Yet, these moulds played an important role in the events leading to the revival of the business.
Chatting with FMT Lifestyle, third-generation owner Lee Kim Fook – better known as Leonard – shared that the bakery, which dates back to 1935, had been started by his grandfather, Nyuk Soo, on the same premises.
Initially serving cuisine from the Sunde district in China’s Guangdong province, they eventually introduced mooncakes and Chinese pastries as the business grew in popularity.
After Nyuk Soo passed away, Leonard’s father Hup Ngoh took over the business. But in 2016, the family made the difficult decision to close up shop when Hup Ngoh began suffering from knee issues.
As it turned out, however, Seong Ying Chai wouldn’t stay closed for long. “I started having dreams of my ancestors asking me to revive the brand,” Leonard revealed.
Still, the 47-year-old, who had been running his own company selling steel products, was reluctant. Then, in 2017, a fire broke out on Jalan Hang Jebat close to their shuttered shop, where his grandfather’s mooncake moulds were still being stored.
Leonard rushed over as soon as he heard about the fire. “I don’t know if these moulds are valuable to others, but they were very precious to me,” he said.
Despite injuring his leg as he carried the moulds to safety, Leonard had made up his mind: he would bring his grandfather’s mooncake legacy to life again.
Of family and cultural heritage
The following year, Leonard revived Seong Ying Chai and slowly rebuilt the brand. Having spent time at the shop – which was unaffected by the fire – since he was about six years old, he already knew how to make mooncakes. Still, this didn’t stop him from travelling to Hong Kong to learn new techniques.
Today, he is assisted by his wife, Jacklyn Yap, and has given up his steel business.
Every year, customers can look forward to a tantalising array of mooncakes, with this year’s selection including flavours such as nuts with ham, mixed nuts with cranberries, and the classic white lotus paste with salted egg yolk.
Additionally, they have crystal or snowskin mooncakes with various fillings, as well as “wagashi”, a Japanese confection made of mochi, red-bean paste and fruit.
Their mooncakes are typically available for purchase about a month or two before the Mid-Autumn Festival – meaning, alas, it would be too late to order for this year by the time you read this article. But fret not: they also sell other products throughout the year, such as Chinese wedding pastries, love letters, and assorted cookies.
Leonard is also passionate about keeping Chinese culture alive. This year, to educate children about the Mid-Autumn Festival, they introduced a kit that includes lanterns, mini mooncakes, “gong zai bing” or mooncake biscuits, and dried pomelo rinds.
It is said that in the past, those who could not afford mooncakes would enjoy “gong zai bing” instead: children would even carry these biscuits on a string in one hand and a lantern in the other.
Meanwhile, pomelos are considered auspicious, as the pronunciation of the word in Chinese is similar to the word “bless”.
Furthermore, family is important in Chinese culture, which is why to Leonard, their customers are considered family. His grandfather, too, had cherished his relationship with their customers: “He was very good with them, and many came back.”
Today, Leonard added proudly, several descendants of his grandfather’s customers still visit his shop. “That’s why I’m here. I want the legacy to continue,” he said.
And happily, next year, Seong Ying Chai turns 90 – all thanks to Leonard and the mooncake moulds that spurred him to give his family business a new lease on life.
Learn more about Seong Ying Chai via their website, Facebook and Instagram.
Seong Ying Chai (NON-HALAL)
191A, Jalan Hang Jebat,
50150 Kuala Lumpur
(by appointment only)
Contact: 019-831 9019