Pimp my pia

Look at this photo and guess where I snapped it (don't scroll down first).

So, where did I take this photo? If you guessed places like Big Apple, J and Co, or Dunkin' Donuts, then you're wrong.

This place is in fact a pimped-up kompia shop just beside Sugarbun Gateway, where I had my lunch yesterday.

This shop is called Kompiatiam (which means "kompia shop").

Now, if you are truly a Sibu-lang, you must absolutely know what kompia is, together with jin tung pian. Kompia is salty and tough while jin tung pia is sweet and soft. Normally, they are eaten plain without any toppings or fillings, except for kompia, which is sometimes eaten with some minced pork (sorry Malay readers).



It appears that some guy (this guy really has the "business brain" as we say in Chinese) came up with a bright idea to commercialize these Foochow pastries to the public, especially the younger generation, who love those oh so expensive but oh so so so delicious donuts that you can't get here in Sibu, by turning the jin tung pian into a ripoff (山寨版) of the famous donuts. And they did it quite well, as I think that they look really convincing and similar to those donuts. For the kompia, they came up with different types of "Malay friendly" fillings such as beef rendang and prawn sambal, just to name a few.

These jin tung pia don't really cost that much too, Rm 1.00 for four pieces is the normal price for both types (plain) anywhere else. It ain't that bad to pay RM 1.00 ++ for a Big Apple donut ripoff, don't you think so?

They certainly look the part. But what about the taste? Well, I've got to say, donuts are better, because these jin tung pia are dry compared to the donuts which are normally fried. Another thing is, they don't have filling! That kinda sucks...

If you're interested, go and visit Sugarbun Gateway today, and show your support for this beloved Foochow snack!