Swee Kang is the brainchild of genius mixologist, Mr Chang Swee Kang. Coming from a family of Kueh Chap (similar to Bah Kut Teh but thicker and uses the more exotic parts of the pig like the nose, ears and knuckles) traders and disliking the heat that comes with cooking Kueh Chap, Swee Kang decided to do a more cooling business venture inventing glorious icy desserts...
The White Lady sits in a tall glass, filled to the brim with juicy fruits topped off with a citrusy, creamy juice. You never know what you are going to get when you dip in a spoon. I never fail to have it when I go back to Kuching. Most Kuchingites will have a favourite drink at Swee Kang, which started off as a small stall in the 1950s but has now evolved to one of the most famous watering holes in Kuching.
One of the signature desserts here is the Jagung Susu, golden sweet corn nuggets in a milky creamy base with shaved ice. Like a cocoa snowstorm, a lavish amount of Milo powder is scattered on the peak of the ice mountain. As you scoop up the ice dessert, the malty Milo powder dissolves in the milky liquid, combining flakes of the chocolate powder with the natural sweetness of the sweet corn. ”This is one of our most popular orders, one of our customers requested the addition of Milo to the Jagung Susu and it became such a hit that we added it on the menu”, recounts Ms Chang, Swee Kang’s daughter. Though her dad has passed away, Ms Chang keeps his legacy alive by handling the daily operations at Swee Kang’s latest branch with her two brothers. Down the road, her youngest brother, Ah Seng, handle another branch. Business is so good that they had to open two branches in the same area just to keep up with demand. Afterall, Swee Kang is practically an institution. It even has a Facebook page with more than 600 followers.
"Lavish malty snowstorm on an icy peak..."
Though Jagung Susu Milo is a popular favourite, just a mere mention of the White Lady will prompt me to salivate like a Pavlov dog. If I had my way, I would bring a barrel of this refreshing drink to ward off those homesickness pangs when I go back to KL. This drink also originated from one of Swee Kang’s many customers during the 1970s. The customer enjoyed the drink at one of Kuching’s oldest food court. When the food court closed, he went to Swee Kang hoping to reincarnate his favourite drink. And thank god he did, the White Lady reminds me of a simplified version of a knickerbocker glory sans the ice cream of course. Colourful jellies and assorted fruits converge on the bottom of the glass like sunken treasures. Each scoop delivers a delicious surprise.
The cendol at Swee Kang has an interesting history. Originally, Swee Kang used the ‘cangkuk manis’ and pandan to make his green strands of cendol but as the demands for his cendol increases, he started to source out the production of his cendol and now they use sago flour instead. Cendol is a varied affair at Swee Kang, you can opt for ‘gula apong’ (sago palm sugar) with your cendol, omit beans or put in extra depending on your preference. The cendol in Kuching differs from the ones in KL, you won’t find pulut or durian versions here, the cendol here uses sweetcorn, cincau and a milky base in its repertoire. This result is a lighter and dainty cendol. If you prefer a richer base, request for a santan base instead.
Though it started with Jagung Susu, Swee Kang eventually became synonymous with Ais Kacang. A generous helping of fat kidney beans is served in an icy velvety milky base. The sweet beans are tender and luscious, adding an earthy flavour to the tastebud-tingling dessert.
Besides the ice desserts, Swee Kang also offers savoury dishes like fried cucur udang, Sarawak Laksa and Beehoon Belacan. The beehoon is super, served in a light crimson coloured broth with strips of squid, julienned cucumbers and quarter slices of shiny ebony coloured century eggs. The broth has a slightly sweet taste, brought upon by the shrimps in the belacan. The squid is almost translucent giving the dish a nice seafood balance while the century eggs give it a more succulent texture added with a lovely crunch from cucumbers. Though you’ll be left with ‘Belacan’ breath, slurping the lovely broth is a must in order to fully enjoy the unique dish.
Swee Kang is a family business, Ms Chang handles the operations, her brothers and nephews man the drinks, laksa, beehoon, cucur udang and kuey tiaw stalls. Swee Kang has been a favourite among the locals for more than 50 years and hopefully it will remain a favourite for years to come. And as history shows, their dessert list increases as time goes by because at Swee Kang, the policy is to always deliver what their customers request, even if it involves inventing a new dish. If you’re lucky enough, your dessert might get a permanent placing in their famous menu. Maybe, I’ll come up with a personalized dessert of my own, and if wishes do come true, the new generation of Swee Kang lovers can order an enchanting and tasty ‘Lady D’ dessert along with their Jagung Susu.
Opens: 11 am to 8 pm daily (closed on Thursdays)
More Photos To Drool On
Treasures of fruit at the bottom...
Even the Malays will crowd this place. It is strategically located in a Malay kampong in Kuching. People will line the queue during Ramadhan.
by romicopaJanuary 27, 2011 7:45AM
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Foodster's Verdict
Swee Kang Ais Kacang
Taste
Address:
Grd Flr, Lot 176, Jalan Haji Taha,
93400 Kuching
Tel: 013 826 6335 (Ah Seng)
Open:
10 am - 7.30 pm
Pros:
Great ice desserts and afternoon snacks. You can also ‘tapau’ the desserts to enjoy it at home.
Cons:
It closes at 8 pm so Swee Kang won’t be available for those late night cravings.
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Even the Malays will crowd this place. It is strategically located in a Malay kampong in Kuching. People will line the queue during Ramadhan.
by romicopa January 27, 2011 7:45AM
You must be logged in to post comments