Beginnings : The Story of Super Kinta
November 23, 2012 | 7,604 views
I posted the shot above on All About Ipoh sometime ago, and this image almost brought tears to many pair of eyes. A little too melodramatic? Maybe.
But not if you are a child of the 80’s and spent most of your childhood and teenage days shopping at Super Kinta, or gradually developing the slight-rebellious nature and ventured over to Kompleks Yik Foong for the arcade games after school. I am sure you can relate to the heart-wrenching tales of how this Ipoh landmark tried desperately to stay relevant in the late 90’s, yet succumbing to the modern charm of Ipoh Parade and Jusco Kinta City sometime around 2003.
This post is a compilation of images taken at the former Super Kinta and its vicinity last weekend. Gather your parents, grandparents or even great grandparents if you will. And grab that tissue box, just in case. Let’s talk a walk down memory lane ……..
Remember to display your MBI parking coupons even if you are parked at the basement. I got slapped with a RM20 fine!
Super Kinta Departmental Store is but a portion of the large premise. The Ipoh Central Market (Pasar Besar Ipoh) is still very much alive and kicking; rendering my visit most fruitful with splendid shots of the camaraderie.
Whether they were grocers bargaining for wholesale goods, trader taking time off and having a late breakfast, a professional fish monger cleaning a fish or whistling while shucking some cockles, the myriad of activities happening in tandem called for candid photography.
Makes you wonder why eggs and plastics go well together?
Fresh supplies of Ipoh’s incomparable ‘taugeh’ or bean sprouts. Simply crunchy, juicy and fat!
Or you can buy packets of yellow noodles or kuey teow (rice noodles) here
“I present to you …. mah beeeeeaaauuuutifulllll FISH!!!!!”
Bundling works for the smarter traders. No point having leftovers when you can sell them in bulk quantities. (RM2.00 per bundle of seafood)
One of the ‘scariest’ areas that I usually avoided when I was a kid tailing Mum or Grandma had to be the butchery section. No brownie points for guessing why.
A floor above the wet market would be the fruits and flowers stalls; where you don’t pay hypermarket prices yet can get the freshest supplies + joyful banter with the traders.
The unmistakable scent of freshly-extracted coconut milk and grated coconut fills the air along this alley; where you see Chinese and Malay-operated stalls selling ‘santan’ (coconut milk) are still thriving.
Then comes the most important part of the visit; a rendezvous with one of my favourite ‘roti canai’ stalls in Ipoh. Though the taste was far from what it was back in the early 90’s (if they’re still made by the same owners, that is … and I have forgotten their faces), the fascinating thought of actually seated there at the food court now barely housing more than a dozen or so stalls was rewarding.
True, the food court could never live up to its prime days; when the lunch crowd (usually consisting of workers from Super Kinta and the wet market stalls) would swarm the stalls and gleefully tucking in to cheap hawker fares.
If you somehow make your way here to nurse that brewing sense of nostalgia, try Lai Kee’s pork chop rice (or you can try Kafe Central’s version; loosely related to Lai Kee’s) instead.
Chan Cheong Kee‘s dried meat and meat floss is still one of my family’s favourite choice during Chinese New Year.
The tour within the square led us to renovation works around the building; a refurbishment of the departmental store? Not entirely.
They are transforming the premise into an Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) (read The Star’s article published in August 2012) in hope or reviving this once-flourishing but now older part of Ipoh, rather than leaving to chance and let the area be conquered by drug addicts and beggars that ply the vicinity come nightfall.
Oh yes. They have removed the PASAR BESAR IPOH fonts and Super Kinta logo for the renovation works. 🙁
Remember the Emporium?
Directly adjacent to the building, you can find a few old structures housing poultry sellers and some odd wild animals traders. Now, if you are wary of stepping on chickens’ droppings, allergic to feathers flying all over the place or cannot stomach the sight of a slaughterhouse, then by all means …. don’t enter.
From tortoises and terrapins, to turkeys, monkeys and even guinea pigs and bull frogs, you are walking into an unofficial zoo here.
The sight of exotic animals (there used to be snakes, if I remember it right) got me so excited and curious back when I was a child. Bull frogs the size of an adult’s palm, and large tortoise easily more than half a century’s old can be found here.
And no, these are NOT pets. Let’s stop going there.
Still the same old colours, Yik Foong still has some tricks up its sleeves … and refuses to hand over the crown to the newer malls!
Around the area, some dilapidated pre-war shophouses have been bought over and refurbished; this coffee shop at the traffic lights of Cockman Street and Hugh Low Street for one, had been painted a fresh coat of red.
