Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya KoayMoh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay (3 April 2016)


Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay (GPS: 5.41952, 100.33549) is one of the biggest kuih makers in Penang. They operate a canteen where the locals come to enjoy various types of Nyonya kuih. The canteen is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm. Most people might not know it, because it is located deep at the end of Mesjid Road off Chulia Street. Patrons to the canteen walk through the kitchen area where they get first-hand view of how the various kuihs are made.

My wife and I enjoy Nyonya kuih, and in fact, my wife often make Nyonya kuih at home, for our personal consumption. So when we heard about this shop, Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay, we were keen to pay it a visit. It so happens that the business was started by the father of a Facebook friend, Lily Moh, and she introduced us to meet her brother Mook Hian Beng, who is running the business with the help of his son Roger and daughter Jolyn.

Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay was founded in the 1930s by its namesake, Moh Teng Pheow, who was born in Hainan, and arrived in Penang at the age of 14. He had learned the trade from a local Nyonya who was making kuih for sale in George Town, and initially, he worked under her, until such time that she decided to retire from the business, and he took over.

In the early years, Moh Teng Pheow did not sell the kuih retail. Rather, he depended on Indian kuih vendor who sold the kuih on his behalf through commission. In those days, these Indian vendors would go around different parts of George Town selling kuih. But over time, the number of Indian kuih sellers declined, as they retire from selling, and many have passed away,

Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya KoayWorker shutting the lid on the kuih lapis (Nyonya steamed layer cake) after adding another layer to it (3 April 2016)


Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya KoaySlabs of kuih lapis, pulut tatai, chu cu kuih and kuih bengka being sliced (3 April 2016)


The business initially passed to Lily's eldest brother, and after he passed away, the business was taken over by Lily's second eldest brother, Mook Hian Beng (who is also well known for Mook's Pizza) I had the opportunity to meet the jovial Mr Mook, and I couldn't help asking him why his surname is Mook but his father's is Moh. Apparently when he was born, the midwife mispronunced his surname, leading to it being misspelled on his birth cert. And as a result, he carries along the unique Mook surname while the rest of his siblings are Moh.

On my visit to Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay, I saw that business was brisk. There is a counter where visitors can order various types of kuih. Among the kuih that are on sale that day include the abok-abok, pulut inti, pulut tatai, kuih bengka, chu cu kuih (kuih bengka ubi kayu), kuih lapis, chai tau kuih, popiah chee, karipop, rempah udang, kuih koci and sri muka, to name some. They also sell kaya. According to Mr Mook, they used to make even more variety of kuih, but due to being shorthanded, they are compelled to downsize their list.

Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya KoayHere's enough pulut tatai to feed the whole kampung. (3 April 2016)


Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya KoayKuih bengka in the making, factory style. The frozen santan is being gradually diluted in the stirring. (3 April 2016)


Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya KoayWorker preparing the abok-abok. (3 April 2016)


Those who follow my own Facebook timeline will see that we often make these kuih at home, but it is a great fascination for us to see kuih being "manufactured" in industrial scale. We walked through the kitchen, admiring the size of the operation. We saw a large slab of chu cu kuih ready to be sliced into small pieces. Each piece will be sold for 50 sen.

Elsewhere, we saw a large wok where kuih bengka is being made. To get the desired colour, edible food colouring is used - purchased from Sim Company on Carnarvon Street, as it is impossible to get the amount of bunga telang required, and also, how do you achieve the desired purple of the kuih bengka otherwise?

I can see that the entire operation is highly labour intensive. Yet, due to difficulty in getting workers, they have to make do with just two workers, with family members all having to join in.

With so few people picking up the art of making Nyonya kuih these days (present company's significant other being one of the few exceptions), Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay is one of the few remaining bastions for this trade. Judging from the good business being conducted at the canteen, I can only deduce that a lot of locals still appreciate Nyonya kuih, except that they aren't able to make it themselves. Thesefore, my hope is that Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay will continue to go strong, and perhaps even open outlets in other parts of Penang.

Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya KoayThe sagoo peeking out of their banana-leaf cones of the abok-abok. (3 April 2016)


Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya KoayAll busy at the Moh Teng Pheow Canteen. (3 April 2016)


Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya KoayMy wife with the various kuih at Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay. (3 April 2016)


Mook Hian BengMook Hian Beng (3 April 2016)

Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay is on the map of Mesjid Road

 Buy, rent or sell properties in Penang

Do you have a property for sale or to rent out? Are you looking to buy or rent a property? Get in touch with me. WhatsApp me (Timothy Tye) at 012 429 9844, and I will assign one of my property agents to serve you. I will choose the agent for you, according to your property needs. So when you message me, provide me some details of what you need, whether to sell, to buy, to rent or to rent out, and what type of property, is it condo, apartment, house, shop, office or land.

