Fung Wong’s roots were actually planted in China’s Guangdong Province in 1909, but it’s now run by its fourth-generation owner, Melvin Chan.
“I inherited the business from my father,” he told FMT Lifestyle. “I want to continue passing down the culture and beauty of traditional pastries.”
With lots of pastry varieties on display for eat-in orders and boxes of packaged biscuits behind the counter, it’s evident that Chan, 43, is immensely proud of his business.
There are wedding biscuits, egg tarts, siew pao, salted egg yolk pastry, sweetheart cakes and many more baked or steamed items.
FMT Lifestyle tried some of the pastries and were charmed. Each bite offered sweetness and nostalgia in equal measure.
You won’t go wrong with any of your choices. Nevertheless, the wedding biscuit that started it all is a must-try.
“The new generation aren’t as interested in making traditional Chinese pastries any more since it can be very time consuming,” Chan said. “Moreover, they’re not as profitable as Western pastries.”
That’s why, he explained, the shop, which he opened in 2021, was given a more contemporary look. The idea was to attract younger patrons, to show them that Chinese pastries come in as much variety as desserts from other cultures.
Indeed, the shop’s cafe-style chic and comfortable interior is something you wouldn’t expect from a brand that has been around for more than a hundred years. But it does have the charming traces of an old shop in its floor and wall tiles. Chan said he was “determined” to keep the old tiles.
He told FMT Lifestyle the story of his great-grandfather, who started baking traditional Chinese wedding biscuits as a sort of hobby. He’d share them with friends and neighbours, who gradually sought his expertise when there were marriages in their families.
That marked the start of the family business. It took the Fung Wong name when Chan’s grandfather was running it as a humble stall. But war soon broke out and the family fled to different Asian countries before settling down in Malaysia.
During the British occupation, Chan’s father rented a stall in front of a Chinese kopitiam on what is now Jalan Hang Lekir. He sold pastries under the same brand name and, after a while, expanded his offerings with other items, such as siew pao, sweetheart biscuits and kaya rolls.
He eventually bought the kopitiam and Fung Wong Biscuit prospered, changing locations a few times.
“I remember always going to the shop after school and learning how to roll the dough and make pastries,” Chan said.
He took over officially after his father retired about ten years ago.
Chan’s happy demeanour is obvious to his customers, whom he always greets with an honest smile and cheery words.
So, the next time you’re looking for tasty Chinese pastries, do drop by at Fung Wong for a nice wedding biscuit, even if you’re not getting married.
Follow Fung Wong Biscuit on Facebook and Instagram; or head to its website here.
Fung Wong Biscuit
85, Jalan Sultan
50000 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 8.30am-10pm daily
Contact: 03-2072 8888
For location, click here.