ACN's Connecting the Dots - A short tour to KL and Selangor (30 June - 1 July 2018), Day 1 : Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil and Chocolate Factory Ride

Tantalizing sights

Annie, Andrew, Angel, Goh Huay Mein, Cera

Alvin, Freda, Roy, Robert, VT, Philip and Berenda

Cikgu SC Chin and Cikgu Lilianna Lee

Kelvin and Jasmine

Ling Yang, Siew Choo, Carmen, Sharen, JK, Simon, Andrew, Liang and friends

Elena, Hau Yang and friends

Mindy, Philip and friends

Sylvia, Jey, Anne, Samson

Annie, Siew Choo, Ricky, Lilian, Mike, Sin Tai Lim, Alvin, May, Samson, Anne, Berenda, Carmen, Herbert, Simon, Cindy, Mindy, Foo, Kelvin, Jasmine, Siew Yung and friends

At Eng Hup Seng

Frantic purchase

Taste test on 2 year old soy sauce

The lids are placed for the day as the workers sweep the compound

Beautiful Freda!

Tea break after 2 Escape

Tea break after 2 Escape

Early dinner followed by McD's supper

Cruising into Star Avenue this morning, we missed a turn before we finally found Nasi Kandar Penang Kapitan. Located in a fairly new commercial center, adjoined to a shopping mall, we had expected a greasy mamak shop. Instead, what stood before us was a classy joint with its lights, still snuffed out at 6 am!

As the 23 hours signage was not convincing, considering the total lack of activities, meeting Roy at the car park was reassuring! Not willing to go on a ride without breakfast, Claudine checked out their kitchen on the back lane only to find out their business hours start from 7 am! Having no choice, we made a beeline to 7 Eleven’s.

Midway munching through our choice of knick knacks, Mindy came to usher us to a coffee shop located 500m away. Gladly we left with her, just as more and more riders streamed into the parking lots. The perfect host, Mindy was later seen shuttling up and down along the 500 m stretch ushering riders to the new breakfast venue!

Surprisingly, Philip made it as well. Adamant to ride from Subang to Sg Buloh despite Claudine’s advice to call for a Grab service, he arrived at Kapitan right on the dot! The change of breakfast venue pushed the roll out time backwards which works out perfectly for him!

Even with 2 teachers around, our class of 40 students was not easy to organize! Not many were paying attention to the calls for group photo, even when the whistle was blown! Perhaps, a cane and blow horn would have worked better!!!

Rolling out, the garbage truck that followed us from Kapitan continued to shadow us! Mashing the pedals, we soon left the stench and arrived at Elmira; an upmarket housing development, equipped with bike paths, lake and sprawling greenery. As an after thought to our “stinky” garbage collectors, without them (Sewerage and Waste Management) none of this beauty would have been possible!

Getting to Eng Hup Seng Sesame Oil and Soy Sauce Factory was a totally different ball game! Whilst one part of the route cuts through Kampung Paya Jaras which saw narrow roads, chickens and traditional kampung houses; Kampung Baru Sungai Buloh was an industrial estate with heavy traffic!!!

Fighting for space with cars and lorries alike, Claudine had to hone on all her 5 senses to remain safe. Strangely, Siew Choo was caught in a delirious mood as her mini woofer adds to the drowning noise on the streets!

Arriving at our destination, Mr Koh was there to greet us. He walked us through the whole process of sesame oil production from dry roasting to pressing and bottling. Later, he took us to the open yard to learn the intricate art of soy sauce and bean paste making.

Surprisingly, Eng Hup Seng also produces chili sauce. As these are blended, cooked and bottled on the same day, all we saw were the finished products, packed and ready for shipment.

Moving on from the Eng Hup Seng, we made our way to Chocolate Museum, a museum and factory at Sg Buloh. Using the pedestrian bridge at Kampung Selamat’s MRT station, we managed to cross busy Jalan Sungai Buloh safely, thanks to our local experts!!!

Cocoa Beans

Museum gallery

Chocolate making demonstration

Sales gallery

Owned by DR Holdings Sdn Bhd, this concern welcomes guests who are curious about chocolates. A free and well conducted tour, it gives a thorough introduction to cocoa beans and its origins, the history of chocolates and even went on to cover the whole chocolate making process! Besides importing chocolates, it also produces its own house names like Danson, Farell and Fidani.

Marking the end of our ride with free chocolate samples, we rode the last 4 km back to our cars. While many stayed back for lunch at Kapitan’s, the JB and Singapore group hurried home after a quick lunch at Ipoh Yong Tau Foo. Alvin was to give a presentation on “Why Cycle Laos and Cambodia” at 2 Escape and we can’t have him reeking in sweat!

Philip and Cupcake

Meanwhile, Philip found himself a guardian angel. Taking pity on him, Mindy chauffeured him to 2 Escape and back, relieving him from the stress of catching a Grab!

Many thanks to our friends :

1. Mindy Sim, Best Captain in the World

2. Cikgu Chin, our liaison at Eng Hup Seng Factory and ground planning

3. Freda, Most Patient Sweeper

Photo Credits :

1. KC

2. Mindy

3. Kelvin 

4. Philip

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Urns are labelled for tracking purposes

Bean paste

Dim Cheong

Aged soy sauce

Taste test

Mr Koh's contacts

Fun facts on soy sauce and bean paste making :

1. Washed and boiled soy beans are rubbed with flour and left in a temperate room for 3 days, allowing natural fermentation by yeasts.

2. Beans are then mixed with salt water and transferred to clay urns.

3. A 3 months aging process is now allowed, with daily sun exposure.

4. It is important to raise the urns, allowing ample air flow. This is done by sitting the urns on wooden pellets.

5. After a 3 months aging process, the soy sauce is ready for extraction. The first extraction is considered the best quality soy sauce. Salt water can be added to the soy beans for second and third extraction.

6. If bean paste is to be made, the second and third extraction is forgo. The top layer of dried soy beans are then removed, while a blend of salt water, seasoning and preservatives are added to the beans, allowing a further fermentation of 2 weeks.

7. Some soy sauce are aged up to 2 years. This requires monthly straining to prevent salt crystals from forming.

8. According to Mr Koh, Malaysia produces the best quality soy sauce as we enjoy year round sunshine.

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Eng Hup Seng uses black sesame seeds

Sesame seeds are initially roasted

Roasting pan and funnel

Pressed for oil

Note the oil cakes

Pressing machines

Sacks of seeds

Oil drums

Fun facts on sesame oil making :

1. Sesame seeds are initially washed to remove unwanted products like dust, stones and foreign matter.
2. A dry roasting process proceeds.
3. After roasting, oil is extracted through a pressing procedure.

4. Oil is now allowed to settle before a filtration process to remove seeds and oil cakes.
5. Before bottling, oil needs to be refined.

6. Eng Hup Seng is the biggest sesame oil producer in Malaysia.

7. Besides its own house brand, it also produces sesame oil for other private labels as well.