From finance to frying pan: One woman’s leap into culinary passion selling Char Kueh at RH Plaza

Ku Ling Fung

By Wilfred Pilo

For nearly a decade, Ku Ling Fung has been serving delectable local savoury Char Kueh (fried rice cake), based on her family’s recipe, at the Jia Jia Court eatery in the RH Plaza area.

Ku made what she describes as the right decision when she left her 9-to-5 corporate executive job after several years of crunching figures for investors. The move paid off. Armed with her family’s Char Kueh recipes, she now runs a thriving stall whose popular dishes keep customers coming back.

Given the choice, she prefers working for herself at the fry station, drawing on culinary skills passed down from her grandmother and mother to prepare Chinese Hakka-style fried rice cake dishes.

After almost a decade of crafting Char Kueh, she has firmly established it as her profession and says she would not trade it for her former white-collar career.

“Ever since I was little, I was obsessed with cooking,” she said.

Ku recalled spending much of her childhood in the kitchen with her grandmother and mother, watching them prepare Chinese Hakka treats—from cakes and pastries to dumplings, including Char Kueh.

Ku’s Char Kueh

“The aroma of the kuih is unforgettable. Since then, I followed in their footsteps, entered the culinary world, and opened my own stall to sell Char Kueh about 10 years ago.”

She said she grew tired of the office environment, although her father had encouraged her to pursue higher education.

“I followed his advice and obtained a degree in finance, specialising in offshore finance. It was good, but my heart was in making aromatic kuih, just like my grandmother and mother did,” she told DayakDaily.

Ku now offers 10 menu options, but customers still favour the original savoury version, the sweet Char Kueh, or a mix of both.

“The sweet Char Kueh is fried and mixed with local gula apong (palm sugar), and it’s one of our most popular choices. These days, I make most of the basic ingredients myself. Just like my grandmother and mother each had their own version, so do—though they’re not too different,” she said with a smile.

She has also introduced other popular dishes, such as oyster pancakes and salted egg buns.

“We have to be creative and consistent in taste to attract customers and satisfy their taste buds.”

Ku is pleased that Char Kueh is a versatile dish with plenty of room for flavour variations. To share her culinary expertise with more customers, she has opened an additional stall at another eatery to serve the evening crowd.

Ku’s stall at Jia Jia Court, RH Plaza, Kuching.

“I operate here in the morning, and at night I focus on my other stalls. It’s a long day, but I have trusted helpers who are well-trained and skilled in preparing the dish.

“I’m at the fry station most of the time, but during breaks or when I have errands, my helpers take over. We’re still able to maintain consistency, and I’m glad.”

With a decade of experience, Ku hopes her trade will one day be continued by her son, who already enjoys spending time in the kitchen despite his young age.

“My husband is very supportive, even though he works in a different field. It’s good to have a tertiary education and be proud of it—no one can take that away from you. You can be in a profession unrelated to your qualifications, as long as you put your heart into it,” she said.

Ku’s Char Kueh stall at Jia Jia Court, RH Plaza, is open daily from 7am to 1pm, except on public holidays. For enquiries, call 016-894 6811. — DayakDaily