To many in Pudu, Kuala Lumpur, Winson Chai and his motorcycle bearing delicious but non-halal dried meat buns – more commonly known as ‘bak kwa buns’ – is a familiar and nostalgic sight.
It is a rainy morning when he meets with FMT along Jalan Brunei. While he chats, he grabs a fresh bun and swiftly slices it in half, then smears each half with butter before placing it on the hot grill.
In less than a minute, the bun has developed a charred, crispy interior.
“Chilli sauce or tomato sauce?” he asks before slapping the grilled dried meat on one half and a generous spread of chicken floss on the other.
He adds small slices of cucumber before squirting a dollop of chilli sauce. Then he presses the two halves together and places it neatly in a plastic bag.
The genial 81-year-old has been grilling his speciality buns for the past 41 years. “Even my motorcycle is roughly the same age,” he laughs.
He says he dabbled in various jobs before gaining an interest in this business from observing other sellers. It is hard work but, after all this time, you can be sure he has the routine down pat.
“I usually wake up between 6am and 6.30am to prepare all the ingredients and get the charcoal fire going,” he says.
“I’ll be in my usual spot in Pudu by 8am, which is at ICC Pudu, unless it rains – then I seek shelter nearby.
“I’ll be toasting buns and dried meat until about 11am. On good days, I sell out way faster and I get to close shop early. My customers can find me here every day except on Mondays.”
The compartment where he does his slicing and assembling of ingredients is small and contains a bottle of sesame oil, a tub of butter and a cucumber.
But the secret to his delicious dried meat buns is the small charcoal grill and a dash of sesame oil.
“Grilling it on charcoal is the traditional way of toasting bread and it really lends a delicious aroma. If I use other methods, it won’t smell this good,” he shares, adding that sesame oil gives it a savoury, aromatic flavour.
Chai recalls that, during his younger days, he would ride through the neighbourhoods of Kuala Lumpur to sell his buns. But age has caught up with him.
“I have been parked here for about 10 years now. My motorcycle is pretty heavy, so it’s also dangerous for me to travel anywhere else. If I trip and fall, it’s not good for me,” he says.
Despite the lockdown, his loyal customers make it a point to track him down and place their orders.
Chai shares that his mobile phone is currently damaged and, due to MCO 3.0, cannot be fixed. While this affects customers’ ability to call and order in advance, they are still able to show up in Pudu and order directly from him.
“Business is actually a bit better today. I am still able to sell between 70 and 80 buns because customers are still able to take away,” he says.
“Plus, I have customers who order large batches at a time, 70 to 90 pieces at one go.”
True enough, a customer drops by for her order of 70 bak kwa buns. She tells FMT that while she is a big fan of Winson’s Burgers, she is also there to check in on him to see if he needs any supplies such as medication.
By 10.40am, he’s sold out. More customers drop by but he has to turn them away.
Despite having done this for four decades, Chai still eats his bak kwa buns with relish and says it will be a lifelong favourite.
“You never get sick of it. I have customers coming all year round. Some of them ate it as kids and are all grown up but have never forgotten me.”
Asked if he has considered hanging up his tongs temporarily or permanently, Chai says he will continue to do it as long as he is able.
“After all, I need my daily source of income,” he says, smiling as he packs up for the day and hops on his trusty motorcycle.
“As long as I can afford two to three meals a day, I’m satisfied.”
Winson’s Burgers can be found at ICC Pudu and its surrounding areas in Kuala Lumpur.