Tan Kee Poh Piah,
Eng Ann Hawker Centre
No 47, Jalan Pekan Baru,
Kawasan 17, Klang, Selangor
Hours: 10am to 5pm, daily.
Closed once a week.
A 50-year-old tradition of making popiah basah that was passed down to Tan Cheah Kuan from his father continues to woo diners.
Tan, 58, owner of Tan Kee Poh Piah at Eng Ann Hawker Centre in Klang, now plans to pass on his popiah-making skills and business to his youngest son, Wei Jinn, 26, who helps out at the stall.
Tan recalls how he used to help his father sell popiah basah on a motorcycle along Jalan Mengkuang near Teluk Pulai, Klang and at the night market every week.
“On the back of his motorcycle was a gas stove where the pot of sengkuang would slowly cook and a flat board to make the popiah. People used to queue up to buy my father’s popiah.
“My father stopped selling popiah eight years ago as he fell ill, so I continued his trade,” he said, adding that he strictly kept to his father’s recipe and would pass it on to Wei Jin.
Tan Cheah Kuan, (left) a stall owner of Tan Kee Poh Piah at Eng Ann Hawker Centre in Klang and his youngest son Tan Wei Jinn, 26, who works beside him in the stall preparing the crunchy snack.
“Wei Jinn seems very interested and helps me prepare and cook the popiah.
“I have been operating at the food court for the last seven years,” said Tan, adding that he could sell up to 200 pieces of popiah a day.
Tan, a father of four who lives in Kampung Jawa, said he had stopped sellingpopiah basah at the night market and was focusing on his business at the stall.
Tan’s popiah basah is unlike others.
Tan Cheah Kuan, a stall owner of Tan Kee Poh Piah at Eng Ann Hawker Centre in Klang prepares the ingredients of popiah at his stall to satisfy the craving of customers.
The filling consists of sengkuang, cucumber, egg strips and thinly sliced fried tofu topped with home-made sweet sauce, chilli paste and two special ingredients.
The two “star” ingredients – slices of grilled Chinese sausage and crispy bits of pork lard – are added for extra crunch.
“It was my father’s idea,” said Tan, adding the skin for the popiah basah was also home-made.
It’s a wonderful feeling biting into the appetising snack and enjoying the combination of soft sengkuang and crispy lard.
The popiah basah is priced at RM2 for the original variety and RM3 for additional fillings of pork lard and sausage.
The stall is located at No 47, Jalan Pekan Baru, Kawasan 17, Klang, Selangor.
It opens from 10am to 5pm daily and is closed once a week.
