No second time…

This bakery has been around for a long long time. I think they opened their first outlet among the shops right across the road from the school where I was teaching and even way back then, they already had a sandwich counter where one could choose the fillings to go into one’s sandwich, something like those at that seemingly quite popular franchise sandwich place that one can find here, there and everywhere. I don’t think they sell sandwiches like that anymore these days but that does not mean in any way that they are not doing well. In fact, I would say the opposite is true and they now have so many outlets all over this little town – four, at least or maybe more.

Anyway, the other day, I happened to drop by the one facing the Sibu Bus Terminal and I saw these lor mai kai (RM3.00 each)…

…and I had not had any for quite a while now so I bought two of them. I would say they were not too bad, not the best that I have had but they were good enough with the few generous chunks  of chicken and a thick slice of dried shitake and I would not mind having them again though I would not go out of my way to buy them – they’re definitely not THAT good.

Actually, I went there as I happened to be in the vicinity and I wanted to buy some kaya (coconut custard jam) for my pulut panggang…

Pulut is glutinous or sticky rice and panggang is to cook over a bed of hot charcoal so pulut panggang is the rice soaked in santan (coconut milk), I think, with a bit of salt added, wrapped in a banana leaf and cooked to perfection in the aforementioned method…and usually, it is eaten just like that or dipped in sugar or condensed milk/sweetened creamer or with kaya.

I thought that their special own-made kaya would be better than the factory produced ones that one can buy at the supermarkets and shops but unfortunately, I was quite disappointed with what I got (RM3.50). As you can see, it was so thick and firm that even when lying on the side…

…or when I turned it upside down…

…the kaya did not budge, not even a bit. The consistency was all wrong – it should be thick but with the fluidity of say, egg yolk and should be able to flow very slowly and gracefully when tilted unless it has just been taken out of the fridge, in which case, the santan would have hardened but if you leave it outside for a while at room temperature, it would soon go back to normal but not this one, I’m afraid. Other than its texture, it was way too sweet for me and it lacked the richness of the egg custard and the santan which, in fact, would separate the men from the boys, so to speak – the good and the not-so-good kaya, that is.

I’ve tried some of the things they sell at their outlets and at best, I would say there were a few that were all right, nothing really great but it certainly seems that there are many around here who do not share my same opinion for as far as I can see, they do enjoy rather brisk business most of the time. Well, as they say, one man’s meat is another man’s poison…and one thing’s for sure, there will be no second time and I would never ever buy kaya from them ever again, thank you very much.