Of All Things Hakka, Delicious & Obscure @ Kedai Kopi Chong Chew, Kanthan Baru, Chemor
July 26, 2011 | 16,546 viewsTraditional Hakka Yong Tau Foo from Chong Chew Coffee Shop @ Kanthan Baru, Chemor – 600 pieces per day ain’t a walk in the park, that’s for sure. Sometimes up to 2000 (!) pieces.
Why is it that good eateries are usually not found in the most strategic of places? For instance, you have Ipoh’s best chee cheong fun served in the compound of someone’s house, secluded from public view and without a signboard to boot.
Then this resilient uncle peddles his way to a back alley (of all places) and sets up his stall to sell popiah only on weekends. Or how about having delicious fresh-from-the-wok yong tau foo while being seated under the shades of BIG trees?
Had a whale of a time sweating it out while watching in pure astonishment how the “heong peng” specialists bake their most esteemed biscuits from Gunung Rapat; in a huge clay oven? Or fancy a touch of magic from the hands of this kacang puteh maker for a good two decades now?
It all depends on how adamant you are in seeking for these gems in the most secluded of corners around Ipoh. For one, I would not have imagined going to extremes back then before I developed this penchant for writing. But oh my … how things have changed since.
The 3rd generation deep in the heart of the action. Pays to have the children interested to continue the legacy.
I was brought to attention of this coffee shop in Kanthan Baru; a new village (not literally, but as in ‘kampung baru’ that was established in 1992) in Chemor about 20km away from Ipoh. First they appeared on Taste With Jason (Axian) show on AEC, when he was doing a very informative coverage on yong tau foo (Stuffed fish paste) in Malaysia.