By Yvonne T
SARIKEI, Feb 19: Breakfast, tea, or even a simple afternoon meal in Sarikei feels incomplete without a plate of the town’s beloved toasted roti kahwin buns.
Crisp on the outside, pillowy within, and split open to cradle thick slabs of butter and creamy kaya, the buns are a constant presence on the tables in cafes in Sarikei, whether alongside noodles, coffee or tea.
At Joy Café, 50-year-old owner Law Yuk Hoon is keeping this Sarikei well-loved dish alive with the café’s own version of this bun.
Since opening the café almost 25 years ago, Yuk Hoon has continued serving the buns much the same way they have been prepared for decades, meticulously toasted to achieve a crisp golden exterior and generously filled with butter and kaya.
The buns are generously sized, roughly the span of an adult palm, and sourced from bakeries across Sarikei, ensuring an authentic local taste.
“Ever since we open this café, I decided to have this bun sold here. We source our buns from local bakeries here, so it’s all from Sarikei,” Yuk Hoon told the D’Drift team.
That decision has paid off, with the buns becoming a hit among locals and travellers alike, many of whom, having heard about them, take the opportunity to try them while in town.
“We’ve had people from Sibu, coming down to our café to try the buns here and we’re very happy about it,” he said with a smile.
Within a week, the café can sell about 20 packs of six buns, driven by consistent demand.
But Joy Café is more than its viral toast. It is a family ordeal.
Yuk Hoon’s mother helps out where she can, moving with the ease of someone who has spent a lifetime in kitchens.
His younger brother, Law Yuk Liang, mans a mee sua stall within the café, serving comforting bowls of soupy noodles that offer a warm alternative to toast and coffee.
His older brother, Law Yuk Hai, tends to a mee kampua stall, dishing out springy, flavourful noodles that many locals consider among the best in town.
Above the café, Yuk Hoon’s wife, Ling Hung Moi, runs a hair salon, expanding beyond just the food business in the family.
As customers settle into their seats and plates arrive warm from the toaster, the scene repeats itself day after day. At Joy Café, the business thrives on the simple comfort of flavours that have never needed changing. – DayakDaily