Adakah anda mempunyai hartanah untuk dijual atau disewakan? Adakah anda ingin membeli atau menyewa hartanah? Hubungi saya. WhatsApp saya (Timothy Tye) di 012 429 9844, dan saya akan menugaskan salah seorang ejen hartanah saya untuk berkhidmat kepada anda. Saya akan pilih ejen untuk anda, mengikut keperluan hartanah anda. Oleh itu, apabila anda menghantar mesej kepada saya, berikan saya beberapa butiran tentang apa yang anda perlukan, sama ada untuk menjual, untuk membeli, untuk disewakan atau untuk disewakan, dan jenis hartanah apakah itu kondo, pangsapuri, rumah, kedai, pejabat atau tanah.

您有待出售或出租的房产吗? 您想购买或租赁房产吗? 与我联系。 WhatsApp 我 (Timothy Tye) 012 429 9844,我将指派一名房地产经纪人为您服务。 我会根据您的房产需求,为您选择代理。 因此,当您给我发消息时,请向我提供一些您需要的详细信息,无论是出售、购买、出租还是出租,以及房产类型,是公寓、公寓、房屋、商店、办公室还是土地。

 New Properties in Penang

Looking to buy property in Penang? Get the e-brochures right here without having to visit or contact individual developers.

  1. Anggun Residences E-Brochure, Batu Kawan
  2. Aston Acacia E-Brochure, Bukit Mertajam
  3. Beacon Executive Suites E-Brochure, George Town
  4. Beverly Heights @ Bukit Gambir E-Brochure, Gelugor
  5. BM Highland E-Brochure, Bukit Mertajam
  6. Cypress Villa E-Brochure, Sungai Ara
  7. D'Zone Condominium E-Brochure, Teluk Kumbar
  8. Elements Garden E-Brochure, Butterworth
  9. Ferringhi Residence 2 E-Brochure, Batu Ferringhi
  10. GEM Residences E-Brochure, Prai
  11. Golden Triangle 2 E-Brochure, Sungai Ara/Relau
  12. Grace Residence E-Brochure, Jelutong
  13. Granito @ Permai E-Brochure, Tanjong Bungah
  14. Green City Residence E-Brochure, Jelutong
  15. Havana Beach Residences E-Brochure, Bayan Lepas
  16. Imperial Residences E-Brochure, Sungai Ara/Relau
  17. Imperial Grande E-Brochure, Sungai Ara/Relau
  18. Lucerne Residence E-Brochure, Bayan Lepas
  19. Mezzo @ The Light City E-Brochure, Gelugor
  20. Middleton E-Brochure, Gelugor
  21. Orchard Villa 3 E-Brochure, Simpang Ampat
  22. Primero Heights E-Brochure, Permatang Pauh
  23. Queens Waterfront Q2 E-Brochure, Bayan Lepas
  24. Royale Heights @ Tambun Royale City E-Brochure, Simpang Ampat
  25. Royale Infinity @ Tambun Royale City E-Brochure, Simpang Ampat
  26. Rubica @ Harbour Place E-Brochure, Butterworth
  27. Sensasi Commercial Suites E-Brochure, Batu Kawan
  28. Setia Sky Ville E-Brochure, Jelutong
  29. Setia Sky Vista E-Brochure, Sungai Ara/Relau
  30. Setia V Residence E-Brochure, Gurney Drive
  31. Sinaran Residence E-Brochure, Batu Kawan
  32. Sky @ TriPark E-Brochure, Bukit Mertajam
  33. Skyridge Garden E-Brochure, Tanjong Tokong
  34. Starhill Luxury Residences E-Brochure, Gelugor
  35. Straits Residences E-Brochure, Tanjong Tokong
  36. Taman Nuri Emas E-Brochure, Nibong Tebal
  37. The Light Collection IV E-Brochure, Gelugor
  38. The Loft @ Southbay E-Brochure, Batu Maung
  39. The Terraces Condominium E-Brochure, Bukit Jambul
  40. Trehaus Condo Villas E-Brochure, Bukit Jambul
  41. Triuni Residences E-Brochure, Batu Uban
  42. Urban Suites E-Brochure, Tanjong Tokong
  43. Valencia Residence E-Brochure, Bayan Lepas
  44. Vertu Resort E-Brochure, Batu Kawan
  45. Vivo Executive Apartment E-Brochure, Batu Kawan
  46. Viluxe E-Brochure, Batu Kawan
  47. Waterside Residence E-Brochure, Gelugor

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

 Discover with Timothy YouTube Channel

 Discover with Timothy Food Channel

 Learn Penang Hokkien YouTube Channel

SojiMart Videos

 Share your travels and/or ask a travel-related question

Join the Penang Travel Tips Facebook Group to share photos, tips and anything related to your travels, or ask travel-related questions.

Map of Roads in Penang

Looking for information on Penang? Use this Map of Roads in Penang to zoom in on information about Penang, brought to you road by road.

Discover with Timothy

Let me take you to explore and discover Penang through my series of walking tours on YouTube. You may use these videos as your virtual tour guide. At the beginning of each video, I provide the starting point coordinates which you may key into your GPS, Google Maps or Waze, to be navigated to where I start the walk, and use the video as your virtual tour guide.

Disclaimer

Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.

Latest from Discover with Timothy: Gurney Bay - what to see and do there

About this website



Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

Copyright © 2003-2024 Timothy Tye. All Rights Reserved.