煎持圆满乐活每一天 | 茨厂街的曼煎糕 Apam Balik in Petaling Street

茨厂街（Petaling Street）的流动摊贩里，每天都可以看到韩天龙叔叔的踪迹。他推着三轮车流动摊位，在五彩阳伞下，现做现卖曼煎糕以及娘惹版曼煎糕。韩叔叔总是笑脸迎人，和路过的每个人都能聊上几句。年过70的他，在茨厂街社区里扎根接近一甲子，经营自己的小生意也已有40多年。

直径约两尺的圆形平底铸铁煎锅预热后，将调好的面糊铺满整个锅，可见其迅速膨胀、不断冒泡。韩叔叔在面糊上撒满白糖，盖上盖子焖一会儿，掀开盖子时白糖已呈焦糖化，再撒满花生碎。他抄起平铲，小心翼翼地将饼皮剥离煎锅，用画圈的动作渐渐深入至中心点，然后将整片圆饼对折、出锅。这就是全民街头小吃——曼煎糕，又称满煎糕、面煎粿、大块面，马来文称Apam Balik。

韩叔叔年仅15岁时从森美兰的家乡来到吉隆坡打工，曾在“茨厂街四大酒楼”之一的成记酒楼工作好些年，累积了做点心和西菓的经验。成家后，微薄的工资难以应付家庭开销，他决定创业做生意。韩叔叔在茨厂街一带进行了市场调查，发现这个范围内无人销售曼煎糕这类小吃，最靠近的一摊在武吉免登。于是他自行研发，经过几番尝试后掌握要领，做出满意的成品，从此开始了摆摊生涯。

昔时韩叔叔租住在思士街的店屋楼上，摊位寄存在店屋后巷，晨间将其推到街上做生意，晚间又推回后巷。2000年后，租屋处改建为唐城小食中心，他举家搬至蕉赖，摊位依然寄存在该后巷。每天早上七时许，韩叔叔搭乘轻快铁到茨厂街，在茶室和朋友一起享用早餐，八点准时开档。煲斑兰叶水、调和面糊等工序都在摊位旁进行，视销量需求随时添补。

近年来，茨厂街成为吉隆坡的著名旅游景点，游客络绎不绝，连带地令韩叔叔的生意兴旺。韩叔叔的太太以前有自己的工作，又忙于照顾年幼的孩子，直到孩子们成年后，她才到摊位上协助韩叔叔销售曼煎糕。她的腿脚不方便，只能搭乘德士往返，下午一点半就回家，由一名缅甸籍伙计接替她的岗位。有了太太和伙计的帮忙，韩叔叔乐得轻松，总是一面制作曼煎糕，一面和路过的朋友或顾客有说有笑。

即使每天工作忙忙碌碌，连农历新年都照常出摊，韩叔叔仍一派乐观开朗，从不觉得累。他享受每天与人群互动，目前没有退休的打算，若健康允许，会继续做下去。一片片曼煎糕和娘惹曼煎糕，一片片欢声笑语，大半辈子甜蜜香气萦绕。

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【曼煎糕小知识】
曼煎糕相传源自咸丰五年（1855年）左宗棠将军率兵前往福建剿攻太平军时，利⽤当地盛产的蔗糖和花⽣碾碎，撒在已发酵松软的煎饼上，充作⼠兵口粮。由于味道香甜且携带⽅便，便渐渐流传开来，成为街头⼩吃。曼煎糕随着移⺠的步履传到东南亚一带，还衍生出采用在地材料制作的娘惹版，由粘米粉、椰浆、鸡蛋和椰丝制成。

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Uncle Hon Tin Long is a daily fixture among the hawkers of Petaling Street. He pushes a trishaw cart onto Jalan Hang Lekir, and sells freshly made apam balik and nyonya apam balik under a colorful umbrella. Uncle Hon is always jovial, and can chat with passersby. Now over 70 years old, he has been in Petaling Street for almost six decades, running his own stall for over 40 years.

A cast iron pan with a diameter of about two feet is preheated, filled with pancake batter that immediately fluffs up and bubbles. Uncle Hon scatters sugar across the surface, and covers it with the lid for a while. Upon lifting the lid, the sugar has caramelised, then he scatters crushed peanuts onto the pancake. Using a metal scraper, he carefully peels the pancake away from the pan, moving in a circular motion until the center point, folding the pancake over and removing it from the pan. Such is the making of a favorite street food — Ban Jian Kuih, also known as Man Chian Kuih, Ban Chang Kuih, Dai Gau Min, or Apam Balik in Malay.

At the age of 15, Uncle Hon left his hometown Seremban to make a living at Kuala Lumpur. He worked at one of the “Four Greatest Restaurants of Petaling Street”, Seng Kee, for quite a few years, becoming experienced in making dim sum and pastries. After having a family, he found it hard to make ends meet, therefore he decided to start his own business. Uncle Hon did some market research within Petaling Street, and found out that nobody was selling apam balik in the vicinity, the closest stall would be at Bukit Bintang. Therefore, he underwent research and development, and mastered the making of apam balik after a few attempts. With satisfactory results, he started his own business.

Uncle Hon used to rent a room in a shophouse on Jalan Hang Lekir, storing his trishaw stall in the back lane, pushing it onto the streets to do business during daytime and put it back at night. After the year 2000, the shophouse was rebuilt into Tang City Food Court. He moved to Cheras, but still stores his trishaw stall in the same back lane. Every morning around 7AM, Uncle Hon takes the LRT to Petaling Street, enjoys breakfast with his friends at the food court, and opens his stall at 8AM. Procedures such as boiling pandan water and mixing the pancake batter are carried out beside his stall, so that he can always replenish throughout the day.

In recent years, Petaling Street has become a famous tourist spot in Kuala Lumpur, Uncle Hon’s business is flourishing. Mrs Hon used to work her own job and take care of their children. After they have grown up, then only she starts to help Uncle Hon selling apam balik at the stall. As she has problems walking, she rides a taxi to and fro, returning home around 1.30PM, a Myanmar helper takes over her duty at the stall. With their assistance, it’s easier for Uncle Hon to concentrate on making apam balik, and he also gets to chat jovially with friends, passersby, and customers.

Despite being busy at work everyday, and even keeping the stall open during Chinese New Year, Uncle Hon is optimistic and cheerful, and never feels tired. He enjoys interacting with people on a daily basis, and has no plans for retirement at the moment, continuing to work as his health allows. Slices of apam balik and nyonya apam balik, cheers and laughter, his life is full of sweetness and aroma.

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