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 Β 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).Β 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.Β 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.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Hmmm the consistency is so glue like! Definitely agree with the comments on your FB that its cornstarch added into the kaya to make it ‘thick’.
It did not even taste good – none of the egg custard and santan richness…and very sweet….and at RM3.50, that was SO expensive. I saw one at another bakery for around half the price…but no, thank you! No more kaya from bakeries for me. Once bitten, tiwce shy! π¦
It’s been a while since I last had lor mai kai. Usually will share with hubby cause one is too oily for me, hehe~
Next time, ask me to tag along. I don’t mind the additional half. Wahhhh!!!! And your hubby’s still so thin? Lucky guy! π
Wow! That is very sticky kaya.
I have homemade kaya from hubby’s grandma in fridge. Very nice and not so sweet.
Oh? What’s your address? I am comingggggg!!!!! π
This’s weird, first time see that sticky kaya!!! =[
My first time too!!!! Might as well buy the bottled or canned ones, if I had known it would be like that. π¦
i have not had loh mai gai for some time already too, i guess.. hmmm, when it comes to loh mai gai i only enjoy the rice and don’t really fancy the other things inside – the chicken, the chinese sausage, the mushroom.. ah kaya, why don’t you make your own kaya?? i bet that would probably be the BEST in Sibu~~ :p
Chinese sausage!!! That’s it!!! I was wondering what was missing and thus, it was not quite the same, not as nice as some that I had had before. Hmmmm…can’t blame them – I guess the bakery is “sesuai bagi semua lapisan masyarakat”! Make kaya? I sure would want to do that – different kind of kaya!!! Dream…dream…dream!
Pulut panggang goes well with kaya. I think they add too much starch flour. For the real thing, only egg, santan and sugar are used. Very time consuming too.
Yes, have to double-boil…and make sure it does not get burnt.
Sibu is so lucky to have the best pulut panggang in the whole of Sarawak, if i say so myself. And i dont understand the obsession of eating one dipped in kaya. I tried once and it’s safe to say i like dipping mine in hot black coffee. π
Coffee? My missus eats it just like that but I would insist on having it with sugar, condensed milk or kaya…
Maybe you can make your own kaya and open a stall selling kaya, etc…
Rather labour intensive, no, thank you…
I love homemade kaya but not everyone can make it really nice… some are too watery and some might be too thick .. i remember my mom made kaya using two different methods.. one is to stir till thickens and one is to stir, then double boil till thickens… either way, I like!!
Maybe the thickness of the kaya you bought is due to more sugar and less santan? The aroma will not be there…
Double boil is safer, I think. Just boiling, will have to stir all the time or the kaya will get burnt at the bottom of the pot. Maybe…or maybe they add cornstarch to get it to thicken, not nice at all.
Guesss its an opps on the kays butvtge lo maikai looks good
Good grief!!! On your smartphone, I see… LOL!!! But I get what you mean all right…
Wasted! The pulut and kaya should make a great snack, which was one of my favorite. Too bad the maya didn’t turn out well.
Precisely. Should have gone and bought the bottled one – Glory Brand’s is quite nice, much nicer than this.
I mean the kaya didn’t turn up well.
Right! This must be SPOT THE ERRORS day! π
Wow, too thick lol, we have some decent Kaya here too π
Poslaju, dijamin sampai hari esok… π
Loh Mai Kai for RM3..alil pricey hoh?
So long din eat kaya edi… I remember the ones in can were not bad. π
Yeo’s? Eyewwwww!!!! I don’t mind the one in bottles – Glory Brand.
RM3 expensive? I know RM10, we get 3 choices at the dim sum places…so that will be over RM3 each, but the one at one place here, not the same. How much there? Had a very good one at one place in Miri, used to buy a lot home…but that was long ago.
oops … i like the color of the kaya in your photos, but i guess if the texture and taste are both wrong, then our ancestors who painstakingly made their own kaya at home will be very displeased if we patronize this business! heheh. i love kaya, it brings back good memories π
Yup, the colour was perfect…too bad the texture was all wrong and the taste was the pits! Kaya was the result of our ancestors’ labour of love – they would turn in their graves at the sight and taste of this one! π¦
lor mai kai shape look odd. If got chance, next time ask my mum to do her version and let you try, but don’t know when! She is forever so busy and lazy. LOL!
Talk about kaya, i just got one from Elaine yesterday, homemade. π
Your mum sounds like me – that second bit! Muahahgahahahaha!!!! π Hmmm…tell Elaine, poslaju…dijamin sampai hari esok! π LOL!!!! Ya, the lor mai kai was not in the usual round metal bowl – but it did not matter to me. I was more concerned with what it tasted like.and it was not bad, I must say…good enough.
I’ve heard of their sandwich makings but I think they stopped by my time.
The kaya looks more like Jello! Amazing gravity defying stuff. π
I did see it when they first opened their outlet here, opposite Sacred Heart, but I never bothered to try. Ya…if I had noticed at the shop that the kaya was like that, I would not have bought it. π¦
The lor mai gai looks huge! They must have stuff the rice onto the bowl full to the brim. The ones I usually have are much smaller and normally sold in dim sum shop or stalls.
Err, don’t know much about kaya…..just don’t like it! π
Not really big – I think those usual ones in the round metal bowls would be much bigger.
The kaya is definitely not good at all! I wonder if they had added some kind of thickener to make it like that.
Probably. Maybe corn starch. π¦
With the first dish, chicken is mixed within that rice mixture? Is that rice? How interesting! I would like to try a vegan and a meat version some day soon.
Oh the kaya is super duper thick. I’m getting a chuckle at the turned upside down cup and it is simply not budging! They could market it as a edible glue! I would have been turned off by it being overly sweet also. My daughter and father on the other hand, might have liked that since they love sweet things.
It’s a Chinese delight usually available at those dim sum places – it’s glutinous rice or sticky rice with the gravy from the chicken and dried shitake stewed in five spice and soy sauce. Not too sure if it is any good without the meat, never tried. In fact, we can’t get this easily here so I seldom have it myself.
LMK don’t come cheap here. it’s like eating a bowl of noodles. I tried making myself and I knew why it cost that much..haha. The process of steaming takes quite long.
Oh? It’s ok then – I’ll just go and buy one to eat when there’s a craving. Not on my must-eat list.