This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on November 16, 2020 - November 22, 2020

Klang town is one of the oldest towns in Malaysia and is rich in history, customs, and tradition. As you walk around the town, you can see many historical colonial buildings built in the 1800s to 1900s.

One street that looks like it has been forgotten by time is Jalan Raya Timur. It is located close to the Klang railway station, also known as Klang KTM station, and is home to 2-storey pre-war shoplots and 3-storey shopoffices that were constructed between 1930 and 1940.

The street was one of the earliest commercial areas in the southern part of Klang and these shoplots and shopoffices were among the busiest in the area. However, over time, many businesses closed down or moved away. Today, a number of shoplots are unoccupied and not well maintained. The shopoffices, however, are in a slightly better condition.

Next to the railway station, along the street, is a new multilevel car park operated by Railway Assets Corp. Opened last year, the 3-storey colonial-style building has 583 vehicle bays and 68 motorcycle bays, which has eased the parking woes in the area.

The few businesses that have remained in Jalan Raya Timur include advertising agencies that specialise in signboards, printing shops, restaurants, a hotel and car repair workshops. Also located along the street is the Kwong Tung Association Klang.

One business that has stood the test of time and remained popular among Klang residents is Regent Pandan Layer Cake Shop, which has been operating for more than 40 years. Many people in the town and beyond grew up eating the famous five-layer pandan cake.

The bakery also offers yam and corn variations of the layer cake, as well as other baked goods such as the Philippine chocolate cake.

Jocelyn, a Klang resident, raves about the delicacies, especially the pandan cake. “It is just so different from the cakes I eat in modern cafes and other bakeries. It tastes like home. I feel it is a uniquely Malaysian taste that cannot be found in any other parts of the world.”

She recalls how relieved she was in 2016 when she learnt that the proprietor, Cheng Yew Hoe, would be keeping the business open, with his son taking over, following an earlier announcement that it was closing down because of the lack of a successor.

Opposite the cake shop is Warong Atokk Nenek. Occupying a beautifully renovated intermediate shoplot, this little café serves Johorean favourites.

Some of the dishes on the menu are laksa Johor, mee bandung, kacang pool, tauhu begedil, sangkaya and nasi ujang.

Fiona stumbled upon this café after visiting Regent Pandan Layer Cake Shop. Its unusual decorations and newer façade caught her eye.

“It has become one of my favourite eating spots in Klang. I brought my Johorean friend there once and he said the food is quite authentic,” she says.

Fiona raves about its mee bandung — a noodle dish topped with slices of meat, prawns, fishcake, squid, and hard-boiled egg and served in a broth. What differentiates Warong Atokk Nenek’s version from the others is the thick, flavourful broth and lamb shank bone, she says.

According to CCO & Associates director Chan Wai Seen, the market price for the shoplots along this road ranges from RM450,000 to RM700,000 while the shopoffices are between RM800,000 and RM1.2 million, depending on the location and the condition of the building.

As Jalan Raya Timur is an old commercial area, it has relatively old amenities and the road is narrow, with limited car park facilities. Chan says this has curtailed development in the area.

He notes that most of the shoplots are occupied by businesses that have operated here for many years and established their own clientele.

“In the absence of new development plans, this locality may not be able to attract new businesses.”

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