As far as I can remember, this old lady…
…has been around for a very long time, going back all the way to the 80’s when she had her stall selling paos (steamed buns) at the front end of the market in Sibu, then at its former location in between High Street and Market Road, facing the now-closed-down Palace Theatre.
I do not know exactly when she started her business but it was very convenient at the time to just stop by the side of the road and shout out what one wanted and they would bring your order to your car…but of course, there were not so many cars then, a whole lot of bicycles all over town.
These days, her stall is located at one of the pillars (near the tofu & taugeh stalls section) at the Sibu Central Market and it certainly looks like she is doing well enough to keep her going.
Her chai (vegetable) pao (70 sen each) is very different from all the rest that would have thin strips of cabbage and carrot inside while hers would have what looks like strips of salted vegetable except that it is not salty and long beans…
It is very nice but being a meat person, personally, I prefer her bak (meat) pao (RM1.50 small, RM2.20 big)…
My dad used to love them a lot and my sister would stock up some at home in the fridge to steam and heat them up for him for breakfast. I asked her the other day if they were still as nice but she said she would not know as she had not gone there to buy, not since my father passed away.
Well, I did grab some the other day and yes, they were still very nice. I would say that I like hers more than what I had here and the very popular one here that I had not too long ago. I sure wouldn’t mind buying some again should I happen to drop by the market to browse around in the early morning.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Over here at my favourite kopitiam at Kenyalang, bak pao with 1/8 slice of egg was RM2.50 whereas char siew pao with 1/8 slice of egg was Rm 2.00. Personally, I prefer char siew pao to bak pao..
This one had a bit of egg inside too, maybe 1/16. Will buy the big one one of these days to see. My missus prefers char siew too, dunno why she geli-geli to eat bak pao, never mind this old-school kind of skin (but she will peel off the smooth outside layer which I like) or the dim sum cotton type.
if she started in the ’80s, i’d have been in primary school then — or even kindergarten! 😀
Oh me oh my!!! You are so very very young! I was already working! LOL!!!
I love pao and would go for meat pao too. Really impressed that she’s been doing this for so long. ’80s. I was only in kindy then.
Oh? You’re as young as Sean! Looks like I was the only one already working – just like the old lady, now as old as the hills. LOL!!!
Wow, that sure is a long time to be in business and a very long time to be on your feet.
Yes. Glad to see her looking good and doing all right after all these years.