After having enjoyed our very scrumptious banana leaf lunch, we headed here for some sweet dessert…
…somewhere in a lane off Jalan Haji Taha in Kuching.
If I’m not mistaken, they had a stall once at the Open Air Market in Kuching but the place was closed down for a while for renovations and when it was completed, they never moved back. Instead, they set up a shop here, occupying two shop lots and they also have a stall at a house nearby, around a hundred metres away…
…which belongs to one of the brothers or something…and both venues were equally packed!
My niece had this with the sweet corn…
…while Melissa had the cendol…
…and I had the ang tao peng…
…which was very very nice. It had its own special taste, different from the one that I like a lot in Sibu and even the red beans used were not the same…but personally, I think it could do with either a little less (sugar) syrup or a lot more ice as it was a bit too sweet for me.
Another cousin, back all the way from KL, dropped by here for that special Swee Kang sweet treat and was leaving just when we got to the place and she said that the fried carrot cake/chai thow koi/koay kak…
…was very nice but we couldn’t possibly eat anything anymore. I guess that would just have to wait till the next time I’m in the city…
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Don’t seem to see anyone serving ang tau peng these days. Well not in KL at least.
There’s cendol…so I guess if you ask for just the red beans, they would be able to whip one up for you. They use a different type of red beans there though – big and salty, not to my liking. Even the Kuching ones are different from the ones here…and of course, I love our own. π
Oh my… people will fry anything. I never heard of fried carrot cake! I’ll have to tell my mom about that, people rave about her carrot cake. She does not fry it though.
Oopsss!!!! This isn’t carrot cake as you know it – it’s steamed radish cake…cooked in a similar way to Chinese steamed yam cake….and then chopped up into bits and fried with egg and other things. The Chinese name for radish is “white carrot”…and that’s how the name “fried carrot cake” is derived.
Oh, thanks for the clarification. A steamed radish cake? My, my… that is interesting indeed! I will have to try that some day soon.
We had lots of radishes in the garden, but they are all gone now. Today I bought lots of dark leafy greens, parsnips, more radishes and beets. I only paid $9.00. Which is very good price for the amount I received. They are fresh, since I them from a local farm. I’m fortunate, they are only about 10 minutes away from where I live. So, during the cooler months I can still get fresh produce that I can’t grow in my garden. I don’t have a huge hothouse (only a small one.)
I think I’ll talk to them to see if they ever have jungle fern. I’ve been craving that ever since I’ve seen it on your page. They have several greenhouses so are able to grow tropical items here in Maryland. π
There’s a very elaborate post in this blog – from the steaming to make the cake…to the frying. Being vegan, you may need to leave out some of the ingredients though. http://ieatishootipost.sg/2013/05/carrot-cake-chai-tow-kueh-recipe-with.html
So white carrot is maybe parsnips? http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/whitecarrot.html
Bigger, not so thin… I would say it’s the second variety in that article.
White carrot would be what the Japanese call ‘daikon’. You can Google that to see pictures of it.
They say it detoxifies, not good if one is on medication. Will cleanse everything away.
Thanks C4STP! I know what those are. I grow them in the garden. I’ll try making this sometime this weekend. I’ll make a Vegan and nonvegan version. π
I don’t take any medication, neither does anyone in my immediate family, so I guess they will be my guinea pigs this weekend. I’ll be curious to see what my father thinks about them. My mom works on Saturday so I think I’ll make some for him.
I knew they were great for detox. I occasionally add those to my freshly prepared juices when I’m on a juice cleanse.
I know people on hypertension medication and this would be one of the things they would be told to avoid eating. Otherwise, it is fine. We cook clear soup with it – love it! Melissa loves the soup and will drink it all up but I don’t think I’ve seen her actually eating it. I do find it in Taiwanese beef noodles too – the soup…and of course, we love the steamed cake and the fried versions of the cake as well.
Oh yes, Swee Kang, one of my favourite stalls for cendol, ang tao peng, etc when they were at open air market.Since they move, I seldom go there, a bit out of my way. Instead I go to Jln Lumba Kuda for my fix.
Lumba Kuda’s one a different owner, right? Been there, they’ve kantong too…not too fond of what I had, despite the crowd. This place is very near Open Air, somewhere behind Arif/Dormani – don’t see how it can be all that out of the way…and parking’s a lot easier than going to Open Air.
Now if i order cendol or ABC will ask for less sugar coz usually they will put a lot.
