Category: Native Cuisine

The outmoded layout of the shop, with classical glass displays on either side, coral colours contrasting the white walls, highlighting the shop’s vintage appearance. Apart from two coral red shutters, there were no conventional doors, exposing full view of the shop’s unsophiscated style. Freshly out of the oven, the kaya puffs emit wafts of aroma. For donkey’s years, relentlessly making fresh kaya puffs in-house from scratch on a daily basis, with no additional preservatives, this is what makes Teng Wun Bakery and Confectionery popular with locals and a must-try for tourists.

Forty years ago (in 1979), Hoo Jee Suan and his wife leased the shop lot and partitioned the shop front into two: on the right is a female salon managed by Mrs Hoo, whereas on the left Mr Hoo bakes pastries and cakes to sell. Husband and wife worked hard together to make a living, as life is not easy back then. In the early days of the startup, he only baked cakes and bread. The favourable kaya puffs was afterwards learned from his father-in-law who runs a Hainanese coffee shop, as a result of several improvisations, the current version of crispy and fragrant kaya puff was introduced.

In the small town of Kuala Kubu Bharu where Hakkanese made up the majority, Mr Hoo was a true-bred Hainanese who migrated southwards to Malaya when he was 12 years old, and adopted his foster family’s surname “Hoo” instead of his birth family name “Yun”. Mr Hoo was born in Kuala Selangor, but spent most of his childhood years in Hainan, China. When the liberation war broke out on Hainan Island, civilants fell into poverty, rice and cassava were their only food. As the health of Mr Hoo’s birth parents deteriorated, they entrusted his elder sister who got married in Malaysia to bring him out of Hainan Island. That was in the second year of Malaysia’s gaining independence.

Under his sister’s arrangements, Mr Hoo embarked on a vessel setting sail to Malaysia. It was perilous to travel by sea in those days, as it took about one week to disembark at Singapore, and continue the journey northwards to Kuala Kubu Bharu. Having endured hardships, he understood that survival is undoubtedly difficult, the only way to face the ups and downs of life is by being practical and self-sufficient.

The meaning behind the brand “the rising sun a scarlet spot among the clouds” not only illustrates the beauty of dawn, it also aptly describes Mr Hoo and his past 73 years.

Text: Daniel Lim & Pua Hui Wen

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Mok Yii Chek
Coordinator : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Evon Pang
Video Editor : Evon Pang
Production Assistant : Michael Lerk
Music : Tenderness from Bensound

COPYRIGHTS 2019 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

Wafts of salty prawn odour are sent along with the ocean breeze. On the wooden platform just in front of the house, plain brown belacan are spread out neatly to be sun dried, some already pressed into bricks, some minced and unprocessed. This family-run belacan factory is operated by the second generation successor, Mr Kee Bok Wah (transliteration) and his family, being one out of the two belacan factories in Bagan Parit Baru which is sparsely populated by only 300 people.

Similar to other fishing villages, Mr Kee’s house is built along the estuary, the river flowing towards the sea, easing the passage of small fishing boats. Building a wooden platform as well as a small harbour in front of the house is convenient for their own fishing boat to unload fresh fish and prawns, also enabling immediate sorting and handling. At the same time, Mr Kee built a small scale factory opposite his house with a larger surface area, mainly for marinating and fermenting procedures. 

Belacan is made up of small prawns (Acete Chinensis) and salt, after mixing, marination, and sun drying, belacan is loaded into casks for a month-long fermentation to absorb flavours. Afterwards, processing is carried out according to different demands, and frequent sun drying, then only packaged. The entire process takes months, having complicated procedures, the quality and quantity easily affected by factors such as weather, season, saltiness of the water etc.

Even though manufacturing belacan may be a tough task, the Kee family continue to use the traditional way of manufacturing. Under the cooperation of the whole family, Mr Kee’s children also adhere to their duties, inheriting the family business, maintaining the legacy. 

Text: Daniel Lim & Pua Hui Wen

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Mok Yii Chek
Coordinator : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Evon Pang
Drone : Daniel Lim
Video Editor : Amelia Lim
Production Assistant : Michael Lerk
Music : Cliffsides

COPYRIGHTS 2019 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

After dark, the surroundings of Lukut Sri Parit village is veiled by serenity, however the See (transliteration) father and son are busying themselves at the rear of their old family house. Hanging on stainless steel racks are processed and marinated whole pigs as well as slices of cut raw pork, ready for firing in the kiln. Kenny and his three siblings are the third generation heirs to Heng Kee roast pork stall, growing up in a family of roastery, they are familiar with every single procedure from handling raw meat to taking the roasted pork straight out the kiln. Among all, the greatest challenge lies in the technique of using a traditional kiln.

