Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Recommended)
Address: 343, Jalan Manis 15, Taman Manis, 81000 Kulai, Johor Darul Ta'zim, Malaysia
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/4ETcwVG9tWtzpJc66
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)
菜粄 Cai Ban (蒜 Garlic) = RM1.40 each
菜粄 Cai Ban (韭菜 Chives) = RM1.40 each
菜粄 Cai Ban (Mangguang) = RM1.40 each
菜粄 Cai Ban (甜 Sweet Flavour) = RM1.40 each
Tao Ban 桃板 (Salted Peanut) = RM1.50
Tao Ban 桃板 (Mushroom) (Vegetarian) = RM1.40
咸菜 Salted Veg Kiam Chye (Vegetarian) = RM1.40
No Service Charges
Here is the Full Menu of the Eatery/Restaurant.
Prices are Accurate as of the Date of the Post.
Hakka Cai Ban 菜粄 and Tao Ban 桃板 are a Unique type of Kueh that is Not Commonly Found in Singapore. As I did my research for this Kulai Trip, apparently this place is Pretty Famous and is considered one of the Best Cai Ban here in Kelapa Sawit.
Considering that Kelapa Sawit itself is an Actual Hakka Village, this was indeed very impressive so of course I had to give this a try! I've actually eaten Cai Ban first at 满庭芳茶餐室 Kedai Makan Man Ting Fong which is another Famous Hakka Eatery in Kelapa Sawit that I will feature at the end of the Week. 
Protip: If you are taking Grab here, choose "Kedai Makan Ke Jia". The Area where this Shop is located is in a Very Quiet Industrial Neighbourhood?
Very Unassuming Shop among a Row of Shophouses. As I step into the Place, the Interior looks more like a Wholesale Cai Ban Factory rather than an Actual Sit-Down Eatery.The Name of the Shop "秀花" is named after the Lady Boss herself. She is a Very Friendly and Welcoming 大姐 manning a Small Counter where you can order what you want. Really friendly and allowed me to take photos of the Place. Right at the back are a Group of Adorable 大姐 making the Cai Bans by hand as you can see.
It was around 10.00am on a Friday Morning when I reached, and there were a Couple of Customers there although its not Super Crowded or anything. They focus on Dabao Takeaway of course, but they do have 1 Small Makeshift Table at the Front where you can Dine-In as you wish.
Here is where I met 2 Elder Gentlemen 大哥 whom I enjoyed a Very Enjoyable and Educational Chit-Chat while I munched on the Cai Ban. Really Nice Folks, I think they were there to collect some Cai Bans for some Upcoming Temple 庙会 Event.
菜粄 Cai Ban (蒜 Garlic) = RM1.40 each
菜粄 Cai Ban (韭菜 Chives) = RM1.40 each
菜粄 Cai Ban (Mangguang) = RM1.40 each
菜粄 Cai Ban (甜 Sweet Flavour) = RM1.40 each
Tao Ban 桃板 (Salted Peanut) = RM1.50
Tao Ban 桃板 (Mushroom) (Vegetarian) = RM1.40
咸菜 Salted Veg Kiam Chye (Vegetarian) = RM1.40
Here it is where it can get a tad Confusing and I'm not sure if I got it mixed up myself hahaha.
There are 2 Types of Kuehs, 菜粄 Cai Ban and 桃板 Tao Ban and 1 that is Neither.
菜粄 Cai Ban is where it looks like a Classic Sng Kueh with a White Dough
桃板 Tao Ban uses a Pink Dough and looks more like a Classic Png Kueh.
The Confusion comes in when some 菜粄 Cai Ban uses 桃板 Tao Ban Dough, and vice versa.
Despite the Different Names both actually uses the Same Type of Dough, just a Different Shape and Colour. I will try my best to describe how each of them tastes.
菜粄 Cai Ban (蒜 Garlic)
Despite the Name, its actually Not Very Garlicky and Not Overly Salty, this was Light and Easy to Eat and doesn't feel Jelak easily.
菜粄 Cai Ban (韭菜 Chives)
菜粄 Cai Ban (Mangguang)
Classic Mangguang Flavour and tastes Most Similar to a Sng Kueh. The version they have here is Juicy to the Bite with No Pepperiness added compared to the Version at Man Ting Fong.
菜粄 Cai Ban (甜 Sweet Flavour)
This looks like a Classic Pink Colour Ang Ku Kueh outwardly, but the Inside Filling is a Mix of Crushed Peanut and Sugar instead of Mung Bean. Very Intensely Sweet due to the Sugar but taste really nice as a Sweet Kueh.
Tao Ban 桃板 (Salted Peanut)
Basically the same as their 菜粄 Cai Ban (甜 Sweet Flavour) except the Shape looks more like a Classic Triangular Png Kueh.
Tao Ban 桃板 (Mushroom) (Vegetarian)
Now sure why this is called Tao Ban 桃板 when the Outward Appearance and Colour of the Dough looks exactly like their 菜粄 Cai Ban. Taste like their Classic Mangguang with the Addition of Mushrooms. I thought the Mixture of Mushrooms and Mangguang paired well. Juicy and Savoury, this was Not Overly Salty.
咸菜 Salted Veg Kiam Chye (Vegetarian)
Neither specifically named as 菜粄 Cai Ban or Tao Ban 桃板 actually. But appearance looks more like a 菜粄 Cai Ban. There is a Prominent Strong Earthy Kiam Chye Flavour for this one. They also form a Crunchy Veggie Texture which I enjoyed. This one was also nice to eat.
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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts
At an Average Price of about RM1.40 (S$0.50) for each Cai Ban / Tao Ban they were affordable for what they are. Personally though, I prefer the More Softer Mochi-Like Texture Dough from 满庭芳茶餐室 Kedai Makan Man Ting Fong, but I find the Filling here tasting Better for my Tastes.
The Dough here was not as Mochi and lean more towards a Sng Kueh Slighty Firmer Texture. It is the Same Dough they used for all of the Cai Bans/Tao Bans they have here. Both are equally good in their Own Style.
They are Very Difficult to Differentiate though. Dunno which one is 菜粄 Cai Ban or Tao Ban 桃板 hahaha. I'm not even sure if I classified them correctly in this Review hahaha.
The Very Friendly and Very Welcoming Lady Boss was the Factor that made me feel I can recommend this place. She was so Nice and Friendly that I totally felt at home here. Even though not an Actual Sit-Down Eatery, more like a Factory, I still enjoyed my Time enjoying my Cai Bans and Tao Bans and Chit-Chatting with the 2 Elder 大哥. Really Good Vibes all around.
Given that the location where this Eatery is at is a Somewhat Quieter Industrial Neighbourhood, unless you are a Really Die Hard Cai Ban Connoisseur, I don't feel it is a Specificially Really Die Die Must Visit Location. If you are nearby though, and is Ok with the Prices however, I can recommend to give this a try.
Hi Ryan, morning. Was busy last weekend making 300 muffins and 300 buns for Hsing Ma Si wesak months @ 3 acts of kindness, for distribution to students. Luckly one of my SIL & daughter drop by to help out so finished early.
ReplyDeleteThis cai ban I ate before but I find it abit tasteless. My neighbour went to kulai so gave me a few pieces. The chives filling if add more tau kwa ( yellow square beancurd. ) & dried shrimp it would taste better. Cai ban not common in JB too, only Hakka area can get. JB area mostly sell soon kueh. Cai ban dough use rice flour + glutinious flour, soon kueh use rice flour, tapioca flour & wheat flour. I remember my late mum made soon kueh, she got add steam yam to the dough. the texture was very good.
P/S Not sure if you try the yellow beancurd before, it's flat & square about 3 " x 3" tau kwa, texture is dense & meaty. The yellow colour is using tumeric. Just steam and eat on it's own also nice or cut strip and cook with mince pork or deep fry. Usually available at pasar pagi/malam, store that sell yong taufu & fish balls. I usually by from Taman Daya Jalan Pinang pasar pagi, this si tau poh damp lansi type but close one eye buy from her cos only available at her store. hahahaha...
hey nice to hear from u again. 😄 wah 300 muffins 300 buns!! 😳 your oven doing OT sia poor thing 😅 if everything goes to plan, I will be posting Hsingma Si Review on Vesak Day 31-May. 👍
DeleteCai Ban indeed really similar to Sng Kueh but personally unless I eat them side by side, I feel it's almost same. 🤔 the only difference is it seems caiban got sweet version. from some Google reviews it seems some people panfry it somemore nicer. 😋 I like man ting fong's caiban dough, but I prefer this place's fillings. 🤔 I do appreciate this place boss tho. she was so friendly. 😄
not sure what's this yellow beancurd u saying. 🤔 is it tauhu goreng? I may have eaten something like what u describe but it's more like a triangle YTF type. 🤔
Hi Ryan, hahaha.. my oven and dough machine running for 2 days. While waiting for bread to rise, baked muffin lor. I think I used like 10kg of bread flour. For muffin chocolate, butter, flour, eggs, cocoa powder... until house smell like bakery factory.
ReplyDeleteActually cai ban and soon kuih dough very similiar, both also soft texture. Where else add smashed steam yam to soon kueh dough, I think nobody make to sell cos extra cost.
The yellow tau kwa is not tahu goreng, it's steam type of taufu. Next time you go Taman Daya pasar pagi, you check the yong taufu stall. The tau kwa is light yellow, size 4 x 4 inch x thickness around 1cm. Texture is firm and meaty. I think not many taufu factory make this tau kwa cos supermarket don't sell. During the 70's the factory produces this tau kwa is in Seremban, we used to buy by the kilos. hahahaha... just steamed it and eat as snack. Balance slice into thin pieces then dried it under the sun like crackers. When want to cook just deep dry it and braised with pork. This tau kwa soon going to extinct and the factory in seremban maybe also closed down already.
Duduk Eco Spring event on the 23rd & 24th got about 30 food stalls as advertise in their FB page. Same date Paradigm mall got plant event. 28th to 31st JBCC collectors market selling vintage items.
ooo interesting. I'll keep a lookout for this Tau kwa next time. 👍 thanks for the heads-up on the event. this "duduk eco spring" is Santai Square is it? just nice it's this weekend for my JB trip! 😀 I'll see if I can drop buy. 👍
DeleteHi Ryan, good morning. Yes, Santai Square is duduk eco spring. The yellow tau kwa is highly recommmended if you haven't seen before. Those vacuum pack tau kwa at supermarket is more like soft taufu. By the way the Ipoh taufu goreng sold at Jaya grocer supermarket also very nice but sold out fast. It's about 2.5" x 2.5" size pack of 3 pcs.
DeleteGood Morning! 🌞 Aight thanks for the info. 👍 Interesting timing for this event 4pm to 11pm tho. 🤔 I'll see if I can swing by look see look see.
DeleteNow I'm intrigued about this Yellow Tau Kwa. 😋 next time got chance visit the Pasar Pagi I will keep a lookout for it. 👍