Running a F&B business in Malaysia can be a tough task. It is quite common to see new cafes and restaurants opening their doors one day, only to close a few weeks later. However, some places can stand the test of time. Sometimes it’s down to business acumen, other times it’s just good luck. For Chen Tiang Cake House in KL’s Pudu district, something must definitely have been done right for the bakery to have lasted since 1961.
60+ years bakery
Image Credit: Tamy Lai on Google Review (Left), Vincent Tan on CNA (Right)
Among the country’s oldest surviving bakeries, Chen Tiang has fed KLites delicious and affordable cakes and buns for generations. The bakery is particularly famous for its traditional buttercream cakes, which were highly popular up to the 1990s. These pretty pastries were made with a light sponge and decorated with flower patterns and sometimes, cartoon characters. The buttercream cakes are just one of 30 types of vintage pastries that the bakery offers.
Nothing much has changed
Image Credit: Vincent Tan on CNA
Visiting the bakery in person is something of a blast to the past, with its old-fashioned tiles and signboard. Instead of young adults who often staff modern bakeries, most of Chen Tiang’s workforce are seniors. The bakery is currently led by Han Phei Yee, who continues the legacy of the bakery’s founder, Han Yooi Kong.
Yooi Kong had apparently started the business with a small kiosk in a kopitiam before acquiring his own shop. Most of the recipes and even the equipment used in the bakery have not been changed since Yooi Kong’s time. In an interview with CNA, Phei Yee said that keeping things the same has helped preserve the taste of the cakes.
Popular old-school cakes
Image Credit: Lee Choy Chin on Google Review (Left), Katherine on Google Review (Right)
Interestingly, despite being run by a Chinese family, Chen Tiang has a diverse customer base. The bakery uses ingredients from halal-certified suppliers. The bakery also has 4.6 stars on Google and most reviews are from customers praising the cheap prices, good cakes and old memories.
Most customers go to Chen Tiang to buy the bestselling sandwich cake slices, which are cakes with a layer of cream squished between two layers of sponge cake. These mini-cakes had actually been discontinued before Covid-19 but were reintroduced after many nostalgia-driven customers enquired about them. The bakery also sells creams puffs, Portuguese egg tarts and tuna buns. The bakery even has vegan-friendly options, with eggless cakes available for order.
An uncertain future?
Image Credit: Lowen Haley on Google Review (Left), Foong Yee Loh on Google Review (Right)
In an interview with CNA, Phei Yee expressed her worry that no one will be taking over the business after her. Her mother, who was the bakery’s “lady boss”, passed away in 2022. Chen Tiang is also unwilling to put itself onto food-hailing apps. The bakery just does not have the capability of mass-producing pastries in a short amount of time. So, while the bakery seems set for now, who knows how long it will keep going in the near future?
Chen Tiang Cake House
Address: 54, Jln Sungai Besi, Pudu, 57100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday 8am – 5.30 pm | Sundays 8am – 3.30pm
Halal Status: Pork-free
Contact: 03-92212209
You should also check out: This stall in an SS2 kopitiam is where you can get char siu made with a 100-year-old recipe
Feature Image Credit: Wing Kit Loh on Google Review (Left), Chen Tiang Cake House on Instagram (Right)
