Mr. Chiam's famous Pisang Goreng (Banana Fritters) stall needs no further introduction to most KL'ites. He has been running this stall for the past 20 years at the very same location which is right opposite the YMCA building along Jalan Tun Sambanthan 4 in Brickfields. I was recently introduced to this stall by a friend of mine and ever since, I have become a loyal customer who's been fascinated by his cakes. Every time that I am in Brickfields, I make it a point to come here to get some Pisang Goreng and Curry Puffs. He sells only four types of cakes which are his specialty....they are Pisang Goreng, Nian Gou (Kuih Bakul), Sesame Balls and Curry Puffs.
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| Mr. Chiam's Stall in Brickfields |
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| Located Just By The Side Of One Sentral Restaurant |
I was told that he learned the art of making these cakes from a Master in Penang. When I first heard about this place, it sounded just like any other stall selling Pisang Goreng but once I tried it, only then I realised why his cakes are so much in demand. Every one of his cakes are simply awesome. This place can get very busy during peak hours and sometimes, it takes up to 30 minutes of waiting time before being able to collect your orders. Most of the time, the stall is manned by Mr. Chiam and his son but recently, he has got another foreign helper to assist with the preparation. It seems that the cakes are prepared at a unit in the building just beside the stall and every time he nears running out of stock, he would communicate via a wireless radio transmitter and then fresh stock is sent down in a basket from one of the windows. I did witness this once and it looked very funny to me but it was a very efficient and clean way of maintaining the stock till.
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| Mr. Chiam Preparing The Cakes To Be Fried |
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| Him In Action |
Another good thing with this place is that he only uses fresh oil and yes, if you are wondering, he uses Buruh (Labour) Brand Cooking Oil. I have seen loads of new bottles being lined up at the stall and every time the oil gets a little used, he then replenishes it with fresh cooking oil and not recycle the same old one. That is something that is hard to see in most cake stalls these days. This also ensures that the cakes are fresh and does not have a stale smell. Previously, he used to operate from 1230 till 1800 in the evening but recently, his timing has changed. He starts slightly earlier at 1200 and closes off the stall around 1700. Now, time to look at each one of his specialty cakes.
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| Pisang Goreng @ RM 1.30 |
For the Pisang Goreng, he only uses Pisang Raja that is sourced from the farms of Pahang via a supplier. He did tell me this personally when I asked him and the reason for that is the size and general sweetness of the variety which adds taste to the fritters. Quite a friendly chap though he does not smile that often. The Pisang Goreng is simply awesome. It's crispy on the outside and deliciously sweet and tasty on the inside. I am yet to see a Pisang Goreng that tastes better. Amazing stuff and I would rate this at 9.9/10 .
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| Curry Puffs @ RM 1.50 |
His Curry Puffs are quite large, about the size of the palm and for that size, RM 1.50 is a very reasonable price. They have a very thin yet crispy pastry and the filling is made of Potato Curry. Mildly spicy, it is an awesome Curry Puff. One of my favourites and one that I would say that could make it to the Top 10 Curry Puffs of the Klang Valley. I would rate this at 9.5/10 .
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| Sesame Balls @ RM 1.30 |
His Sesame Balls are quite awesome too and these are the 'original' ones. In most places, they would come with grated coconut filling but here at this stall, Mr. Chiam uses ground peanut fillings which is just the way how this should be made. Soft on the outside, it is delicious, crunchy and sweet on the inside. It is hard to see such 'original' and deliciously tasting Sesame Balls in Kuala Lumpur these days and I would rate this at 9.5/10 .
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| Kuih Bakul @ RM 1.30 each |
Kuih Bakul used to be a Chinese delicacy that was only to be found during the Chinese New Year period. Thanks to Mr. Chiam, this is now available all year round. These are sandwiched Yam and Sweet Potato slices, deep fried with a flour coating and they taste absolutely delicious. This is definitely another one of my favourite cakes here and I would rate this at 9.6/10 .
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| Prices Of The Cakes |
Do note that this place does not have Halal Certification but it is Pork Free. I am very certain that once someone tries the cakes here, he or she would be hooked on to it for good. Amazing cakes sold at very reasonable prices. Over the years, the prices have gone up slightly but still, it is very much within the reasonable brackets. One that I would highly recommend for all to try!
Address: Along Jalan Tun Sambanthan 4, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Opening Hours: 1200 - 1700 Daily
Telephone: +6012 617 2511
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