By Ahmad Abd Hamid
Jusoh Din is not a film star, not a singer, not a celebrity of any kind. He is only a cakoi seller. But he is very popular among the residents of Taman Tun Sardon in Gelugor, Penang!
They fondly call him ‘Jusoh Pak Tongko’. In Penang, cakoi or fried dough stick or cruller (youtiao in Mandarin) is known as ‘Pak Tongko’.
Jusoh, 45, and his wife, Noor Hayati Abdul Kadir, 34, have been selling cakoi since 2007, starting at ‘pasar malam’ (night markets) and ‘pasar pagi’ (morning markets) around their home at Batu Uban. Today they operate from a stall located on the main road of Taman Tun Sardon.
The housing area is named after Johor-born Tun Sardon Jubir, the fourth governor of Penang, from 1975 to 1981. Sardon was a cabinet member during the prime ministership of Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Abdul Razak Hussein from 1955 to 1974, holding various portfolios, including Minister of Transport, Health, Works and Communications. He passed away in 1985.
Jusoh Din separates the dough before frying the cakoi
Prior to selling cakoi, Jusoh worked as a delivery man, delivering foods to project sites as well as canteens as his main source of income. The idea of selling cakoi came from his parents, using their family recipe.
Sales at both the morning and night markets were good because his customers preferred the golden brown snacks derived from the secret family recipe — — delicious, soft and crispy.
As his business picked up, Jusoh rented a stall at Sungai Batu in Teluk Kumbar so that he could conduct his business from a fixed place.
He later moved to Taman Tun Sardon, the current location, in 2015 after securing the more strategically-located rental spot as it is not far from the Al-Taqwa Mosque. He operates there daily from 7 am to 12 noon.
People would wait in line patiently for Jusoh and his wife to deep-fry the cakoi. Some come for take aways. Some would enjoy the cakoi at the stall, either with ‘kuah kacang’ (peanut gravy) or ‘kaya’ (jam). A glass of teh tarik is usually a perfect combination.
The couple works hard. After closing the stall at midday for a short breather, they start again from 2 pm till 6 pm.
But in the evening, they operate from a different spot, Astaka Taman Tun Sardon, near the market and not far from their “morning and afternoon” stall.
It is a good choice for Jusoh and Noor Hayati as many people frequent the Astaka in the evening. During the fasting month, Jusoh switches to the Bazar Ramadan Taman Tun Sardon.
Noor Hayati, the other pillar of strength in the husband-and-wife cakoi business
Jusoh and his wife, who have three children, wake up very early in the morning to prepare for their business. It’s their daily routine. First, they prepare the dough for the cakoi, which has to be done before dawn. And so is cooking of the gravy.
One really needs the skill to prepare the dough. This is to make sure the flour, blended with correct proportions of sugar, salt, soda and yeast would make a solid and yet soft dough for the tasty cakoi.
After many years in the business, Jusoh is considered to have mastered the skill to please his customers. On weekdays, Jusoh uses eight kg of flour daily. On weekends or public holidays, this doubles to 16 kg.
Each kilogram can produce between 50 and 60 pieces of cakoi, whch are sold at 50 sen each.
.Jusoh also accepts bookings for events like weddings, birthdays and festive occasions. For these events, he and his wife will even be present at the venue themselves and fry on-the-spot so that the cakoi comes out hot and crispy!
Jusoh can be contacted at 018-2228342 and Noor Hayati at 011-6560360 when you happen to be craving for cakoi in Penang.
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