, continuing the legacy of the alley’s bustling food scene. Unfortunately, there is no one to take over. The food industry requires constant, tireless work, and few are willing to accept the long hours and hard labor. Like many other food stalls that have gradually disappeared from the alley, once they can no longer work, they have no choice but to close.

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Michael Lerk
Drone : Daniel Lim
Video Editor : Michael Lerk
Copywriter : Pua Hui Wen

COPYRIGHTS 2024 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

At dawn, the sound of bells and conch shells from the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple on Jalan Tun H.S. Lee in Kuala Lumpur heralds the start of daily prayer sessions. At the same time, about a dozen flower garland vendors set up their stalls in the adjacent alley. Fresh flowers in pure white, bright yellow, and vibrant red are skillfully woven into garlands and displayed on stands, creating an eye-catching scenery. Occasionally stirred by a playful breeze, the garlands emit delightful fragrances.

The Petaling Street area is a cultural melting pot. While the majority of residents are of Chinese ethnicity, there are also many from other ethnic groups, each building their own temples in the neighbourhood. The Hindu temple and the Kuan Ti Temple sit across from each other, coexisting peacefully for over a century. A row of garland stalls are located next to the Hindu temple, providing convenience for worshippers from both temples to purchase garlands as offerings. Uncle Anamalay Nadaraj (Kartik) has been making and selling garlands in the Petaling Street area for the longest duration, working up to fifteen hours a day i conjunction with the temple’s opening hours, and rarely taking a break in over thirty years. During major festivals like Thaipusam and Deepavali, he even work overnight to fulfill orders.

Uncle Kartik was born into a family constantly filled with the fragrance of flowers. His grandfather planted various flowers in their yard, and from a young age, he helped to pluck fresh flowers in the morning, hence developing an interest and learning to make garlands from his grandfather and mother. After graduating from high school, he set up his own stall in Brickfields to make and sell garlands. By chance, he obtained a business license in the Petaling Street area and relocated there. Due to the different demographic makeup of the area, compared to the predominantly Indian community in Brickfields, he expanded his customer base to include people from all three major ethnic groups as well as foreign tourists.

Flowers commonly used for making garlands include jasmine, chrysanthemums, roses, and carnations. Hindus choose flowers based on the preferences of individual deities, while Chinese typically buy lotus flowers to worship Guanyin, and tourists often favor colorful orchids. In addition to flowers, Uncle Kartik’s stall also sells items like limes and incense, a one-stop shop for worshippers before they enter the temple.

Customers can customize the size and flower selection of garlands based on different occasions and usage, from small ones to hang in cars for fragrance, medium ones for welcoming guests or during traditional Indian weddings, to large ones used for entrance or venue decorations. Different colors and types of flowers carry different meanings across cultures; for example, red garlands are chosen for Indian funerals, while white garlands are preferred for Chinese funerals. In recent years, gifting garlands instead of bouquets at graduation ceremonies became a trend, which Uncle Kartik finds amusing.

By weaving garlands for over thirty years, Uncle Kartik’s family also flourished. As he is getting advanced in years, he has started hiring help. Unfortunately, few local youths are willing to work in this trade, so he brought in staff from his ancestral home in India. Uncle Kartik’s son helps in managing social media and online orders during his free time and runs errands for deliveries. Perhaps in the future, he will inherit this family business, allowing the vibrant garlands to continue spreading their fragrance in Petaling Street.

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Michael Lerk
Drone : Daniel Lim
Video Editor : Michael Lerk
Copywriter : Pua Hui Wen

COPYRIGHTS 2024 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

Raw rattan vines grow in the tropical rainforests, and require meticulous processing to be made into furniture. Rattan furniture maker Chiau Tai Huat, born and bred in Gurun, has been working in the industry for decades. Throughout his career, he worked in several different places before returning to his hometown and set up his own shop – Ban Lee. At 78 years old, he is still using his strong physique and skillful hands to craft all sorts of rattan furniture and household goods, at the same time accepting custom order requests.

Gurun is the second largest Chinese new village in Kedah, with around 300 households, the majority of them being TeoChew. Agriculture used to be the main local economy, later on there came manufacturing and industrialisation. In the early days, there were limited furniture options, almost every household used rattan furniture, which was inexpensive and of good quality. The rattan furniture industry in Gurun was most prosperous from the 1960s to the 1980s. Compared with wooden sofas or leather sofas, rattan sofas are light, cool and not easily damaged, therefore especially popular.

The first rattan furniture shop in Gurun, Eng Thye Lee, used to be an ironsmith shop ran by Chiau Tai Huat’s father. Chiau’s elder brother, who was unwilling to learn the trade, went outstation and learned to make rattan furniture instead, thus transforming the business but still operating under the same trade name. Back then he employed a dozen or so apprentices, providing livelihood for young dropouts. After mastering the craft, they would start their own rattan workshops at home in the new village. During peak seasons, Eng Thye Lee would even outsource some projects to them.

Chiau Tai Huat learnt to make rattan furniture from his elder brother, and became his aide in Eng Thye Lee. After a while, he went around Sungai Petani, Kulim, Yan, Alor Setar, and Kota Bharu, Kelantan, working in various rattan shops and gained much experience. He then returned to his hometown to set up his own shop, and took great pains to reclaim a shoplot that his father rented to an Indian barber. Ban Lee officially opened in 12th May 1986, with beautiful hopes of “prosperous” and “everything goes well”.

A rattan stick with a diameter of an inch or so does not change colour when burned, but gradually soften under the high temperature. Bend it while it is hot, and it will retain the shape when it cools down. To achieve a specific curvature, it may be necessary to repeat heating and apply force several times. Over time, the surface of the rattan furniture will appear shiny due to being moisturised by sebum, no maintenance is required. Even if the rattan strips wear out, Uncle Chiau provides repair services.

With the rapid rise of industrialisation around the 1990s, there were more furniture choices at affordable prices, demand for handmade rattan furniture decreased. Moreover, the government enacted strict laws to control forest harvesting, resulting in skyrocketing raw material prices. As things went from bad to worse, most rattan furniture makers had no choice but to switch careers, only a handful remain in Gurun new village. Till this day, Ban Lee and Eng Thye Lee are still standing on the old street. 

Rattan furniture provides excellent ventilation and is durable, suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, its natural colour exudes a simple and tranquil atmosphere. Furniture made from raw materials in local tropical rainforests has evolved from crude products in the early days to fashionable artisanal crafts, albeit less in demand. Uncle Chiau is optimistic about the future of rattan furniture, and he is glad to see his son taking interest in inheriting the trade. With passion, perseverance, and patience, one will manage to make a living.

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Michael Lerk
Drone : Daniel Lim
Video Editor : Amelia Lim
Copywriter : Pua Hui Wen

COPYRIGHTS 2024 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

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 Honghan 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.

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Michael Lerk
Drone : Daniel Lim
Video Editor : Amelia Lim
Copywriter : Pua Hui Wen

COPYRIGHTS 2023 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD