Johor Bahru liang teh auntie sells potent S$0.30 Wang Lao Ji Herbal Tea for cough and sore throat
Folks who are heading to Johor Bahru during this September school holidays, here is a stall to check out after loading up on lok lok.
It is located at Jalan Pasar, just a short walk away from the CIQ checkpoint and popular-with-Singaporeans foodie spots like banana cake specialist Hiap Joo Bakery and Kam Long Ah Zai Fish Head Curry.
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House-made liang teh
Called Kedai Minuman Kok Yow Yong, it specialises in house-made warm herbal teas. There are only two types offered: Wang Lao Ji (also known as Wong Lo Kat) and chrysanthemum tea. Both Chinese brews are popular for their anti-inflammatory properties, which help dispel ‘heatiness’ and soothe scratchy throats.
A tagline painted across the industrial-looking metal storefront advertises its wares in Chinese: “Drink my liang teh — it helps with metabolism, dispelling heatiness and boosting immunity.” Bold claims.
RM1 (S$0.30) a glass
Given the sweltering weather, we didn’t need much persuasion to order a glass of herbal tea when we were at the stall recently. And it’s only RM1 ($0.30) a glass.
The friendly elderly auntie running the stall, who told us that her in-laws started the business over 100 years ago, asked: “You want bitter or sweet?”
“Um, bitter is better right?” we ventured hesitantly. “Aiyah, if you can’t take bitter just drink the chrysanthemum tea lah! It’s the sweet option,” the auntie chirped.
Still, we decided to go ahead with ordering the Wang Lao Ji. The auntie swiftly dispensed the herbal remedy from a huge canister into a glass mug, and pushed it to us to down on the spot.
We took a sip and immediately sputtered — despite being warned that the drink was bitter, we didn’t expect it to taste like the beverage equivalent of a cryptocurrency crash.
The auntie saw our eyes watering and giggled. “Drink, drink, it’s very good for you. My liang cha makes your body very healthy!” she exclaimed.
We managed to finish the potent glass and chased it down with another order of chrysanthemum tea — much more palatable with a comforting homemade taste — to get rid of the bitterness.
It may well be real or just psychological effect, but we did feel much better after drinking the liang teh, as though it cleansed the churning toxins in our body even just a little bit. And this ‘boost’ cost us only S$0.60.
Kedai Minuman Kok Yow Yong is at 1 Jalan Pasar, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. Open Mon-Sat, 8am-10pm.
Photos: Yip Jieying
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