‘Roti Paung’ selling like hot cakes in Nilai
Published on: Friday, December 06, 2019
By: Bernama
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Roti paung, made of flour, sugar, eggs and yeast, derived its name from roti paun.
The small and fluffy buns were so delectable that he would always go in search of it whenever he visits the east coast state.
Then he thought he could do himself and fellow roti paung devotees in Nilai a favour by opening an outlet specialising in baking and selling those aromatic, mouth-wateringly delicious rolls so that they do not have to travel 450 kilometres to Kuala Terengganu to get their “fix”.
On May 1 Kedai Roti Paung Che Wan, located in front of a mall here, opened its doors and has since been enjoying brisk business. In fact, customers reportedly queue up outside the shop as early as 12 noon although it only opens at 1.30pm.
Roti paung, made of flour, sugar, eggs and yeast, derived its name from roti paun (pound) as it is usually sold in batches of 12 to 18 small buns each, which weigh an approximate one pound (453 grammes). The buns are baked plain or with butter, kaya or red bean filling.
Mohd Nadzry, 40, who runs a restaurant serving Arab cuisine at Dataran Nilai here, told Bernama his roti paung shop is a branch of the famous Roti Paung Che Wan chain of outlets in Terengganu owned by Wan Mohd Ridhwan Wan Khalid, 42, who uses his own special recipe to prepare the buns.
“Roti paung originated from Terengganu. It was originally called roti paun but because paun is pronounced as paung in the Terengganu dialect, it came to be known as roti paung,” said Mohd Nadzry.
The father-of-three said in March he met up with Wan Mohd Ridhwan to discuss the possibility of opening a branch of Roti Paung Che Wan in Nilai and the latter consented.
Mohd Nadzry started his operations with a capital of RM20,000, and he is assisted by his wife Nur Halina Abdul Halim, 36, and four workers.
Mohd Nadzry, who took about a week to learn the correct technique of baking roti paung, said he stays true to the original recipe and loyal fans of the Terengganu bun have declared that his roti paung’s texture and taste matched the original’s.
To make the buns, the wheat flour, eggs and sugar are mixed into a dough which, when ready, is rounded into small balls and placed in a circular tray before it is put into the oven. Each batch has an average of 18 small buns.
Preparing the dough may sound simple but, according to Mohd Nadzry, it is quite a complicated process “as we have to knead the flour the traditional way by using our hands.
“Each day, we use 40 to 50 kilogrammes of flour to produce 300 to 400 batches of roti paung,” he said, adding that each batch is sold at RM4.50. The buns prepared at his shop come with either butter or red bean filling.
Mohd Nadzry said before he opened Kedai Roti Paung Che Wan, he served complimentary roti paung to the diners at his restaurant and they enjoyed it.
“The best part is, my roti paung outlet has gone viral (on social media) and I’m now getting customers from Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Johor,” he said, adding that the buns are sold out by the end of the day. – Bernama
Encouraged by the response, Mohd Nadzry opened another branch of Roti Paung Che Wan in Bangi, Selangor, in October. He hopes to open a branch in his hometown Pontian, Johor, early next year.
Norish Abdullah, 36, one of Kedai Roti Paung Che Wan’s faithful customers, said she buys the buns every week and would even send a message on WhatsApp to the owner asking him to “reserve” some buns for her.
“The buns are so delicious and the texture so soft. They are best eaten when still warm,” she added.
