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Homemade Poon Choi in Semenyih

Poon Choi (also known as Basin Feast) is a traditional Hakka festive dish, with over a dozen ingredients stacked layer by layer inside a metal basin or claypot, full to the brim, symbolizing prosperity, as well as family reunion.

The ingredients used in Poon Choi are according to one’s means, and vary with regional or personal preference. The making of Poon Choi may seem simple, but the preparation process is complicated, time-consuming, and laborious. The dozen ingredients are cooked using various methods such as stuffing, pan-frying, deep-frying, roasting, boiling, braising, stewing, and blanching, comparable to preparing a banquet. The broth is the essence of Poon Choi. When poured over and heated, it penetrates layer by layer. Tthe further down the ingredients are in the pot, the more fully they absorb the broth, therefore the more flavorful.

At 5AM, in a home kitchen in Semenyih, Uncle Wee Boon Kim makes a broth with pork bones and an old hen. He insists on using whole ingredients to make the broth and does not use MSG, which makes the broth taste delicious. During the six hours it takes to simmer the broth under low heat, instead of being idle, he washed, chopped, and processed other raw materials.

Firstly, he makes stuffed dried oysters, stuffed gluten puffs, and jumbo pork meatballs. Jicama and carrots are sliced into strips, fresh fish and minced pork are hand-beaten into a paste. These materials form the base for hand-rolled stuffed fillings and meatballs. Dried oysters are steamed and cut to make stuffed dried oysters, whereas round gluten puffs are slit in the middle to insert stuffed fillings. Marinated pork ribs are pressure-cooked, then braised together with yam chunks. Next, he blanches the four-month-old free-range chicken raised by nearby farmers, as well as broccoli. Then the prawns are deep-fried until golden. Rehydrated mushrooms, sea cucumbers, and fish maw, along with ready-to-eat smoked duck and abalone, are all set aside for later use.

Take a claypot about one foot in diameter and half a foot deep, line the bottom with Chinese cabbage, white radish, and mushrooms, all of which are resistant to stewing and have excellent absorption capacity. The middle layers are filled with minimally processed ingredients such as stuffed dried oysters, stuffed gluten puffs, jumbo pork meatballs, braised pork ribs with yam, poached chicken, and smoked duck. The top layer is made up of expensive ingredients such as abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, and fried prawns, garnished with broccoli. Pour the broth over and steam to reheat, a lavish dish is thus completed.

Uncle Wee does not make Poon Choi year round, he only accepts bookings for Chinese New Year’s Eve. He has 35 years of experience doing banquet catering in restaurants, working his way from commis up to the main chef, where he mastered the art of Cantonese cuisine. Originally a Hainanese, Uncle Wee settled in Semenyih due to work, and married a Hakka wife. During the MCO, he was out of a job, so he tried selling Poon Choi as a side hustle. Because of its delicious taste made using high-quality ingredients, customers have been repurchasing it for several years and have also recommended it to their relatives and friends.

The Poon Choi by Uncle Wee is only available for pickup in Semenyih. After a quick steaming at home, it becomes a sumptuous Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner. The whole family gathers around the table for a meal, savoring the delicious flavors and cherishing the warm atmosphere of the Chinese New Year. Apart from meat-based Poon Choi, Uncle Wee also makes vegetarian Poon Choi. The broth is made with white radish, Polygonatum odoratum, and Polygonatum macropodium, and all the meat ingredients are replaced with vegetarian ones. Uncle Wee also accepts pre-orders for classic festive dishes such as Eight Treasure Duck, Phoenix Balls, and Pearl Rolls, each of which requires meticulous culinary skills to prepare.

On Chinese New Year’s Eve, share a sumptuous Poon Choi at the reunion dinner with family and friends. The joy of gathering and the beautiful hopes for the future are all gathered in this delicious dish.

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【The Origin of Poon Choi】

There are many theories about the origin of Poon Choi, but none can be verified. Two of the more popular theories are:

（1）
Wen Tianxiang, a loyal minister and national hero of the Southern Song Dynasty, was defeated by the Yuan army and retreated to the Shenzhen area. The local boatmen, both admiring and sympathetic to Wen Tianxiang and his troops, cooked pork, radishes, and freshly caught fish and shrimp from their boats for the soldiers. Because there were limited bowls and plates on the boats, the food was served in wooden basins. After the defeat, many people settled in the area (including Wen Tianxiang’s descendants), forming the Hakka people.

（2）
During the late Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Zhao Bing and his officials fled south to escape the Yuan Dynasty army. When they passed through one of the walled villages in the New Territories of Hong Kong, they were warmly received by the villagers. In their haste, the villagers could not find enough containers for the food. In order not to waste everyone’s good intentions, they used wooden basins to hold the dishes, and everyone sat around the basins to eat. The best ingredients were placed on top and presented to the emperor.

