Unique Dessert Restaurant in Chinatown

This morning we went to a little restaurant located in Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur. It’s just a half shop and the rental is expensive, according to Mr Poh, the owner. The rental, he shared is RM6500 per month. It is located at the lower end of Petaling Street.

                                               His sign board inside his restaurant

Mr Poh is from Melaka so he serves a few select nonya dishes from Melaka and his main niche is the taufu fa dessert which is very popular among Malaysians and tourists.

                                            Some of the nonya dishes which we ordered

                                                  Basic or Original Taufu Fa

His taufu fa differs from other vendors’ in that he offers different toppings served in sets.

                            Cendol Taufu Fa which also has sweet corn, grass jelly and red beans

The basic taufu fa, which is a soya bean custard sweetened with either white  or brown sugar syrup is sold by itinerant hawkers on tricycles which carry a big wooden tub containing the bean custard.
Mr Poh offers a variety of toppings shown in his menu. His prices are reasonable.

The walls of this little restaurant are decorated with many antiques which Mr Poh has collected over a long time.

There are also different types of vases and old granite equipment which were used back in the 1940s and 50s, perhaps up until the 70s in the rural communities. I saw the old wooden coconut scraper which I used to scrape coconuts with, the granite roller which many Indian homes would have and the bottom half of a grinder. He didn’t have the top half.

                     Granite roller used to grind spices; the coconut scraper is behind it.

                                           Bottom half of the grinder standing on its side

This grinder is what my grandmother used to grind rice and water into a watery mix that she dried later and scented with jasmine flowers for use on her face to keep cool. It was known as bedak sejuk. She gave me some to use whenever I visited her. It left powdery streaks on my face but it was very cooling.

So visiting this little restaurant was like making a trip into one’s past when we looked at his antique collections, most of which were very familiar to us goldies (senior citizens in our seventies!!).
It is very well patronised and the restaurant is always full. Should you visit Kuala Lumpur, this place is not to be missed.

Mr Poh kindly took a photograph of us after our meal.