Sin Meng Kee still goes strong despite the many new vegetarian restaurants in town
The current fiasco of boycotting certain brands notwithstanding, this McDonald’s holds so much memories for my generation; still remember vividly how we used to drop by after school before tuition classes!
A fresh coat of paint and with no logo in sight, the removal of the iconic Super Kinta logo finally hammered the last nail in the coffin. Goodbye Super Kinta.
*This picture was taken from Images of Ipoh, a fellow admin on the All About Ipoh page.
**Do you have a story to share on Super Kinta? Remember the first Baskin Robbins outlet, the Big Boy’s @ Super Kinta and the aroma of fresh breads? Come and leave your comment or drop me a mail if you’re shy – ipohmotormouth(at)gmail(dot)com.
I can only wish if there is anyone who can share any photos that they had taken back then when Super Kinta is still alive and in it’s prime…it was the place of haven in my childhood…
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Still remember the grand opening night, my parents brought me and my sister for shopping, only to stuck in traffic jam. So many cars try to enter, I don’t know how long we been stuck in there, but I’ve never seen so many cars in Ipoh before during that time! We couldn’t get in, only managed to admiring the exterior of Super Kinta and the lights.
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:33 pm
Grand opening was back in 1983? Too small to remember. But this was definitely the most superior mall until Ipoh Parade and Kinta City came along!
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Yup, even the malls in Klang Valley can’t compare to Super Kinta…its unique two-level loop/roundabout shopping mall; the almighty din created holding on to the shopping trolley when it slides down the bumpy slope at the supermarket; the maddening crowd during sales; the smell of the freshly baked wholemeal bread being sliced by the machine at the bakery.
Happy memories.
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:33 pm
True. The ramp at the supermarket has this almost magical aura that lingers in the mind. No escalator/lift necessary.
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So sad to see it go.
I can still remember the sights and smells of Super Kinta, especially the food court. We used to frequent the food court after our scout meetings on saturdays before heading to cinemas.
Funny thing…..I too, remember avoiding the butchery area when i was young, but loved to hang around the fish and seafood area.
Yik Foong was another landmark during my teenage years. Does anyone remember going to the tailors…i think its was called Toni and Guy to get their school uniform done?
feeling homesick now……sigh!
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:32 pm
Toni & Guy!!!! Yes! I remember that.
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Super Kinta was certainly the only hang out mall at my time since young, remember vividly every sections of the supermarket. The food court too. And during sales for Chinese New Years was the best memories for me because I was working there as a sales lady. Not forgetting the wet market and the food stalls, economy fried bihun and porridge – my all time favourite. All the memories still fresh in my mind as though it was just happen yesterday…
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:31 pm
Yeah, for me too! What I forget is the exact layout. The food court opposite of the cashier check-out counter OR further up and facing the school uniform section? Hmm.
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how do people cook the guinea pigs? what type of dishes are they made into?
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:30 pm
TC … the guinea pigs are sold for various reasons;
1) Pets
2) Released into the wild (aka “Fong Sang” like birds)
3) Cooked. Maybe grilled?
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Memorable moment…thx for sharing!
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I held on yo my mum’s sleeve ever so tightly when she marched into the butchery section at the market, the unpleasant smell still lingered … But I remember fondly the varieties of tofu offered and asked why is there a pile yellow tofu.., till now I haven’t found out:)
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:29 pm
Yellow tofu? Hmm, for sale perhaps? 🙂
Hated the butchery for the intense stench. And blood all over the place.
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Wonderful post. Thanks for sharing. I remember spending most of my afternoons @ Pasar Besar when I was a kid as my aunt had a vegetable stall there. Super Kinta and Yik Foong are the place to be after school 😉
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:27 pm
Yeah … I remember we were taking tuition classes nearby and that’s the place to hangout and chill while waiting for the evening classes.
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Thanks for the post on SK. It really brings back my memorable memories as I have worked at SK from year 1988 – 1992. SK will always in my mind.
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Thanks Motormouth for wonderful nostalgic post, brilliantly narrated. The place used to be my hangout during my college years in early 90’s, Super Kinta and Kompleks Yik Foong. The wet markets, the coffee grinding shops, the smell of the place, lovely, departmental shops where I look for bargains……love it all….
thanks for bringing back such lovely moments in life.
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:25 pm
You’re welcomed rk. This place holds so much memories for me and my family too. Once in a while, it’s refreshing to skip doing a food review and concentrate on the simpler things in life.
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Thanks James for the nostalgic rerun of the Super Kinta area. I remember all of those place too. Sight and smells, hehehe. Can’t believe the poultry place is still in shambles like old times,lol.
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:22 pm
Kash, I guess good things never need refurbishment? Haha … soon I guess. Until the authorities decide to ‘clean’ the place up.
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oh, the good old days..me n my mom used to go here on eid eve to buy fresh flowers..fresh flowers were a must in our house..i love ipoh..it never changed..
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:21 pm
Could be a good .. or bad thing that Ipoh never changed. 🙂
But I do agree on the fresh flowers section. Very, very strong memories imprinted on my mind too when Grandma bought flowers for the festivals.
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ooooo dear….those pictures really brought back so many memories….i always get so excited going there…thanks for this post…too bad i wont b able to bring my kids there to show them what ipoh was all about last time….
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:20 pm
You’re most welcomed, Zaitul. Just doing my part to preserve the memories.
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hi, does super kinta sell TARAP or aka MARANG ? Thanks
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Great post! When I scroll through the post, I caught myself habitually holding my breath… I virtually feel like I’m standing there! Lol
I really missed the wholemeal bread in super kinta too, how it smell fresh out of oven and how it goes through the huge bread cutter. My brother will finish half a loaf on its own after dinner!
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:19 pm
Yeah! I remember the icon of the brand too! That chef head with moustache right?
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QiQi Reply:
November 30th, 2012 at 9:44 am
Wah… that I can’t remember, but I remember the taste and how soft the bread is. Till now I could not find anything similar, the closest I got was a wholemeal walnut bread from taman desa (cranberry, next to RT), but the taste is different, and it dries out pretty quickly. The simple n good things in life
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Many memories flashed back while looking at ur blog post. by the way, Super Kinta is just nearby of my house. I love to hang out in super kinta when i was a kid to play the super computer there. ^^
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:19 pm
We love the air-conditioning + breads + toys + breakfast at the food court. Those were the good days.
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thank you for posting this. 🙂
for a moment it brought me back to my childhood days. at the same time, i could feel a eyes began to tear a little..
i remembered how excited I was each time my late father would bring my family and i to Super Kinta for our new year shopping and weekly grocery shopping. How my sister and I would excitedly hop onto the trolley and then have it pushed by my dad up the bumpy ramp. how we would just stop and admire the bakery and the aroma of the freshly baked goods would just fill the atmosphere..
I remembered back in 2003/2004 during one of my tuition class, my classmates were talking about a ‘close-down’ sales in Super Kinta. Instead of feeling excited with the big discounts, I felt somewhat sad, that SK is not doing too well.
My dad loves to bring us kids to the food court at the wet market for breakfast there, his favorite coffee/tea and the ‘chu-chap-chuk’ (pork-assortment porridge)..
it’s also our favorite place to purchase the freshly grinded coffee and we would stand for a full 5-10 mins near the coffee stalls just to fill our lungs with the aroma of the coffee beans..
I miss home, my childhood days, my family and my daddy.. 🙁
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QiQi Reply:
November 28th, 2012 at 6:48 pm
OMG, the ramp, yes… it’s been so long and my memory is fading
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:13 pm
Oh yeah …. I could have missed the fresh coffee beans stalls! Or are they still there?
I can attest to your experiences of going up and down the ramps, and vividly remember the toys section!
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yenchiew Reply:
November 30th, 2012 at 1:46 pm
oh yes, the coffee beans stalls are still there. I reload my stash each time I make my trip back home. 🙂
the wonderful display of toys in the toys section. It’s like walking into candy-land then. 🙂
wonderful, wonderful memories.. 🙂
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…………brings back many sweet old memories…..Just like happend not so long ago when everyone was so excited looking forward for the opening of the “LARGEST SHOPPING MALL” in Ipoh. Before that, Ipohans can only shop at PERAK EMPORIUM, CRESENDO, BEAUTY, ANGEL ………does all these names sounds familiar or alien to you guys out there ????
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:11 pm
I know Emporium and Beauty only. And many, MANY sweet memories were built upon these places that made a mark in our young hearts back then.
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I missed the pork chop rice from the food court.
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:08 pm
Still there! You should go back and try before Lai Kee decides to call it a day.
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Thank you for sharing this with us…. I remembered I visited Super Kinta when I was small. Never like the place cuz, I have to go thru the market before I could go into the supermarket.
Am just hoping they could refurbish the entire place.
I remember Emporium!!! That’s the talk of the town departmental store the last time… I remember they have Mary Quant make up stuff down there too!!
sigh… those were the days!!!
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when super kinta did their sales on 8.8.88, that was the day we caught in the longest hour of traffic jammed in ipoh…lol!
