The simple things…

It was Rudyard Kipling who wrote, “Teach us delight in simple things…,” and I would be one who would go for those instead of following trends and spending a fortune on what everyone seems to enjoy drinking or eating…and taking selfies of themselves doing that and sharing on social media, Facebook or Instagram, for instance.

Unlike today, we did not have much – I do not recall eating paos (steamed buns) as a child but I do remember the ones with red (coloured) meat at one coffee shop, Kiaw Siong, at the corner on the right opposite the fire station in Sibu, where we would go after the church service for our weekly kampua mee treat, not that we bought it very often to enjoy – kids way back then were not so fortunate as the ones today.

The only cakes we got to enjoy were the ones my mum made come Christmas or Chinese New Year. No, we did not have birthday parties every year – I had one when I was small and another later when I was in primary school and one more when I was 20. My mum made the cake for that last one and a cousin of mine helped with the icing. I can remember the “cupcakes” at Kiaw Siong though – wrapped in red paper all around the sides and at the bottom.  It was very nice, something like what my friends got me from a bakery in Kapit but no, we did not get to enjoy that all that often, once in a blue moon, perhaps.

We had bread, the sandwich loaf, and buns with tau sar (red bean paste) filling. If I am not mistaken, there were those with coconut filling too. These days, I often buy the buns…

…from this bakery…

…here, RM4.30 for 9 buns so that works out to less than 50 sen each. They do have red bean paste, butter, peanut, yam but I prefer their kaya (coconut jam)…

…and they are very generous with it. The texture is not quite the same as the buns in the old days, finer and not as airy, but I guess we cannot expect everything to stay the same as time moves on.

I love their cupcakes too, only RM4.30 a pack…

…with 6 inside so they are a little more than 70 sen each. I would say they are not that cheap actually but definitely a whole lot cheaper than those cakes from the modern bakeries and the ones served in the cafés here, there and everywhere.

The texture…

…is nice – soft and fine and not dry, which is more than what I would say about some trendy ones that I had had the displeasure of eating. I like the light buttery fragrance though chances are they would use some butter alternative, not real butter especially at that kind of price.

I do think this is good…

…to serve as dessert at dinner parties or gatherings like the one that we had not too long ago.

I guess those more into those buns and cakes that are more fashionably acceptable, never mind that they cost a bomb, would frown on these but on my part, I am quite happy to have these simple delights in the house for tea.

LIAN YU BAKERY CAKE STORE, according to the wrapper, is located at 35A, Jalan Berjaya but I have not seen any bakery around the area of houses, houses and more houses, just a block with a shop making kway teow and somebody makes paos (steamed buns) somewhere there too, available in the mid-afternoon. However, you can easily get these buns and cakes from them as they are delivered regularly to most shops and supermarkets in town.