A choco strawberry cake by Japanese patisserie Komugi. I can’t afford it but, for me, the satisfaction was working on removing the strong yellowish cast created by the display lighting.
Panasonic Lumix GM-1, ISO 640, f5.6, 1/80 sec.
Where is IOI City Mall? See MyCen Maps http://www.mycen.my/ioi-city-mall/
#ioicitymall #mall #cakes #display #komugi
Putrajaya’s Ramadan Bazaar is refreshingly different and somewhat bizarre. It is more a showcase of clever marketing tactics, than of food.
Many of the stalls have banners with hipster catchphrases such as ‘the real original’, ‘no additives’, ‘infused’ and ‘yogurt-fied’, for example.
Quite a few proclaim a small town’s name where the dish and seller supposedly originate; leaving you wondering why they are not selling in their home towns.
If in doubt, one can always ask via their Facebook (and ‘like’ symbol) displayed on the stall.
Maybe I found all the hipster mantra odd because I spent the last two weeks at rural Ramadan bazaars where traditional food and a smile was the appeal.
Here’s sweet and sulky Aini selling red velvet cakes. I don’t like velvet cakes so I bought some layered blueberry and tiramisu cheese cakes from her.
How can I not? She baked all the cakes herself, all night, while listening to indie music.
Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f6.3, 1/80 sec.
Mr Wun the baker and proprietor of Teng Wun Cake Shop, together with his wife, are making 400 to 500 pieces of kaya puffs a day, and were doing so for the last 30 years or so.
Quite an amazing number considering there are not that many residents, let alone tourists in KKB. Many of his customers are locals, including Indians, Malays and Orang Asli folks.
Kaya, also known as coconut custard is of Peranakan origin and not Hainanese, I believe.
Local Hainanese people (originally from the Island of Hainan in South China) are known for their culinary skills, especially fusion food of East and West.
Chicken chop and kaya-butter toasts are Malaysian-Hainanese inventions. Many also used to work on the trains’ (KTM) catering coach and operate kopitiam (coffee shops) around the country.
Another Hainanese in town proffered a theory as to why they are good cooks. They were latecomers to then Malaya. They came after the earlier wave of migration by the Hokkiens, Cantonese, Teochews and Hakkas. By the time they arrived, all viable business opportunities and job openings were controlled by powerful clans and triads.
Without a membership card, they ended up working for English expats (wealthy colonialists) as cooks and caretakers of mansions. Here at KKB, several Hainanese residents and their ancestors used to work at the colonial bungalows up on Fraser’s Hill.
It was from the British families that they were introduced to western food and they soon enhanced the recipes further by adding Chinese touches. It is also claimed that they modified a kebab leftover from a garden party one night and added peanut sauce.
The creators named it “Sar Tay” meaning ‘three pieces’ in Hainanese, and voilà!; satay was born. Most likely an urban legend but quite possible considering their inventive kitchen skills.
Back to Mr Woon. His shop also sells the famous kaya by itself in small jars. The spread used on bread is thinner than the kaya used for the puffs. Mr Woon says a thicker version is used in the puffs so that is easier to wrap the skin around.
The nice gentleman offered me some complimentary butter sponge cakes to try. I turned that down to leave tummy room for the puffs. Yes. They are the world’s most awesome kaya puffs.
Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 2000, f9, 1/60 sec.
