I am a real sucker for pastries. Which is why every visit to Chinese towns and cities such as Ipoh, Penang and even Malacca is a wonderful merriment of traditional pastry exploration. By that I mean walking from shop to shop in the old town to check out what traditional delights the local folks have to offer.

Even though my latest trip to Ipoh did not provide much time for such leisurely activity, I was happy to have checked out these two outlets which are located close to the chicken rice hot spot. Right after dinner, we walked across the street to Comeson Restaurant which houses the Lam Fong pastry stall from 4pm onwards till late. I do not know what all these various pastries are called in the English language, but I believe the exploration of tastebuds is an adventure in itself when you check out all these cute delights. Just buy one each to try them out, and maybe come back the next day to buy more of the ones you really like.

Next stop – the Yee Thye Cake House for Perak’s famous produce [among its many other], the 香饼 (heong peng), directly translated as fragrant pastry or Biskut Madu. Ever since my friend took me to a home bakery in Taiping to buy freshly made, out-of-the-oven piping hot heong peng, every trip to this northern state is never without a few bags of this deliciously addictive treat.

These biscuits were still hot when we picked them up. They are not made in the shop itself. The pastries are transported to the outlets to be packed upon delivery. The layers of crust is crisp and flaky yet not too thick. I like the fillings very much, with just the right blend of sweetness, saltiness and fragrant shallots. So yummy I wished we had bought more

I have yet to visit the famous one in Gunung Rapat so I can’t quite compare between the various brands but I give this a thumbs up and a verdict of 8/10.

Yee Thye Cake House & Confectionery

No 1-3, Jalan Theatre, Ipoh (Tel: 05 – 241 3482)

The branch is located at No 32-36, Jalan Theatre, Ipoh (05 – 253 2270)