China Pan Cake

Pisa Corner Cafe is one of the busiest food center in Relau. Coupled by the lack of parking spaces, the place is very congested even around midnight.

There is a stall called China Pan Cake (中国馅饼). The pan cake looks novel, so I decided to give the stall a try.

There are different types of fillings to choose from, such as peanut (花生), lotus (莲蓉), chives (韭菜), pickled Chinese mustard (梅菜) etc.

There is a minimum order of two pieces. I went for two pan cakes with red bean fillings (红豆馅饼) for RM1.50 each. In retrospect, I think it is permissible to order a different type of filling for each of the two.

The raw flour dough is first prepared in a flattened circular shape. Red bean filling is then inserted between two layers of dough. Next, the dough is grilled over an iron griddle similar to how roti canai is cooked. The interior may get bloated in the process due to expanding hot air between layers of dough. Once cooked, the pan cakes are cut into smaller pieces for easier consumption.

The pan cakes are slightly crispy on the outside, while the red bean paste inside is still piping hot. The paste itself is very sweet. In fact, the sweetness starts to feel revolting starting halfway through; I think one piece per person is ideal.

In addition, the pan cakes are very dry. Perhaps this is how it is meant to be prepared. In any case, you may need some water to wash the pastry down along with the lingering sweetness on the tongue.

Overall, the pan cake from this stall is a reasonably nice delicacy, but it will not be part of my regular diet.