Travelling to Malaysia and wondering what to bring back as a souvenir? My Malaysia souvenirs guide shows you the best handmade, authentic and ethical souvenirs from Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Melaka, Ipoh and beyond!
Many of the well-known traditional Chinese confectionery shops have been established for decades and still use traditional recipes and handmade methods. These shops are similar to bakeries, but they tend to specialize in specific pastries that they are known for. The specialties offered also vary depending on the location. For example, Tambun Biscuit is famous in Penang, Chinese Horseshoe Biscuit/Heong Peng in Teluk Intan, and Kaya Puff in Ipoh.
Interestingly, after researching and shortlisting traditional Chinese confectionery shops in Malaysia, it was discovered that half of them are located in Ipoh. There are just so many local traditional delicacies to grab from Ipoh, not limiting to Kaya Puff (a.k.a. Kaya Kok locally), Soft Candy, Peanut Candy, Sesame Cookies, Sah Keh Ma, and the list goes on! However, there are also famous shops in other towns such as Melaka, Penang and Johor.
Without further delay, here are the top traditional Chinese confectionery shops in Klang Valley, Johor, Penang, and other regions.
Ipoh, a city surrounded by many hills in the west peninsula of Malaysia, the Yee Family has had a long history in the pastry making business, dated back in 1981.
The unique taste of Yee Hup pastries, which lies in its traditional way of baking its biscuits with coconut husks in a custom-made oven, has made them famous amongst the locals. The core product “Hiong Piah” (also known as Puff Biscuit), a legendary flaky and fragranced pastry with maltose filling is a traditional specialty of the Kinta Valley.
Over the years, Yee Hup has revolutionized the homemade bakery process into fully automatic production and skillfully retained the distinctive traditional tastes and texture of the biscuits.
San Shu Gong is a fantastic shop that offers a wide range of local delicacies in Melaka. From dodol, pineapple tarts, biscuits, and confectionery to trendy caffeine and non-caffeine beverages, you can find everything you need there.
The 3-in-1 coffee sold here is a very nicely balanced coffee, on the light side of bold, and with a natural sweetness. It has a full-mouth feel and is very smooth. This is a fabulous coffee, with a price to match. But if you truly love coffee, this is one to try. Short story shorter, this is an outstanding 3-in-1 coffee.
Sin Joo Heong has started its business with the production and distribution of Tiger Head Biscuit since 1962, which has become one of the must-try confectionery when you are at Teluk Intan. Their hero product is also distributed and available in other cities like KL, Ipoh, and Penang.
Building from strength to strength, Ban Heang has been transformed from a family business into Malaysia’s famous native product retail chain that represents the country’s culture.
While Tambun Biscuit and Heong Pheah are Ban Heang’s signature products, there are more than 200 types of products available in Ban Heang currently including Beh Teh Saw, Phong Pheah, Durian Crisp, Coconut Biscuits and so on. In addition to the manufacturing of Tambun Biscuit, coffee products and local snacks, Ban Heang is also the first traditional biscuit manufacturer that successfully developed the full production line of Freeze Dried Fruits, including the R&D, production and packaging.
Loke Kee Biscuits & Cake Shop Sdn. Bhd. was originally founded in Ipoh, Perak in 1947 who started a humble family base business in a small premise.
Loke Kee specialize in the production of Ipoh’s most famous local confectioneries, for instance, Shat Kek Ma, Heong Peah (Fragrant Biscuits) , Lou Po Beh (Wife Biscuits), Biscuit Jerry Candy, Chinese Bridal Biscuits, Kai Chai Flavour Biscuits, and Hup Toh Soh . Loke Kee also offers Mooncake and Piglet Biscuits .
In order to expand the business and to meet the strong demanding needs, Loke Kee has been shifted from a home biscuit industry into a fully automated production with modernized method of baking with latest technology and the newest packaging technique without losing the traditional tastes and texture of the pastries.
In putting the needs of customers first, Loke Kee also stressed the need for its products to be fresh and made with quality ingredients. Loke Kee has been certify by ISO 22000 : 2005 and HALAL certified for food safety practices.
Malaysia’s culture is not like others — being a multicultural society, you’re always going to be surrounded by so many sensory experiences. As Malaysia’s main ethnic groups consist of the Malays, the Chinese, and the Indians, you’d get to hear different languages and dialects being spoken all at once. The same goes for Malaysian food. Historically, Malay, Chinese, and Indian cuisines have been rich on their own, but when you mix them together, it creates a unique, colourful explosion on your taste buds.