By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Nov 21: Over four decades of making his version of the popular shaved iced desserts known as ABC and cendol, 60-year-old vendor Kueh Chow Thian has made a name for himself.
Also known as the son of Lau Kueh, the ABC or ‘cendol’ maker who operated at Sungai Maong Bazaar in the 1970s, he had wondered for many years how his late father, who came to Sarawak from mainland China, got to know how to make the dessert which is popular in this part of the world.
Kueh, a former Thomian who has honed and perfected the family recipe over the years, revealed to DayakDaily that he only dared to ask his father about this after the latter retired just a few years before he passed away.
“My father’s reply was shockingly simple. He told me he ate what a hawker had prepared and saw the tools and the ingredients used. He used his savings and started making the recipe that has lasted for six decades.”
“He (my father) told me they had to be a quick learner in a new world to survive. Our weather here is always hot and humid, so the locals love ABC as the dessert goes well with a light snack. So, he (my father) took up the opportunity and it became his profession at that time.”
Kueh, who has run his father’s business for 20 years after the latter died at the age of 78, explained that making shaved ice desserts is not as easy as people think.
“I was with my father (working) since I was 17 and had been making the dessert for 43 years, to be exact. It is not easy to get a consistent taste all the time.
“People may think I am Lau Kueh’s son and had learned it all from my late father, but it took me years to perfect that consistency. I am glad my customers support and remember me until today, even though I operated at different locations and used different names for my stall.”
For Kueh, after completing his Form Three studies, his heart was set on helping his father as business was brisk at Sungai Maong Bazaar.
“It was me and my elder brother out of the six siblings who followed in my father’s footsteps. We are the second generation.
“Initially, we had a makeshift stall by a shop at Sungai Maong Bazaar, and then he (my father) operated at the market with a licence.
“Now, my older brother is using it and has operated using the same licence at Kota Sentosa since 1991. So, I ventured out on my own and my stall is called Thian Jin Cool Drink, after me and my wife,” he revealed.
Kueh said that he and his wife, 52-year-old Tay Moi Jin, had to relocate a few times due to more people entering the business and stiffer competition.
He added that he does not mind the healthy competition as he and his wife have a loyal customer base.
“Our ABC recipes are still some of the best desserts in the city,” he said.
Kueh recalled he and his father had to push their ABC cart on a tricycle from their house in Kenyalang Park to Sungai Maong Bazaar in the 1970s.
“It was hard work, but we managed to do it and served our customers daily without fail. That was the thrill, and not about what we earned.
“The road may seem straight, but there were many hills that we had to overcome with our tricycle. Such is life and its challenges.
“In the end, my father was happy that he could provide for his family, who could stand on their own after he left us.
“My father Lau Kueh may be no more with us but we are here to carry on his legacy and make the ABC that has made many happy customers especially those who patronised his stall at Sungai Maong Bazaar,” he said.
Kueh’s Thian Jin Cool Drink is at Taurus Food Station, Trinity Hub, 4th Mile. It operates 12pm-5pm daily except on Mondays. For more information, call 012 880 9816. — DayakDaily