The one I frequent here is ok, not too sweet…so I did not know that. Penang’s very sweet too…especially towards the end when it is just the ice and the syrup left.
From my area to town is quite a distance and worst part is at King Centre, the bottle neck where traffic jam is a headache. Centre of the town, parking is another problem. So give up.
Oh? So you must be in Tabuan Jaya or somewhere there then. You go via Pending to Lumba Kuda, go the back way? Thankfully, Sibu is such a small place – I wouldn’t bother going all the way to anywhere if I lived in Kuching. Would just have to make do with all the malls and shops nearby and there are lots of them, no need to drive so far…and get caught in the horrendous jam in the city centre.
Parking isn’t so bad these days, I hear – there’s the Wisma Merdeka car park – I wouldn’t mind parking there and walking down India Street…and stopping along the way to get my favourite sio pao and curry puffs at Kai Joo Lane – best in the world! π
Yup, staying at Tabuan Jaya. Using the back way to Jalan Sekama, then to Lumba Kuda and totally not via Pending.
I thought the bypass from somewhere around Lodge comes out around Rajah Court and Penview area in Pending? So there’s another way leading to Sekama? See, I’m so clever…can guess where you stay. Hehehehehehe!!!!!
Now you make me wanna fly back and have ang tau peh! hahaha! I never been to this place, sorry to say this. But I love to go to Hock Hai hall, Museum park or the Lumba Kuda stall for ais kacang. Those 3 places are more famous among Kuching people.
You mean Fook Hai, the so-called dim sum place? No, thank you. I’ve been to Lumba Kuda, wouldn’t say I loved it a lot but it certainly was popular – lots of people and parking is not a problem…and the museum one – I used to go when I was a teenager but eventually, St Mike’s became everybody’s hangout. Haven’t been near that museum place since somebody got murdered. In fact, I just noticed on my recent trip that there are still people running a business there – didn’t know that.
if not mistaken, still same owner do business in the museum park. They serves laksa and belacan mihun.
Oh? The same as the people long long ago?
Nice to eat it especially when the weather is so hot…
Indeed!!!
I will want to try the carrot cake. .. the Singapore and JB type are very different.
Are they? This one, or for that matter, the ones in Kuching, are pretty much the same as what we used to have up north – Penang.
so did you had those in the shop or at the stall?? hmmm, looks good and refreshing, i would like to have the one with sweet corn.. π
We went to the shop. My niece had the sweet corn…
Ahh cendol! That would be perfect for the hot and windy Aussie weather these days!
No more bushfires, I hope. Really a pain that they have them year in and year out…just like our haze. And those army of flies arrived yet?That’s why I prefer NZ in the summer…
sweet corn? sounds like a great idea, would love to try that. No thank you for ang tao peng, not a huge fan of red beans π¦
Ok, you go and sit there with my missus – she’s in the same league. Muahahahahaha!!!!!
I’m still a little confused by all the different chendols out there. I’m told that the one I prefer, the Sibu style, without the gula melaka, is really ang tao peng with chendol jelly added. And the ang tao too, I like them Sibu style, soft and gooey and sweet, not like those big slightly salty ones you find in other places.
Basically the same – the difference would be in the cendol – whether it is nice and slippery, not hard and chewy, not like agar-agar jelly…but I don’t really bother about that – they’re tasteless, anyway. It’s the ang tao that I pay attention to and yes, I like ours the best – none of those elsewhere, never mind small or big…especially the latter, hard and salty some more. π¦ Then there is the difference as to whether they use evaporated milk or santan (coconut milk) and whether they use sugar syrup or gula melaka syrup – I prefer gula melaka, of course, as it has its special taste and fragrance.
I know the traditional Sibu chendol has a mix of santan and evaporated milk, but I think real chendol only uses santan, no milk — I may be wrong. I used to not like gula melaka in my chendol, but now I’ve gotten used to it.
I grew up eating cendol with santan only until the 70’s when I went over to live in Kuching. The ones at the Open Air there used evaporated milk and I fell out of love with cendol with santan Now, I don’t mind either but maybe, I would prefer santan but it must be fresh and thick and rich, not diluted. I asked the one at Thomson Corner, my favourite and they said they mixed the two – the best of both worlds, so to speak. π
The desserts looks welcoming especially on a hot sunny day! Love the fried radish cake too.. My sister fried the leftover pumpkin cake yesterday but I still prefer them steamed.. fresh and not so oily..