The See (transliteration) family’s traditional kiln roasting technique started from Kenny’s grandfather, lasting for well over half a century till the third generation at present. They are also among the handful who persist in the ancestral practice of using rubber tree trunks as firewood to roast the pork over low heat. The process of roasting pork over a traditional kiln is a test to the skills, especially exercising control over the temperature, how to ensure the pork is roasted evenly and not burnt, at the same time preserving the juiciness of the meat as well as the crispiness of the skin. Both father and son showcase their years of experience through the practice of solid skills, using bare hands, observation, torchlight, and metal shreds to determine and control the heat, and to which extent is the pork roasted.

As the third generation inheritance of the family business, Kenny and his brothers who all graduated from university are reluctant to see the extinction of their ancestral trade. As a token of appreciation towards their family for the hard work in raising them, they decided to take up the family business, as well as expanding it. Apart from continually operating a roast pork stall inside Lukut wet market, they also set up a retail store in the commercial area selling roast pork and mixed roast items such as barbecued pork and roast duck, steadily refusing to compromise on quality, all items homemade. Kenny hopes to organize the traditional kiln roasting technique into a more systematic way, transforming the family business into a corporate.

Text: Daniel Lim & Pua Hui Wen

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Mok Yii Chek
Coordinator : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Evon Pang
Video Editor : Amelia Lim
Production Assistant : Michael Lerk
Music : A Good Feeling from Felt Music

COPYRIGHTS 2018 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

In the courtyard, hanging fully on numerous wooden frames are strands of fine yarn-like mee sua, the scene comprising of thread curtain layers looking splendid and spectacular. Sitiawan is known as mini Fú Zhōu due to local inhabitants mainly originating from Fú Zhōu, China. In addition, mee sua is one of the most sentimental traditional Fú Zhōu foods, no matter during relatives and friends visit, or during celebrations and festivals, when a bowl of mee sua is served, not only taste is consumed, but also a wish for safety, happiness, and longetivity.

As times progress, the production of mee sua gradually converted into semi or fully motorised, eventually a bowl of genuine handmade Fú Zhōu mee sua became a rare indulgence. Mr Ding Hock Gong is one of the incredibly few masters who persists in the laborious craft of purely handmade mee sua.

Observing the 66-year-old Mr Ding carrying five clusters of noodles hanging on bamboo chopsticks in one go, firstly he inserts one end into the matching hole on the wooden rack, with his wife lending a hand in steadying the chopsticks; the other end is hooked in between his fingers, his body reclining backwards, by pulling strongly, the noodles will stretch into long fine strands, up to 5-6 metres in length. The seemingly simple action needs to be carried out smoothly to ensure good viscosity and mouthfeel of the mee sua, and could not be mastered within a short timeframe. The force employed in pulling not only needs to be powerful but also spread evenly, a bit lesser it fails, a bit more it breaks.

Nevertheless this is merely one out of almost ten procedures in producing handmade mee sua, other procedures include kneading the dough, twisting into strands, flouring the strands, hanging the strands onto bamboo chopsticks, stretching the noodles, and a few sequences of fermentation then proofing etc. The process is extremely time-consuming, being busy since before dawn breaks until the late afternoon, and could be said as an ingenious artisanal unique craft.

Mr Ding’s mastery in this craft is apprenticed to his father who migrated southwards from China to Malaysia. He grudgingly feels pity for the craft being almost extinct, however he respects that his children did not wish to succeed this laborious industry. Nevertheless Mr and Mrs Ding still enjoy the production of handmade mee sua in their courtyard, indicating that it is one of the ways to exercise, living a relaxed life in this rustic village.

