This sentimental black and white photo was taken in 1969, some 42 years ago. It was taken at Rex Photo Studio on the occasion of my cousin, Chik Choy’s seventh birthday. His elder brother, Chik Cheong was standing in the middle. He was about 12 years old then. Of course I was the bright-eyed 5 years old small girl wearing a short floral dress matched with a little pair of white Mary Jane. I remembered my dress was in light yellow with some little white flowers! And there was a heart shape pocket too with white laces.
Sadly the photo studio was no longer around but the cake shop where my aunt bought the birthday cake was! It was formerly called the French Bakery and was located at the same row as Ipoh’s Jubilee Park along Cowan Street. This shop was near the famous Hung Kee Rice Shop. The address was 7 Cowan Street, Ipoh.
On my recent trip back to Ipoh, I walked past this bakery shop and was very surprised to find that it still looked exactly the same as in 1969, except that the name had changed to Noor Jahan Bakery. The business was now operated by the grandson of the founder of this shop. He was a very friendly and jovial person, sitting behind the counter and patiently waiting for customers. He was full of smiles and greetings for just anyone who passes by this humble little cake shop.
A look into this shop shows that nothing much had changed. The shelves, the cakes and snacks were just as I remembered them as we used to walk past this shop in those days. Best of all, the very old and archaic cash register was still there. According to the owner of the shop it was still functional despite being more than 50 years old. The brand? NCR, of course.
My eyes roamed around to search for the cakes and I found them in a glass cabinet. They used to be displayed on open aired shelves near the shop’s entrance in those days but were now being kept in a glass cabinet. This was the only changes beside the name and person running the shop.
I could not believe my eyes when I saw the same type of birthday cake my aunt bought for her son’s birthday some 42 years ago is still available today. The design, the color and the content is still like the original. Imagine keeping true and faithful to the same product all these years and this really had me completely stunned. I am truly beyond words. I wonder who would buy such cakes anymore. They are so passe.
Nowadays, when you mentioned birthday cakes, types like Black Forrest, Tiramisu and many other fanciful varieties came to mind but at French Bakery @ Noor Jahan, you can actually buy the same birthday cake you once had when you were a child, for your children.
Not only that, you could still buy the green and pink colored creamy coconut candies we used to love as kids. These were cut into small cubes and so full of milk flavor. I bought some for my kids and they just loved it too.
I wonder what will Chik Choy or Chik Cheong thought when they found out about this or read this post. As for the rest of the readers, how would you feel when you found out that the birthday cake you once had some four decades ago is still available today? Would you believe it too?
Great memories of first birthday celebration, great birthday cake with the same recipe from the same bakery shop.
Surreal…
Happy Birthday, Ipohgal.
Cheers!
The picture of the lady and the boy on a Lambretta Scooter brought back memories of the days I used to ride one.
Hi Ipohgal,
I visited Noor Jahan Bakery a few years back, and remember the friendly and jovial boss – perhaps as with most true-blue Ipohites – we’re a friendly lot.
Khong Guan Biscuits should be a familiar trademark to folks out there -and I got to know that the founder of Khong Guan started his trade at No 5, Cowan Street next o Noor Jahan Bakery.
Perhaps more should be done to promote these heritage shops to visitors to Ipoh – where a part of our childhood days are still very much intact.
Hung Kee Rice Shop – as the end of the row – is another classic shop – with it’s signage written in red Chinese, English and Jawi characters! (Hope it’s still there) -though non-halal food was & is served. The shop must be close to 50 or more years old.
Perhaps, other than the pawn shops, this was and is – one of the very rare Chinese restaurants if not the only one in the country with signage in Jawi. How very socially and racially open and friendly we were then.
(On: Kong Guan Biscuit & 5, Cowan Street
http://kinkonkid.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_archive.html
Hi James,
Unfortunately it was not my birthday. It was actually my cousin Chik Choy’s 7th birthday.
I never get to celebrate my birthday during my childhood due to family poverty. A birthday cake or birthday photo were unthinkable luxuries for my family in those days. My birthday is like any normal day.
Because we used to stay together in the same shop (my family at the ground floor while my cousin on the upper floor), I was brought along for this photo session.
Hi UVChew,
Hahaha…..I am not a boy but a girl! Many people mistaken me as a boy because I am wearing boy’s clothing in this photo (hand me downs from my brother). And the lovely smiling lady was my mom.
