I used to go out and buy a whole lot of things to keep in the fridge for our breakfast or tea, things like steamed paos, changs (dumplings) and so on but these days, I would rather stay home and make do with what we have in the house even though I do not have to go very far. We can just hop over to the shops in the next lane and pick and choose from all the things they have for sale.
The chai peah from the ban chang kueh (慢煎糕) stall in the afternoon is nice, 3 for RM1.00, 5 for RM2.00 at some other places, and so is the ban chang kueh, 70 sen each – some say it is the best in town and there are other things as well like the Foochow tee peang, with or without meat and stuffed kompia. and there are a lot of things that I can get from this shop and the rest around there, including bread, cakes and buns. Why! There is even a bakery that makes lovely croissants!
However, in view of the situation around here that is not showing any improvement, not even a bit, despite the extended lockdown, it is best to self-quarantine. As they say, #staysafe #staywell #stayhome! In the meantime, thankfully, there are always nice and thoughtful people who would go through the trouble of coming all the way to my house to send me some lovely things for me to enjoy and of course, for that, I am most grateful.
Just the other day, for instance, my sister stopped by to give us these special homemade chai peah…
Her ex-student is making them for sale at 5 for RM4.00. No, they are not cheap but they are bigger and other than the chives, a whole lot of it, there is also the carrot…
…something you will not find in all the chai peah in town. Most importantly, they are a whole lot nicer than all the rest.
My sister also bought her or koi (steamed yam cake)…
…RM15.00 a loaf…
…and the instant I opened it and the whiff of the hay bee (dried prawns) hit my nose, I knew right away that it was going to be good.
I cut it up into 8 pieces (I could have made it 10, RM1.50 each) and deep fried them…
…for us to enjoy for breakfast the following morning and we sure did enjoy it a lot. You can buy these outside, even at the next lane from my house, 50 sen for a piece that is half the size, but they are wobbly, an indication of the amount of flour used in the making and you will hardly be able to detect any hay bee fragrance, that’s for sure.
That same morning, my good friend/ex-classmate, Robert and his wife, Angela, stopped by my house to pass me these chai kueh…
They gave me some before, the round ones and this time around, they gave me the regular-shaped ones which were just as nice. I particularly liked how fine the smooth and translucent skin was. When it comes to chai kueh, that is the main consideration that draws the line between the boys and the men.
Thank you so much, Robert and Angela and also to my sister. Now that I am not at all keen on going out to buy this and that, I do appreciate very much any goodies that people are kind enough to send my way.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
All looks so good, my favourite and they are to die for. For chai kuih I can finish alot in one sitting. Over here, I never come across chai peah sold at the kuih stall which I used to patronise. Chai peah looks so cripsy.
Yes. these were nice and crispy – not all of them are, some are somewhat rubbery, have to pull hard to tear and chew to eat. Chai peah is pretty common in Sibu – most stalls will have it but of course, not all are nice.
I would love to eat the chai peah, they look rather delish. I have not seen anything like it over here.
The regular ones here do not look quite like these either – usually, they are very plain, all flour/dough with a few strips of chives.
Oh, 5 pieces for RM4 is not expensive! A ringgit over here cannot buy much… even one kueh is RM1.10 here… Good that you still can get them cheap over there… times are hard, let the vendors earn their bit…
What? Are you sure? When did things get to be so expensive? The regular ones at a stall in the next lane from my house are only 3 for RM1.00 – these are supposed to be extra special, so more expensive.
Wow the special homemade chai peah is brimming with so much ingredients. Of course they are the best in town. 😀
Price-wise too, very nice…but at least, it’s value for money. Cheap but not nice, also no use. In the end, all thrown away.
We’re quite mindful of not wasting food, so often let the fridge get quite low before we go shopping.
Yes, we have the first in, first out system…cannot freeze or keep anything for too long.