JUST TO SHARE (Lau Tai Onn): December 2022

Pic (R): Onn, Saw, Simon, blogger

I was invited by former GBBM buddy Onn Boon Chai to join him and others for a trip to MALAYSIA DA HONG HUA TEA EXPO at Setia City Convention Centre, Setia Alam on Monday, 26/12/2022, the last day of the 3-day event from 24/12/2022.

This is a regular event showcasing numerous branded Chinese tea, tea pots, porcelains, calligraphy, painting, Chinese music instruments and natural wood craft. It is also known as Da Hong Hua International Tea & Cultural Expo.

(马来西亚大红花茶展（MALAYSIA DA HONG HUA TEA EXPO）作为马来西亚知名度最高、最具影响力的国际茶展。大红花国际茶展一直受到来自马来西亚以及国内各大茶企及消费者的高度关注。

马来西亚大红花茶展（MALAYSIA DA HONG HUA TEA EXPO）让茶商和茶客有了共同的交流空间，也让更多的大马华裔认识茶文化，更近距离的了解中国茶。马来西亚大红花茶展（MALAYSIA DA HONG HUA TEA EXPO）已经成为马来西亚及东南亚茶艺文化节的一大盛事。)

I initially declined the invitation as the venue was very far from my house if I were to drive there. Boon Chai was very nice in contacting another GBBM buddy Saw Cheng Ghee to come to my house to fetch me (my wife had taken our car to her fitness centre for workout in that morning).

So on Monday, 26/12/2022, Cheng Ghee came with his Pajero car to fetch me at 10.15am, and then picked up Simon Kuah from Taman Connought before finally fetching Boon Chai at Section 17, P.J.

We arrived at the venue of the Tea Expo at Setia City Convention Centre, Setia Alam at about 11.25am.

There were quite many visitors in view of the last day of the Expo. We sat down at one booth selling Yunnan Tea especially Xiaguan Tuocha (云南下关沱茶) and we were treated with many small cups of the Tuocha (at least 9 rounds of serving). Xiaguan (formerly romanized as Hsiakwan) is a subdistrict in Dali Prefecture (大理), Yunnan.

We were joined by a Simon’s hometown friend, retired architect Quek who has in the past emigrated and became an American citizen and now back to Malaysia in the Second Home Scheme. There was also another middle-aged man by the name of Mah who joined us in tasting the Tuocha and chit-chatted with us.

We relaxed there no less than half an hour, enjoying the tea prepared by a young salesperson.

We bought 10 pieces of Xiaguan Tuocha for RM125 (slightly cheaper than the individual price of RM13) and shared among us. I took 2 pieces of them.

As Simon found many acquaintances in another booth and socialized with them. Cheng Ghee, Boon Chai and I walked around and settled in the Ye Zi Wu (椰子屋 from Taiping) booth. Cheng Ghee and Boon Chai talked to the booth-owner in Hokkien as if they were old friends. I bought 3 packs (20g x 5 sachets each) of Honey Ginger Tea, Red Dates Tea and Honey Lemon Tea for 3xRM8 = RM24. The listed price was RM8.90 each but the owner offered he discount without any bargaining.

I also bought 5 pieces of Tuocha (勐海沱茶) at RM5 each, Chaoshan licorice tangerine peel (潮汕甘草陈皮, RM30), Chaoshan yellow-skinned plum (潮汕老式黄皮, RM25), 2 packets of Korean Sea Vit at RM8.50 each. My shopping loot (战利品) of the day amounted to RM146.

We left Tea Expo at 1.30pm and proceeded to Klang for Bak Kut Teh (BKT) lunch.

We patronized the popular Four Eye Bah Kut Teh (巴生中路口四眼仔肉骨茶) at the junction of Jalan Kepayang and Jalan Gelugor at 2.10pm. This restaurant was then packed with customers and we had to lined up for about 20 minutes before entering and managed to be seated at a small table at the end corner of the restaurant.

There was a 6-person Christmas Caroling team playing guitar and singing Christmas song to the customers (with collection of donations later). As we could only see their backsides during the performance, when a girl came to our table for donation, Simon jokingly told her that he would donate if the Caroling team could sing in front of us. And she did accept and get the Caroling team performed a short song in front of us.

A funny thing for the record was when I stood up to take video of the caroling with my mobile phone, an elderly waitress walking by and serving food just popped up in front of me a couple of times just to show her face in the video. Later, she even asked and insisted for me to show her the image of herself in my video clip. What a spoilsport! Watch video below.

Our dishes were delivered more than half an hour after ordering. The dishes we savored were dry and wet type of BKT (the dry type of meat in clay pots with black sauces, vinegar, dried chilli pepper, lady fingers and cuttle fish tasted much better), vegetable and tofu skin soup.

A total of 4 dishes cost us RM86 (each paying RM21.50) only. Really yummy and cheap! No wonder this restaurant is so well-known and popular. In contrast, a restaurant called 留香肉骨茶 next door was seen to have zero customer eating there.

After lunch, Cheng Ghee sent us back one by one and I returned home at about 4.30pm.

In conclusion, it was a very enjoyable tea-drinking, shopping and BKT eating trip. And the companionship with my 3 friends was simply wonderful!