My girl loves it fried like this…or sliced and deep fried – I prefer it steamed and eaten with chili sauce, much healthier this way.
I’ll go for the cendol and koay kak π
Come, help yourself. Very nice ones here. π
I say we need more chai thow koay in the world! haha! Can even imagine the fragrance of the garlic in the hot pan now. Yum!
Someone asked about cendol vis-a-vis the rest. Let me share of what little I know. The original cendol is sold by the Indian man and is just coconut milk and the green stuff (some mystery surrounding it too) and sweetened by brown sugar The best cendol in KL is still being served by the roadside cendol stall. Most times, the cendol man has a partner. The latter hawks the Indian rojak. So if you stop by for cendol, the rojak is a great accompaniment. They can both make up a compLete meal even.
As for ice kacang, that is from the Chinese, not being racist or anything here, just sharing what I know. Ice kacang used to be a lot nicer before all the other little bits and ‘pearls’ came along.
Never a fan of ais kacang, ever…unless it is ang tao peng, none of the macam macam (some even have peanuts inside), nothing else.
So where is this cendol man in KL stationed now? I walked all the way from my hotel to that celebrated stall at Penang Road in Penang – ok…it was good but I don’t see what all the fuss is all about. I had cendol at New World and I thought that was very good too. Just don’t go for the one at Gurney Drive, that one sucks big time – in fact, I did not find anything good there, a tourist trap. The not-really-good ones at Nyonya Colours or Little Penang can be nicer even.
Had a really good one at Mako’s but that one was small…and expensive…and you can only order if you eat there, can’t just drop by for the cendol. Tsk! Tsk!
yums, that looks like the kind of cendol i like. milky-creamy! i stay away from watered-down cendol, hehe π
Yup, has to be creamy and rich…then only will it be nice plus lots of gula melaka syrup, not sugar syrup.
I know the road but I’ve never had cendol here before!
The sweet corn one looks delicious! I haven’t had just that in my cendol in a while…
They used to be at the Open Air market, very popular over the years since time immemorial. They’re here now…
I always get confused by the Open Air Market coz they used to have two stalls – one would open when the other isn’t so I always thought they had an agreement e.g. one does nights and one does mornings.
I’m not familiar with them – only remember Ah Mui beef noodles and the sio bee stall up front…and there was a nioce sotong kangkong stall too, dunno if it’s still there.
Good to have it on a hot day, but lately it always cloudy in the late afternoon and it’s freezing cold in the office. I prefer cendol over ang tao peng or sweet corn or can i said i just want the ice and the milk and the gula melaka? hahahahhaha
Can, can…at the same price? They’d love customers like you! Muahahahahaha!!!!!
Too bad you didn’t try the fried carrot cake. It’s superb! My favourite spot.
Good eh? Will have to wait till the next time I hop over then… My girl loves that a lot!
I am more keen on the Arts and Crafts shop above. Wonder what do they have to offer? π
No idea. I did not even notice. Sunday afternoon, anyway, would be closed.
Wow, dessert post!
I’d like a bowl of that sweet corn please! :p
Come, help yourself.
The photo in your other post looked like mostly food stands which is why I commented it the open air markets reminding me of the indoor food courts we have here but these pics of the market resemble some farmers markets here so it’s like a cross between the two perhaps
It is open air. We have what they call the Open Air Market in Kuching but it’s not a market – you’ll find hawker stalls selling food and drinks. These hawker centres are all over the country – you find them everywhere…but it is the same as the shops in that you will need to know where to go and which stall to get your food from. Not all will be nice… π¦
I’ll go for the chendol too! I realise that in M’sia, such desserts are served using the metal spoons. Any reasons? I see them almost everywhere.
Oh? I did not even notice. No idea – probably more lasting than plastic? Or they can use them as well when serving hot drinks like tea or coffee…instead of having to get separate teaspoons?
Not much a fan of corn or red bean, so I’ll go for the cendol π
Red bean for me, you’re like my missus. Dunno whether it’s psychological or what but she gets dizzy from eating red beans, same thing with red bean paste/tau sar.
hi arthur! the angtaopeng at the little hut is nicer than the one at the shop. but for belacan beehoon, the one at the shop is nicer than the one at the little hut. rojak, the one at the little hut is nicer. overall, i prefer the little hut than the shop. π
Is it? No wonder it was kind of crowded. I guessed as much as otherwise, surely no one would choose to go to that place under the canopy with not very comfortable tables & stools instead of going to the shops.