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These pics of Super Kinta really brought back lots of fond memories of my childhood @ Ipoh. I remember my brother & I looked forward to every Sunday accompanying mum for breakfast @ Foh San Dim Sum, followed by Mum’s marketing at SK’s wet market and of course shopping at the departmental stores. It was just like yesterday…
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love pasar besar ipoh.my mother still selling the kuey teow and noodles there (gerai mee maznah).miss ipoh!
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ha ha… tq for the nice memorable pics and good blog also aah.
still remember when i was at kids shopping with my mom everytime near to hari raya and also after tuisyen class also always hangout with friends to Super Kinta and Yik Foong Complex.
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Anyone remember the bakery name in Super Kinta. They sell the best Mexican bun. Tried all Mexican bun around my area but still cannot get the same taste that I get from this bakery.
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Cebi Reply:
August 28th, 2013 at 5:31 pm
Yeah, best mexican bun ever !
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I miss their Mexico bun and egg tarts. I can never find anything as good. I worked in SK before, doing part-time while waiting for STPM results. I have bitter-sweet memories of SK. I used to hang out there a lot during my childhood with my parents and sisters. But the salespeople there are not very nice. I was secretly happy when they closed then. But now, kinda sad.
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Kawan saya rekemen blog nie … katanya artikel walaupun agak simple.. tapi penuh dengan info.. tahniah..
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I definitely remember this shopping mall – Super Kinta during my school days in Ipoh.
There are 2 entrance with 2 escalator from both side heading up to the mall. The centre staircase is for exit and can direct access to the ground floor opposite the Telekom Malaysia. Normally I will take the entrance direct to the bakery and supermarket. I remember we have to pass a food court on the left with its famous in Mee rebus store. I used to play Tamiya mini 4wd in Super Kinta and Yik Foong during 1995. The toys department and electrical department located on upper level.
The mall is like a looping, If you go from right entrance, you can walk until come out from the left.
The car park to this Pasar Besar are quite narrow to the basement. I remember during holiday or festival season, we have to queening is another problem.
This place also consists of a place selling used product e.g. jackets, hardware, jeans, etc. in one of the lower level.
Super Kinta, Parkson Ria (ipoh garden), yik foong are the places normally my family will go.
I really missed those places 🙂
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Spent many lovely evenings with family in SK, me and my siblings will be jumping with joy when dad says “let’s go SK”. And when the ABBA song ‘Thank You For The Music” starts playing, it’s time to go home. And the yummy kaya balls at the bakery will always be my favorite
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[…] Since we decided to pray and held the Mid Autumn festival celebration a few days earlier, we had to source for roasted pork (for prayers) down to Super Kinta wet market (now known as UTC). If you haven’t read my post on Super Kinta, then you really should. […]
[…] Since we motionless to urge and reason a Mid Autumn festival jubilee a few days earlier, we had to source for roasted pig (for prayers) down to Super Kinta soppy marketplace (now famous as UTC). If we haven’t read my post on Super Kinta, afterwards we unequivocally should. […]
The things i remember the most about super kinta is the ramp that goes up to the food department & the bakery (i ate my first sausage bun there).
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[…] Beginnings – The Story of Super Kinta – our usual weekend shopping spot in the late 80′s and early 90′s […]
I am not a Malaysian but lived in Ipoh for 14-years with my family from early 1990ss to mid-2000s. My son grew up there while we too have our fond and vivid memories of Super Kinta. We used to shop at Super Kinta every weekend and even on some of the weekdays after work. It won’t be wrong to say that we literally bought all our household item from Super Kinta and its adjacent wet market. We bought Mexican buns and cakes from the bakery at left-side of its supermarket entrance, not to mention about the ramp where our wobbly cart used to squeak.
At the meat and fish section the ladies managing there used to wear white coats over their clothes as though they were doctors or nurses! I saw them inspecting their products with great care, perhaps to ensure that the items are good to consume by their customers.
The blue and white checked plastic bags (simply say ‘plastic’ in Malaysia for that!) were plenty at our house and those ‘travelled’ back to my home-country as well packing our clothes.
It was much later then Ocean, The Store, Parkson Grand and Jaya Jusco (now Aeon) opened in the city. By the time we left Ipoh, Super Kinta was already closed.
There used to be a lady selling crabs-only in the wet market and another lady selling expensive prawns as well while the grated coconut was available one level above the fish market. There was a very old lady selling vegetables where my son used to pick up tomatoes before placing carefully into the weighing machine much to the lady’s amusement and top of that we used to get a better deal there!
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