Text: Daniel Lim & Pua Hui Wen

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Mok Yii Chek
Coordinator : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Evon Pang
Video Editor : Amelia Lim
Music : Breakfast In Bed from Felt Music

COPYRIGHTS 2018 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

Upon stepping into the new village of Batang Kali, without any hustle and bustle of the city, all peace and tranquility throughout the small village. Gazing down from Fu Quan Miao temple on the slopes, rows and rows of new village houses were built neatly in accordance with the slope, clearly layered. As times progress and emigration of the population, currently about 600 people remain in the village, most of them Hokkien. Situated within is Swee Len Food Industries which is established for ninety-odd years, specializing in manufacturing traditional wedding treats for Hokkiens marrying a daughter —— “mua lao” and “lao huei”.

Having been working in Singapore for quite some time, a few years back the third generation owner Leonard Oh and wife decided to return to his hometown with the intention of succeeding his family business, sustaining traditional handcrafted goods with the flavour of remembrance, preserving his grandfather’s painstaking efforts in the craft of mua lao and lao huei. The production of mua lao and lao huei are renowned for the complicated handiwork and procedures involved, from the processes of milling, steaming, drying, cutting, frying and many more, the entire production operation spans over a week until completion. Nonetheless Leonard Oh and wife both stick to authentic hand crafting throughout the process, even the sesame and rice puffs dredged on in the final step were stir-fried in person, instead of using ready-made products.

Week-long process in return for three flavours, husband and wife taking a firm stance in remaining true to traditional handcraft, perceiving tradition as loyalty to artistry, essentially shouldering the duties of heritage and promoting cultural norms.

Text: Daniel Lim & Pua Hui Wen

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Mok Yii Chek
Coordinator : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Evon Pang
Video Editor : Evon Pang
Music : Can You Hear Me from Felt Music

COPYRIGHTS 2018 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

A charcoal fire which has never died down in 60 years, with smoke diffusing throughout the coffee shop, delivering wafts and wafts of coffee aroma. Since founding till now, Chuan Hoe Coffee Factory located in Klang retains the traditional production method, persists in using firewood as fuel, using a charcoal fire in roasting coffee beans with a unique wood fired smokiness. Among the two remaining old coffee shops in Klang, they are the only coffee bean supplier which still uses wood fire to roast coffee beans, continually providing supplies to local shops and stalls, as well as selling packaged coffee powder with a better quality.

Despite his elderly age, the owner Mr Tan Loon (transliteration) still performs each task by hand, especially the most important task of roasting coffee beans. Experience is crucial in exercising precise control over timing and temperature, in which the most challenging procedure is adding brown sugar to roast together with the roasted coffee beans. His son Eric Tan is in charge of sales and marketing, including advancing into online marketing and opening the factory to the public, in order for consumers to have the opportunity to visit and understand the production process of the traditional coffee industry.

At the moment traditional coffee production factories face several challenges, especially profits. Eric dejectedly expresses that in terms of selling price and production scale, they are unable to compete directly with big brands. The entire handmade process is time-consuming and produces limited quantities, the cost of firewood increases constantly, and wood-fired roasting production time takes an additional three to four hours compared to using gas. Moreover, there are fewer and fewer who mastered the craft of wood-fired roasting coffee beans, and the younger generation are not interested in this industry.

Chuan Hoe Coffee Factory persists in pursuing the traditional way to continue roasting aromatic coffee powder.

Text: Daniel Lim & Pua Hui Wen

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Mok Yii Chek
Coordinator : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Evon Pang
Video Editor : Evon Pang
Music : Everything’s Changed from Felt Music

COPYRIGHTS 2018 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

Jingle, jingle, jingle… this thrilling clank has not paused over 60 years. An old-fashioned bicycle, a wooden sunshade, a hammer in one hand and an awl in the other, crushing the big tray of stiff candy made from maltose and sugar into small pieces. These small pieces are a traditional handmade snack sold by Mr Tey Kim Wah (transliteration) for the sixty years: Jingling Candy, also known as Royal Consort Candy.

Apart from retaining the traditional selling method, 82-year-old Mr Tey still patiently produces jingling candy on his own, behind his house in his singlet and a towel wrapped around his shoulders. Firstly, cook the maltose and sugar for two to three hours, then cool down the syrup using large amounts of cold water while constantly stirring it. Subsequently is the tedious sugar pulling process, pulling the hot and heavy sugar until it turns milky white. Mr Tey’s great skill is much admired.

Mr Tey is an enthusiastic advocate for education, he is often seen at various school fundraising events. His son Kravin Tey takes over this business, going on to sell jingling candy the traditional way all over Peninsular Malaysia, continuously rendering the thrilling clank.

