KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 — Long before the city stirs, when Jalan Yap Ah Loy is still in shadow, Wong Pek Yoke is already awake.
At 1am, in a kitchen far from the bustle of Kuala Lumpur’s daytime crowds, the 84-year-old begins preparing kaya the same way she has for decades — slowly, carefully, without shortcuts.
Hours later, as the morning light reaches a narrow alley opposite Malaysia’s first Maybank branch, her yellow-umbrella pushcart appears, tucked into a lane that has quietly held her life’s work for more than half a century.
“There used to be eight of us (vendors) here but all of them either retired or passed away, so it’s just me now,” Wong told Malay Mail during a recent visit.
Facing her stall is a mural chronicling the life of Kapitan Cina Yap Ah Loy — widely regarded as Kuala Lumpur’s founder — from whom the alley takes its name, Lorong Sisi Jalan Yap Ah Loy.
To her regulars, she is fondly known as “Sister Yu” or Yu Jie, and is recognised for selling freshly made Swiss rolls and kaya puffs crafted daily from a recipe that has remained unchanged since the 1970s, when she and her late husband first started their pushcart business.
In addition to pastries, Wong sells ‘kaya’ paste in small containers. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
In addition to pastries, Wong sells ‘kaya’ paste in small containers. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
“I usually wake up around 1am to start preparing the kaya paste each day after my son inherited his father’s business,” she said.
Refusing to cut corners, Wong said each batch of her sweet, fragrant kaya paste takes about four hours to prepare using a double-boiling method, before it is baked into Swiss rolls and kaya puffs or sold as-is in small containers.
Despite her age, Wong maintains the same daily routine — from setting up her pushcart in the morning to packing it away at day’s end — showing little sign of slowing down.
On a typical day, her son fetches her around 7am and picks her up again at about 2pm, after which they head to a pastry factory along Jalan Loke Yew, where she helps out.
“Tired? I’m used to it,” Wong said with a chuckle when asked if she had ever considered retiring.
Wong began helping at her late mother’s vegetable stall in Petaling Street while still in primary school in the 1950s.
She later took over the business, where she met her late husband, a frequent customer who would become her partner in life and work.
The couple eventually set up their own stall, with her husband handling pastry-making while Wong managed sales. They were also blessed with a son and a daughter.
A signature ‘kaya’-filled Swiss roll made using a recipe unchanged since the 1970s. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
A signature ‘kaya’-filled Swiss roll made using a recipe unchanged since the 1970s. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
They ran the business together for years until about two decades ago, when her husband succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease.
Despite this, Wong did not retire, and the business was eventually taken up by her son.
Even today, the operation remains much as it has always been, with cash still the preferred mode of payment.
It has not always been smooth sailing. Wong has endured relocations, rising ingredient costs and the disruptions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
She recalled that she and her husband first ran their pushcart near Central Market, where crowds were constant and business thrived.
In the 1980s, however, city authorities required them to relocate to their current spot to make way for redevelopment.
Wong’s pastry business dates back to the 1970s, built on a ‘kaya’ recipe developed by her late husband. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
Wong’s pastry business dates back to the 1970s, built on a ‘kaya’ recipe developed by her late husband. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
While the new location drew fewer passers-by, the business survived thanks to loyal regulars who continued to patronise them.
During Malay Mail’s recent visit, Wong kept herself occupied by reading a newspaper while waiting for customers and occasionally inspecting the day’s batch of pastries for defects — small routines that fill the quiet moments.
“We used to sell egg tarts, but the price of cooking oil has gone up so we don’t make those now, only Swiss rolls and kaya puff.
“I usually prepare about 30 to 40 rolls every day and some customers will call in advance to order, so I can prepare enough portions beforehand,” she said.
Wong passes the time by reading a newspaper or inspecting the day’s batch of pastries while waiting for customers. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
Wong passes the time by reading a newspaper or inspecting the day’s batch of pastries while waiting for customers. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
On her pushcart, Wong keeps several newspaper clippings featuring her. One is displayed on the front glass, alongside a framed illustration of the cart by a local artist.
“This alley, whether it has a deeper meaning in my life, I consider it a place where I earned a living to survive all these years.
“And I will continue to do this until my body can no longer bear it because I am so used to this (life),” she said.