'Nobody will pity me if I die, no need to care so much': KL's most rabak min jiang kueh hawker on quiet quitting

On a recent trip to Kuala Lumpur, we come across an uncle who is possibly the most rabak min jiang kueh hawker in the Malaysian city. He operates out of his longtime pushcart outside Koon Kee Wantan Mee along the Jalan Petaling stretch, where he sells freshly-made apam balik, more commonly known as min jiang kueh in Singapore.

The business has no formal name, but locals affectionately call the hawker “Uncle Loh”. The 75-year-old offers two types of pancakes, a thin-crusted min jiang kueh cooked over a large griddle and topped with sugary crushed peanuts before being folded in half, or the Penang-style apom balik, a smaller, puffier version where batter spiked with coconut milk and palm sugar is cooked in a shallow mould pan. Uncle Loh’s food costs just slightly over RM1 (S$0.30) per piece.

"Nobody will pity me if I die, no need to care so much"

Business is very brisk for Uncle Loh, whose pushcart we can only describe as organised chaos. He swiftly makes pancakes for an almost never-ending stream of customers, stylishly scattering grated peanuts over his pan like a swordsman in an Ang Lee film. In Cantonese, he tells a man ahead of 8days.sg to wait for 10 minutes for their order, apparently so that Uncle Loh can take a very quick lunch break. 

Here is what we overhear: 

Uncle Loh: “After lah. 10 minutes lah."

Customer: “10 minutes is enough for you to eat?”

Uncle Loh: “No leh. I don’t care! My mealtime is important. Nobody will pity me if I die, no need to care so much. (To another person who was paying) Thank you, thank you very much.” 

For the record, the customer patiently waits.

Epic work-life balance 

We are pretty amazed by Uncle Loh’s Schrödinger work-life balance, because it simultaneously exists and doesn’t exist. Not one to miss out on money-making orders, the veteran hawker allows himself only short breaks. But he manages his customers’ expectations just enough for him to take the time he needs to enjoy his meal and rest. Impressive, we say.

Uncle Loh’s min jiang kueh

Despite brimming with existential angst, Uncle Loh’s pancake is one of the best we have tried. His batter is curiously goopy and lumpy, which he scoops from a pail beside his cart. But this rustic batter produces very smooth pancakes.

Our puffy, palm-sized coconut apom balik (RM1.30, or S$0.40) may not be the most Insta-worthy, but the hot-off-the-griddle, soft and fluffy pancake boasts rich santan flavour. There is no filling for this dessert (although some Peranakan cooks might add fruits like banana and durian), but it is nonetheless very delicious.

We have no stomach space for the min jiang kueh, but the very friendly Uncle Loh lets people choose either the crusty pan edge pieces or softer ‘centre’ pieces according to their preference (most min jiang kueh hawkers do not allow choosing, to avoid having leftovers). Great customer service and proof of Uncle Loh’s popularity, we say.

Address and opening hours

Uncle Loh’s pushcart is located at Jalan Hang Lekir (off Jalan Petaling), Kuala Lumpur. Open daily 11.30am-9pm (operating hours subjected to change). 

Photos: Yip Jieying