Tai Bak @ Tai Bak Corner, Tengkera, Malacca

Beating the heat seems to be like to main agenda these days. And frosty desserts are making a comeback. But then again, when was it out of style?  With newer entrees like kakigori and bingsu, the old fashioned nyonya tai bak gets taken to the back of the line. It is a shame really, as this is a sweet and simple, yet noteworthy dessert that will send you down memory lane, to a time long forgotten.

Front of the house, and you can see that box full of tai bak.

Many nyonya restaurants sells taibak, but it cannot replicate the awesome dessert that Tai Bak Corner has to offer. Yeap it has a simple and straight forward name. But do not be fooled, this stall has been around since my parents were still in school. There is a lot of history here. 

Slurpee's better bigger brother

This joint has various cold treats like ais kacang, and the infamous ice ball. But the main go-to here, its the name sake tai bak. To the uninitiated, tai bak is something like a combination of glutinous rice balls and loh shi fan noodles. It has a chewy texture and actually has a bland taste.

Refreshing...

 

It is however, served with other stuff, mainly cin cau (herbal jelly), shaved ice and sugar syrup. In this place you can choose plain white sugar syrup, or my personal favourite, palm sugar. And the tai bak helps carry the flavours well.This frosty creation is always a must try and if I am bringing foreign friends to try a local specialty that is off the radar. I will bring them here The noodles texture is very special. It is buoyant yet smooth. The palm sugar gives it that floral and nutty flavour which goes into everything and the cin cau added a different dimension in terms of texture. 

A peek into this humble spot. 

Tai Bak Corner also sells fried items like pisang goreng, certain types of cucur and also mee rebus. But I come here for the main star-maker. The prices have shot significantly throughout the years. I remembered a time a bowl was only RM1.30, and it now stands at RM2. Well, good food can stand the test of time, but it certainly falls prey to inflation as well just like the rest of us. 

Another angle for good measure. 

Still, this is something I still enjoy and it is a nostalgic dish that I still come over again and again. Frosty, refreshing and a local classic, this is still a must try in my books. Fancy a go? The address is as follows:

Jalan Tengkera, 75300 Malacca (next to Wesley Methodist School)