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【Poon Choi Info】

Poon Choi is one of the most representative festive dishes in Hakka cuisine. It is an essential dish for Hakka people during important occasions such as religious rituals, major festivals, and weddings. In the past, it was also called “Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.” Because Poon Choi contains a wide variety of ingredients, the combination of flavors and seasonings is very important, and the cooking time must be just right. When eating Poon Choi, one should eat it layer by layer from top to bottom, so that good fortune rolls in from the tip of the tongue. The minimum serving size for Poon Choi is 6 people, and modern restaurants generally offer 10 servings.

The core of Poon Choi is its broth, and each family has their own secret recipe. The most distinctive feature of Poon Choi is that it incorporates various cooking methods such as frying, deep-frying, braising, boiling, stewing, and simmering within this “bowl of treasuresl.” The top layer of Poon Choi usually contains the most precious ingredients, the middle layer contains minimally processed ingredients, and the bottom layer is generally raw vegetables, which are more resistant to stewing and absorb the broth until they are soft and flavorful.

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【Auspicious Meanings in Poon Choi】

Here’s a compilation of some interesting interpretations of the auspicious meanings in Poon Choi from the internet, just for fun:

Mushrooms – success in all directions
Meatballs – abundant wealth
Dried Oysters – good fortune/prosperous returns
Stuffed Gluten Puffs – the best of both worlds
Chinese Cabbage – financial prosperity
Poached Chicken – good fortune and surplus
Braised Pork with Yam – family happiness
Abalone – wealth and prosperity year after year
Broccoli – youth, beauty, and good fortune
Prawns (homophone for “laughing heartily”) – constant happiness
Sea Cucumber (homophone for “deep sea”) – boundless blessings
Duck (take the radical “甲”) – academic success and achievement
White Radish (translates to “vegetable head” in Cantonese, homophone for “lucky”) – good fortune
Fish Maw – wealth and good luck
fill the bowl to the brim – boundless wealth

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

COPYRIGHTS 2026 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

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Thye Chong Weighing Scale

Weighing scales are indispensable tools in daily life. From wooden steelyard balance in ancient times, spring scales invented in the 17th century, to electronic scales which have become common since the 20th century, accurate weight measurement is essential for commerce. While ancient units of measurement varied widely, nowadays, there are internationally standardized units such as the gram, kilogram, and metric ton. As long as there is a need for weight measurement, the weighing scale industry will continue to thrive.

The sole remaining weighing scale shop in Jalan Kampung Pantai, Melaka, Thye Chong, was established in 1943. Apart from selling weighing scales, they also perform repairs and adjustment, as well as assist with weighing scale license renewal. According to the laws of Malaysia, commercial weighing scales are subject to annual examination by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs. Approval stamps are then issued on compliant scales. Therefore, the weighing scale shop is not just about trading, but acts more like a service provider. If customers are unable to send in their weighing scales, door-to-door collection is available. The shop also has extra scales to lend out, to avoid customers’ daily business disruption during the period their weighing scales undergo maintenance or examination.

The second-generation owner of Thye Chong, 74-year-old Uncle Yong Koi Hin, has been dealing with weighing scales for over 50 years. A narrow aisle barely allows one to enter his shop, which is lined with piles of brand-new scales and stacks of used scales. Approval stamps are displayed on all the scales; the ones marked CTC belong to Thye Chong, while the rest bear markings from their respective owners for easy identification and return.

In the early 20th century, Uncle Yong’s father migrated from China to Ipoh, where he learned to make and repair wooden steelyard balance with his elder cousin. Upon completion of his apprenticeship, he chose to set up his own shop in Melaka, and settled there. Uncle Yong was born in 1952, the eldest of 10 siblings. At 17 years old, he had to give up his studies to take up the family business.

In the 1970s, the Malaysian government prohibited the use of wooden steelyard balance, only spring scales are permitted. Therefore, when he entered the trade, Uncle Yong focused on learning to repair spring scales, familiarizing himself with their working principles and internal structure. After 2000, electronic scales gradually became more common. Uncle Yong kept up with the times, mastering relevant technological knowledge and integrating it into his work.

No matter spring scales or electronic scales, the basic maintenance procedures are largely the same. Firstly, disassemble the casing, clean all dust and debris, and lubricate to ensure a smooth reading. Next, reset the scale and calibrate using standard test weights. Under most circumstances, Uncle Yong only needs to adjust the spring tension of the spring scale or replace the damaged parts inside the electronic scale. From time to time, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs personnel will conduct audits to verify that the scales and weights in the store comply with international standards.

Till this day, Uncle Yong and his wife still live in the upper storey of the shop. Their children had grown up, moved out and formed their own families. However, two sons chose to follow in their father’s footsteps. The eldest son recently set up a new branch, Sin Chop Thye Chong, in Taman Merdeka, specializing in industrial scales such as load cells. Their second son takes over the old shop, performing collection and delivery, as well as sending weighing scales for examination, while semi-retired Uncle Yong helps to look after the shop.

