By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Sept 30: With a legacy spanning over five decades, the Tan family’s stall at Kwang Chia Cafe in Simanggang has become a culinary landmark, best known for its signature ‘Yu Char Kueh’ or ‘cakoi’.
Cakoi is a long, golden-brown, deep-fried strip of wheat flour dough of Chinese origin. Conventionally, cakoi is lightly salted and easily separated by hand.
Helmed by 60-year-old Tan Hung Kiang, the café facing the mighty Batang Lupar River is one of the centres of attraction for locals from dawn till mid-morning to get their fill of fried, soft, crispy breadsticks.
Tan recalled that the cakoi stall was first set up by his late father in the late 1960s, and following his passing, his mother continued running it.
“After my mother passed away in 1996, I took over the stall and have proudly upheld my parents’ legacy for almost 30 years,” he shared with DayakDaily.
“It is a favourite among customers to enjoy with their morning drinks. Customers come from all walks of life, and we have many regulars.”
He went on to say that his breadsticks are often gone by mid-morning and expressed appreciation for the support shown.
Though he considers it a modest livelihood, Tan said he’s happy knowing that their breadsticks are still loved and remembered by patrons after all this time.
“It’s always nice to see happy faces who patiently await their turn and wait for me to get the breadstick ready,” he smiled.
Tan’s stall isn’t just about breadsticks—his crispy fried ‘tauhu’ and flavourful dipping sauce are just as popular with loyal patrons.
“The breadsticks and fried bean curd have become a favourite pairing over the years. I can’t recall exactly when we added the tauhu, but our patrons truly enjoy them both,” he shared with a smile.
Tan hopes the charm of these local favourites will keep drawing customers in, allowing them to share in the simple joy of timeless flavours.
“The cafe is also a common ground for old friends to meet if they come back from outstation, as they all crave my breadsticks and the fried bean curd. It’s a nice treat for them and makes me happy too.”
Though he hopes his children will one day continue what his family started, Tan remains at the helm, with his wife faithfully helping him every day.
“I hope that these simple snacks will always be part of our local culinary identity. For small-town sellers like us, whether it’s breadsticks or tauhu, we want to see them thrive well into the future,” he shared.
The breadsticks go for 50 sen each, and the fried bean curd is priced at RM1.30.
You can find Tan’s stall at Kwang Chia Cafe on Jalan Main Bazaar, Simanggang. He’s open every day from 6am to 10am. To find out more, call 019-888-2018. — DayakDaily