This photo was taken at my maternal grandpa’s house in Star Park near Kg Simee. I was about 1 1/2 to 2 years old then.
By the way, is Lambretta the same as Vespa?
Hi kinkonkid,
Thanks for your interesting link to Khong Guan and Noor Jahan’s histories in the early days. Ah, now I knew how the name Cowan came about, and thanks for that too!
As for Hung Kee Rice Shop a few doors away, yes, the shop is still in operation and the prominent signage in various languages is still standing proudly there for all to see.
Yes, you are right. We are more liberal with each other’s cultures in those days but thanks to our politician’s bigotries, we have regressed.
Very interesting… article, I still remember when my youngest sister use to get the same cake for her birthday. I use to love the icing on the cake, very very sweet, better than the present Sugar program in Astro.
Ipohgal… do u remember the the bread vendors from the French Bakery? I do…… this Indian Muslim man use to sell his breads and cakes in Birch Gardens, it was only 25cents for a loaf of bread. The present boss of Noor Jahan bakery, Mr. Habib Rahman, was my childhood friend, we use pass by your home to hitch a bus at the Tanjung Rambutan bus station in the seventies opposite your home, presently its ” My GOPENG RESORT” office.
Hi Sundra,
Glad you found this article interesting. Yes, I still remembered very well the Indian bread vendors selling their wares on motorcycles. Their populations had dwindled considerably the last few years due to the existence of minimarkets all over the place. However, you can still find one or two around.
Oh, so Mr Habib Rahman was the friend you had mentioned earlier. I told him that I used to stay at 188 HLS and his eyes brighten up and he gave me a warm smile. He was a likeable man indeed.
oh i remember the French Bakery. It was THE bakery back in those days 🙂 My mom used to buy from them a lot 🙂 I still remember the cakes which are full of icing 🙂
Hi mommy to chumsy,
Back in those days, the bakeries availabe are very limited. Most of us bought our breads and cakes either from French Bakery or Paris Bakery. Today, we have limitless choices.
Back in the 60s ,we used to call the French Bakery Ipoh FBI. I remember there was a rival called Paris Bakery next door. Daily, an army of Indian Muslim bread sellers would gather outside & get their stock of fresh bread from these bakeries. They are loaded into their tricycles usually painted dark green fronted with a pantry box with glass panels all round.The pantry box is also stocked full of sweets & other kiddy stuff with their colourful packagings visible to all. They make an attractive & colourful sight. The breadmen ride behind & striking a metal cone with a metal stick making a ‘ting ting’ sound as they ride along. They served the housing estates in Ipoh well providing all with fresh bread & as a kid, I looked forward to buy the sweets as well.I also remember the steamed rice served in ceramic containers at Hung Kee. The boss was a friend of my dad’s & we ate there many times.
The ting ting lou, a moniker my mum used for these mobile bread sellers. are now history. Kids loved the sight of them. They sold a wide assortment of foodstuff. I especially loved the doi-doi and buns with scraped coconut fillings. They were very obliging too. Rain or shine, you would see them.
Hi rosebud,
Welcome to my blog. Thanks for sharing a very familiar sight and way of life with us. They normally would come either early in the morning or at night. As kids then, we looked forward for them to come.
Without them, we would not have our breakfast or supper. Breads to go with Milo or coffee. Yes, those were the days before we have minimarkets and supermarkets. You could still see them occasionally in the villages or residential areas.
When they have made enough, most will go back to India to marry and have a family.
Hi PT,
Ah, life were so innocent and simple then, don’t you agreed? Besides the ice cream, kacang putih or kuih man, bread vendors are the most favourite among kids, especially us from poor family.
I could still remember how happy I felt to be able to buy some light snacks and tidbits from these hawkers. We just spend a few cents on them and still have a few cents left in our palms!
Ipohgal, I share your passion for the scenes of the bygone age. Only at times such scenes would bring about a tinge of sadness (and tears as well). And I could never stop yearning for them.
Glad to know someone of a similar passion to relate with.
Hi PT,
Today’s children are more difficult to please. They go for expensive and branded food stuff.
I remembered I was so happy to have an ice cream cone, some kacang putih or the buns with scaped coconut fillings. You can’t find such children anymore.
Like you, I yearned for the simple life too, and yes, you can count on me to share such memories again.