By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, March 13: Fans of 60-year-old Liaw Wan Lee’s kueh chap have followed him to his new stall at Trinity Hub at Hua Joo Park.
Liaw, who used to operate a stall at Tabuan Stutong Commercial Centre next to the old location of KPJ Hospital lost most of his regulars after the hospital relocated.
“My business was affected after the hospital relocated and it was also abruptly interrupted during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic where stall operators like us were all affected. I had to close my stall and commenced again last year.”
“It was a period full of struggles but now, in the Year of the Dragon, I hope to be better as I can see old regulars come back to savour my kueh chap and the other dishes I have at this new location. They somehow managed to locate me,” he told DayakDaily
Liaw revealed that left a 9-to-5 job 24 years ago to get into the food and beverage industry and began perfecting the dishes he learned from his sister.
“Initially, I was in a few locations and the business took off. I established my stall in 2005 at Tabuan Stutong Commercial Centre.”
He said after the pandemic, he helped one of his three children in making kueh chap and other dishes before he decided to operate a stall again, this time at Trinity Hub.
“One of my children could possibly continue my legacy once I stop. Food businesses such as this use a lot of pork which is very expensive these days.
“The pork swine fever also affected kueh chap sellers so it again affected our business but we continue to be resilient and hope the outbreak will stop. That is the business risk we have to take.”
Liaw recalled that back when pork was cheap, they could afford to sell their kueh chap for RM3.50 a bowl, but now with the pressure of rising ingredient cost and cost of living expenses, they now sell a small portion for RM10.
“Gone are the days when we charged such an affordable price. Everything including the ingredients has gone up in price,” he lamented.
Liaw revealed that dishes like kueh chap are still popular and hoped that traditional food like this does not disappear.
He also hoped that young people would preserve local dishes.
“The dish I serve is flat, broad rice sheets in a soup made with dark soy sauce, served with an assortment of pork cuts including pork belly, pork skin, intestines, braised beancurd, and braised hard-boiled eggs, served with my home-made sauce as a dip for the meat.
“These days, it is very hard to get a supply of small intestines, and pig heads; thus we do not use these cuts any more. It’s the same with duck meat as it is now expensive,” he disclosed.
Despite waking up at 3 am to prepare dishes for the stalls operated by himself and one of his children, Liaw said he cannot complain and is optimistic about the future.
“I will only stop working and making kueh chap and other dishes when I do not feel like doing it,” he shared.
His sentiment was also echoed by his 58-year-old wife Chan Kit Li who has been his assistant since they started the business.
Chan said she is glad that they not only serve their local regulars but also foreign tourists, mainly Indonesians who had eaten kueh chap at their old stall before.
“They even queried after and looked for us through social media and they were so happy to find us at this new location,” she said.
Liaw’s Ban Hock Siang stall serves kueh chap, pork leg rice and other dishes. It is located at Taurus Food Station, Trinity Hub at Hua Joo Park. It opens daily from 6am to 2pm, and is closed on Mondays.
For more information, call 010-367 4630. — DayakDaily