Text: Daniel Lim & Pua Hui Wen

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Mok Yii Chek
Coordinator : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Evon Pang
Video Editor : Evon Pang
Music : After All That You Said from Felt Music

COPYRIGHTS 2018 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

To make a living, it depends on the weather. The second generation successor of Hup Teck Soy Sauce, Mr Low Pak Tong says casually while pointing at hundreds of ancient soy sauce earthen jars in the courtyard and looking up towards the sky. This well-established octogenarian brand of housemade soy sauce located in Gopeng, Hup Teck Soy Sauce, has been taken over by the third generation since its launch. During all these years, the family-run business still insisted on using pure and natural resources as well as traditional production methods, genuinely handmade, the entire process time-consuming and laborious.

A jar of soy sauce needs to be exposed beneath the hot sun for three months, the thick caramel soy sauce requires up to six months duration. Each day, the lid needs to be removed for the fermented soybeans to be exposed to the sun. If the weather is cloudy or rainy, the lid must be put on immediately to prevent contact with water. During rainy seasons, the exposure process needs to be extended for a few more weeks.

Hup Teck Soy Sauce is only sold in its own retail outlet, and is not sold out-station or exported. The glass bottles containing the soy sauce are continually reused, and therefore did not bear any labels or branding. Over the years, their reputation was built up by word-of-mouth and good quality, attracting the support of regulars as well as customers abroad who would pay a visit to their premises.

Text: Daniel Lim & Pua Hui Wen

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Mok Yii Chek
Coordinator : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Evon Pang
Video Editor : Evon Pang
Music : Emmas Waltz from Felt Music

COPYRIGHTS 2018 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

Wonderful things can be achieved when there is teamwork and collaboration. The third generation successor of Hooi Kee Bean Curd Factory established in Bentong for over 60 years, Mr Kan Kok Leong and his wife Pon Yin Lai are living proof for this idiom. Mr Kan Kok Leong inherited the family business from his father Mr Kan Man Kum (transliteration), whereas the signboard Hooi Kee was initially derived from the name of the founder, Mr Kan Man Kum’s father, Mr Kan Hooi.

As an age-old business in Bentong, to date Hooi Kee still manufacture tofu the same way their ancestors did, producing both firm tofu and silken tofu fresh daily, using stream water from the mountains in cooling down the tofu, preserving the freshness and aroma. Starting from 4A.M. each day, the husband and wife make preparations to set up a stall at the wet market as well as deliver goods to restaurateurs who placed orders. Mrs Pon Yin Lai rides an ancient trishaw used by three generations to carry the tofu, while Mr Kan Kok Leong rides a motorcycle following close behind, with one leg placed on a corner of the trishaw to help his wife move forward, another leg maintaining the balance of his own motorcycle. The couple set up and pack up the stall together, the wife operating the stall, and the husband makes deliveries to clients.

Daily production is limited due to being a family-run small scale bean curd factory, production quantity is only increased on weekends, tailored according to orders placed. Their stall at the wet market sold out quickly, purchases should be made as early as possible, and it is best to pre-order one day in advance via phone call.

Text: Daniel Lim & Pua Hui Wen

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Mok Yii Chek
Coordinator : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Evon Pang
Video Editor : Amelia Lim
Music : Diving Bell from Felt Music

COPYRIGHTS 2018 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

Each speck is the fruit of hardship. Sinn Loong, a family-run peanut factory in Raub, retains the traditional charcoal roasting technique since its establishment back in 1948. Moreover, the processing of peanuts are handled by human hands only. From seasoning, soaking, exposure under the hot sun, roasting, hand-picking, to packaging, the trivial and time-consuming process requires five days to complete. During the rainy season, an additional two to three days may be required.

As the third generation owner, Mr Liew Eng Goon is currently managing this traditional peanut processing business. Now his son Liew Chong Han (transliteration) (the fourth generation), who graduated and has been working in the city for some time, decided to inherit the family business and to sustain the traditional skills. Bear witness to a skill inheritance from generation to generation, similar to cultural heritage, carrying on from ancestors and initiating in descendants, enduring through times.

Text: Daniel Lim & Pua Hui Wen

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Mok Yii Chek
Coordinator : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Evon Pang
Video Editor : Amelia Lim
Music : Felt This Way from Felt Music

COPYRIGHTS 2018 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD