Roti Paun Of Cherating

It was in May of 2007 when I first reminisced about roti paun or filled buns that was made by an old man using traditional methods, that is baked using a wood fire oven located by the main road of Cherating that I somehow could not locate again since then. That was a great loss to me as the old man's buns were the softest buns I had tasted for a long time, with fillings that were generous with both taste and authenticity. I am glad to say however that recently while on the road with my driver on the way back from a business meeting, I managed to relocate the old man's house which has seen some renovations, possibly the reason why I missed it before though the hut that passes for the bakery is still as ramshackled as ever. Nonetheless if you see a hut with rows and rows of buns on a wooden table while you are on the Cherating main road, you are on the right track as I am sure you will not even notice the sign board at the back of the hut proclaiming the hut as the roti poun bakery. At least it is still better than the old piece of black board that passed as a signboard the hut had before. I also found out that their roti paun are now sold at local bakery in Kuantan Town at a premium of twenty cents, while it is still sold at a ringgit at the stall though if memory serves me correctly, the buns themselves has lost a row of two buns since then. Nonetheless they are still filled with the most delicious red bean paste and coconut fillings in addition to plain buns, though they are now stingy with the home made kaya I guess due to its high cost. I am sorry the photo I took of the address was blur, but I can tell you that the bakery is located at 23rd mile Kampung Cherating Baru, after the Agriculture Centre if you are coming from Kuantan. Keep a watch to your left for the bakery or you will miss it.

But I must remind you that the bakery only operates in the evenings so if you want fresh baked buns, you must make the extra effort to be there in the afternoon otherwise you will miss out. And what a bakery it is, only using coconut husks as the fuel that gives the buns a nice soft feel. Look at the photos here if you do not believe this, as you can see the buns are actually baked in a metal container that has burning coconut husks on top that basically blackens only the top leaving the bottom part of the bun to cook to a soft texture. The photos shows a baking process of old that requires hard work and time to cook the perfect bun, and I say again here I do not know how long this bakery will last before time engulfs it in the mists of memory. I personally hope to make a return journey soon, but this time I will only buy the red beans, coconut and plain buns, as I can have my own kaya filled buns with the home made kaya from the area. I would also suggest that you also make your way there if you want a taste of the softest buns that you can get anywhere.