Ching Han Guan Biscuit Shop @ Hugh Low Street, Ipoh

Currently Motormouth's on a roll here !!! Given the situation (rather dire now, with about merely half a month more to go), I dragged FCOE for a run all around Ipoh town today, covering as much eateries as possible before the inevitable.

How tragic you say? Nah .... none of those soapy, pathetic & dramatic endings.

Tucked in the middle of a row of almost-forgotten shoplots, a few doors away from the ever-expanding Yee Hup, Ching Han Guan certainly did not catch my attention before this .....

Tummythoz really had some fun making us bewildered with speculations, wild (and some idiotic) guesses! (Refer to her post HERE). But seriously, born and bred in Ipoh throughout the decades of my life, I've never known there was this confectionery here, aside from the ever-prominent Yee Hup.

Not to mention a DAMN famous one as well. Blame da Mother, who had actually frequented this shop since I was a very, very tiny (erm, as in AGE, puhleaze ....) and naive young soul, prancing around and pouncing on any types of biscuits available in and around the house. And yet she never bought anything from the same shop ever again, since days of yore. Hhhmmm.

Be it the colourful, evergreen child's pick; 'Tou Chee Peng' (literally translated to Biskut Pusat or Navel Biscuits) which coincidentally, is DA FOOD OF CHOICE comes Qing Ming or Ghost Festival (whoopsie, no sharing please).

Meat Floss Biscuits (12 for RM13.80)

Or the other perennial favourite of mine (which spurred my interest once again, somewhat revived/rediscovered/reintroduced to this 'old flame' of mine, the traditional coconut husks-smoked Heong Peng from Seng Kee in Gunung Rapat); Don't miss the traditional Heong Peng or Hiong Piah or Fragrance Biscuits from Gunung Rapat, I tell you. Not even Yee Hup's commercialized version comes close.

A combination of pork's meat floss, and lotus paste became the filling of choice, and remained a hidden gem of sorts, attracting visitors near and far.

Thanks to Tummythoz (who's currently on a roll herself, probably rolling around on grasses and such in whichever country she picked as her target - oh bless those poor citizens! Hehe), I vowed to seek, and destroy .... wait, I meant, devour those morsels of crumbly goodness from Ching Han Guan, even if it means I have to fix my raft and sail to the ends of the world!

Which of course, is a bit far-fetched, given the very strategic location of this biscuit shop, along Hugh Low Street (or Jalan Sultan Iskandar) in town centre. In fact, I kinda felt silly as I've been passing by this road EVERY single day (except weekends of course. ze Motormouth no work for da weekend in da office. Work takes place elsewhere, which sucks equally, oh well), yet I did not for once, set my eyes on this shop with a red signboard.

Still not sinful enough for ya? Go for the ULTIMATE Meat Floss/Lotus Paste/SALTED EGG YOLK combination ... and be wowed instantly !!! (10 pcs @ RM20!)

Calling to order your biscuits is HIGHLY recommended, especially if you're from other parts of the world (or universe) and a revisit to Ipoh is highly unlikely. But if you wanna bump into ze Motormouth, feel free to revisit again and again ..... =P

The pastry is not of the crispy kind, nor too crumbly. But rather flaky, just like those wedding biscuits (those yellow/pink ones with lotus paste filling), and the dense filling of meat floss + lotus paste sounds odd on paper, but complements each other perfectly. To the right balance of the sweet and the savoury.

With black sesame seeds to differentiate the KING of all biscuits, and the less caloric-laden salted egg yolk-less ones.

Like munching on a mooncake before the 8th month on the Lunar calendar!

A break from the norms. If you're already sick of the Heong Peng's, the Chicken Biscuits, Kaya Puff (oh, but please do give them a try if you're a first-timer here in Ipoh) and the Sat Keh Ma (cannot translate as it sounds REAL odd, but you'd have seen those sweet, sticky snacks in block, made from crunchy egg & flour, sweetened by sugar/molasses).

The other traditional, modernized and everything in between varieties .....

Ching Han Guan has a long, long standing history of baking delicious biscuits (Teochew style) for the masses, way before I was born. And it's fine time they get their due recognition. Remember to call first and order your biscuits before walking in. Much alike the OTHER success story, Sin Eng Heong Kaya Puff, which is coincidentally, situated 3 streets away. Talk about competition.

Location : Ching Han Guan Biscuit Manufacture @ 145, Jalan Sultan Iskandar Shah (Hugh Low Street), 30000 Ipoh, Perak. Tel No : 605-254 5126. Here's the ever useful Google MAP of Ching Han Guan.

Opens seven days a week, from 8am until 6.30 pm. But half day only on Sundays.

# The salted egg yolk variety MUST be pre-ordered at least ONE day before. #