PETALING JAYA, May 4 — It is strange but everyone I know has been having kuih cravings. My social media timeline is peppered with images of kuih. While most of them look pretty, it's the taste that truly matters for me.
Baba Beng's Nyonya kuih has been on the horizon for a long time; I've seen it on Facebook groups but I have not had the time to order.
Prior to the Movement Control Order (MCO), they sold their kuih in front of Kedai Telur Gan & Tee at Sea Park, Petaling Jaya.
What attracted me to their kuih was they cut it in dainty portions, just like how a Nyonya matriarch likes it. Most commercial places tend to cut them in large pieces since customers perceive this as better value.
The push to order came from a friend who raved about their kuihs.
Ordering this takes a bit of planning though. It's not like when you walk into a restaurant and expect your order to be made immediately. Most times, they're too busy making kuih to even respond to your orders.
What I appreciated was Baba Beng responded to my order within the day, even though it was pretty late at night.
I can imagine them toiling over the kuih and packing for delivery that they probably sieve through the orders only late at night.
In fact, they had posted a notice on their Facebook page, explaining why they aren't able to promptly reply to orders.
Within two days, my order arrived. Their kuihs are sold in a variety platter, making it a great way to sample their strengths and weaknesses. You pay RM45 for 33 pieces of kuih.
The six varieties you get are kuih angku, kuih talam, kuih bingka ubi, rempah udang, kuih koci and pulut tekan with kaya. For my platter, they didn't have kuih bingka ubi which they informed me about. It was replaced with kuih lapis.
You can also opt to buy their kaya (a 300 grams tub) for RM15. There's also a deal that if you bundle your purchase of kaya and kuih, they offer a RM2 discount from delivery. The delivery is arranged by them and they use Mr Speedy to handle it.
All the kuihs are packed in separate boxes, which is a great idea since the stronger smelling ones like rempah udang can overwhelm the more delicate kuihs.
In fact, the moment I opened the boxes, I was immediately drawn to the rempah udang (also known as pulut panggang to some) and it was the best item. You get a strong smoky smell combined with the soft glutinous rice and that aromatic dried shrimp sambal. Addictive.
There's much more within the platter to love. Like the pulut tekan with its glutinous rice that has a streak of blue paired with a chunky kaya. The balance of the kuih is really nice. Think soft glutinous rice paired with a not-too-sweet kaya. Again, this vanished immediately.
I also like the kuih koci. Unlike other places that oil the banana leaf, you have to slowly peel the leaf off the kuih. It's worth the effort as you get a thin supple skin tinged light green from pandan, hugging the fragrant grated coconut filling cooked with gula Melaka syrup.
The kuih angku was good too with a generous mung bean filling that needed a bit of savoury hit from a touch of shallot oil. I did find the skin of the kuih angku to be slightly thicker than how I prefer it.
It's always hard to get a good kuih talam. Most times, they look perfect but bite into them and they taste hard. This version was pretty good. While the white coconut layer wasn't rich enough, the pandan green layer had a nice soft, slightly bouncy texture.
Personally I am not a fan of kuih lapis but it holds some strong childhood memories. One of my favourite ways of eating it is to peel the layers one by one to relish separately. You can do the same here as the kuih has a slight chewy texture.
So stay home, brew a pot of tea and bring out your beautiful plates for the kuih. It's the best way to enjoy this MCO.
Baba Beng, Lorong Assunta, Section 4, Petaling Jaya. You can WhatsApp them at 012-2887449 for an order. They also sell their kaya via Shopee and Lazada. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Baba-Beng-326531861068534/