For over 80 years, Chop Thye Chong remains rooted in Jalan Kampung Pantai, upholding the weight of integrity as well as bearing the weight of history.

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【Locality Info】

Jalan Kampung Pantai is on the west bank of Melaka River, once a vibrant trading centre second to Jonker Street during the 1800s, the pulse of Melaka’s riverside development. Back in those days, there were ports for barges to transport goods, therefore Jalan Kampung Pantai is full of grocers and wholesalers. As the city develops, land transportation became the main mode of logistics, yet the narrow roads are inconvenient for loading and unloading freight. Many businesses chose to relocate. Nowadays Jalan Kampung Pantai is less lively, however a handful of old shops are still in operation. Surging tourism sparks new vitality into the historic neighbourhood.

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

COPYRIGHTS 2026 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

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Yong Kong Haberdashery in Jinjang

In daily life, it is common to find clothes with threads coming loose, holes, missing buttons, or broken zippers. It would be a shame to discard them when minor repairs could extend their lifespan. The materials required, such as needles, threads, buttons, and zippers, may be purchased from a haberdashery. Yong Kong Haberdashery, established in Jinjang Utara for 50 years, is the only remaining store of its kind in the neighbourhood. Apart from selling tailoring supplies, they also offer services such as hemming, sewing buttonholes, and wrapping buttons in fabric.

76-year-old Aunty Low Chon Fua always has a smile on her face, yet she is serious when working at the sewing machine, handling jobs with meticulous care. Even though customers would urge her, she shows no sign of impatience, gently comforting them that handiwork takes time. If the workload cannot be completed within a day, Aunty Low would ask the customer to leave a number, and to collect in a few days. When the customer comes back and give their number, she then magically pull out the corresponding bag from the humongous pile in the store, and hand it to the customer.

Aunty Low has been farming and taming pigs since she was a teenager. At her maternal grandfather’s suggestion, she worked at Yong Wah haberdashery in Petaling Jaya for a couple of years, until she got married and became a full-time housewife. Coincidentally, a friend of her husband wished to transfer ownership of a shop nearby Pasar Jinjang Utara, so she started a business together with her two younger sisters. When trying to come up with a shop name, she selected “Yong” from her former employment, and “Kong” from the Chinese transliteration of Jinjang back then. Her father heartily approved of the name, thus Yong Kong was established.

In the early days, Yong Kong Haberdashery merely occupied half a shoplot. Having relocated twice within the same street, Yong Kong finally secured a permanent spot at its current premises on 1st January 1980. The location is on the main road leading in and out of the wet market, next to Chen Kong Cinema, bustling with people from dawn till late night. Back then, the tailoring industry was flourishing, there were several tailoring academies in the area teaching the craft, as well as six tailor shops, constituting a steady customer base purchasing tailoring supplies. Three sisters, two glass cabinets, one hemming machine, and one sewing machine, worked from 7AM to 9PM every day.

Aunty Low’s husband, Uncle Chong Ah Yit, used to be a pesticide salesman, but had to resign due to health complications. Then, he started to help his wife in her budding enterprise. In order to increase sales, Aunty Low entrusted the shop to her sisters, and went to set up stall at various morning markets and night markets with her husband, selling sewing supplies and candied fruits. They went around Kepong, Serdang, Kuala Kubu Bharu, Kampung Baru Rasa, and even Cheras. After five years of hustling, they handed over the hawker business to her brother-in-law, and focused on running the shop.

Rapid development around Jinjang, the reconstruction of commercial areas, traffic flow diversions, plus the exodus of young people, led to a significant decrease of the local population. As times change, ready-to-wear clothing dominated the consumer market, the tailoring industry declined, tailoring academies closed for good, the demand for tailoring supplies gradually diminished. Now that Aunty Low no longer needs to support her family, the shop’s opening hours are reduced to 7.30AM till 1PM, just to pass time.

Yet another morning passed in the blink of an eye, with market vendors chatting animatedly outside the shop, while customers enter and leave the shop. Aunty Low hem and sew mundane days, moving through slowly in changing times.

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【Locality Info】

Jinjang is situated in northern Kuala Lumpur, less than 10km from the city centre. In the 20th century, it was established as a massive rubber plantation named Estate Jinjang. During the Malayan Emergency in the 1950s, the British colonial government forcibly relocated Chinese settlers from the surrounding areas into a concentrated new village, thus shaping the largest and most densely populated Chinese New Village in the country. Jinjang is divided into north and south sections, separated by a main road. In the early days, there were about 1000 Chinese households in South Jinjang, and over 3000 Chinese households in North Jinjang.

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

COPYRIGHTS 2025 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

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