At a few minutes past five in the evening, the dough starts flying at Good Taste Food Court in Hui Sing Commercial Centre. The man behind the counter tosses a soft lump, slaps it against the worktop, and keeps stretching until it is almost translucent before it lands on the hot pan and turns golden. This is how every evening begins for Arumugam Ramanair, who locals simply call Pak Tam — and it has looked like this at this food court for 23 years, longer than any other vendor here. [image: 1789182843548-roti_p1.jpg] Source: DayakDaily Arumugam's craft did not start at a stall. He grew up around Indian cooking — his father and grandfather were both skilled in the kitchen, and festival meals at home always meant fresh rotis, curries, sweets and puddings. Even so, he did not cook for a living until he was 26, after a spell as a house painter, when he realised he already had the skills to make it work. At that time only a handful of Indian roti canai stalls operated in the city, so he took the chance. The signature here is the crispy roti canai: stretched paper-thin, pan-fried to a golden crunch and served with a mildly spiced, aromatic curry gravy. Regular customers say watching the preparation is half the experience — a quick, precise performance that has made Pak Tam something of a fixture for Hui Sing regulars. The menu also covers chicken, beef and sardine murtabak, Indian rojak, mee jawa, mee kari, nasi lemak and nasi goreng, with most items between RM1.50 and RM10. [image: 1789182843688-roti_p2.jpg] Source: DayakDaily What makes this stall easy to root for is the family behind it. Arumugam's wife, a Bidayuh from Bau, now does most of the cooking, drawing on the same family kitchen traditions, and their four children pitch in whenever they are free. He admits the recipes differ from what West Malaysians or Indians back home might expect — but regulars keep coming back for exactly that home-style version. [image: 1789182843886-roti_p3.jpg] Source: DayakDaily If I were planning an easy evening meal in the Hui Sing or Stampin area, I would aim for the 5pm opening when the food court is just waking up, before the dinner crowd builds. Parking follows the usual shop-house arrangement along Lorong Hui Sing 3, and this is an ideal stop to combine with other stalls in the food court if you are eating with someone who wants variety. Just note the stall runs on evening hours — come after five, not at lunch. Pak Tam's Roti Canai is inside Good Taste Food Court, Ground Floor Lot 2114 & 2115, Blk 16, Lorong Hui Sing 3, Jalan Stampin, Taman Hui Sing, 93350 Kuching, open daily from 5pm to 10pm. For enquiries, call 016-816 0993. Open in Google Maps

The afternoon crowd at Hui Sing Open Air Hawker Centre knows exactly where to go when that craving for something crispy and savoury hits. Stall No.5 is Chin Khoon, and the star of the show is popcorn chicken — bite-sized, seasoned to perfection, and served with a pile of local purple rice and crunchy potato chips. Behind the stall are Augustin Then, 58, and his wife Yeo Siok Kheng. Their family's story in Kuching's hawker scene goes back further than most people realise. Between the 1970s and 1990s, they operated at the now-defunct Palm Road Hawker Centre, starting with beverages and later switching to satay as the area grew busier. In 1993, the family relocated to Hui Sing. Then took over from his parents and initially ran a fast-food operation catering to nearby college students. But rising ingredient costs and the demanding pace of fast food led him to make a bold move: he simplified the menu and focused entirely on popcorn chicken. "After my parents retired, we found fast food too labour-intensive. So we started selling popcorn chicken, and have been doing it ever since," Then explains. The pivot defined the stall. The popcorn chicken — crispy on the outside, juicy within — is served with local purple rice and potato chips, a combination that regulars have stuck with for years. The menu stays intentionally short: two additional chicken rice options and a four-hour window from 3pm to 7pm daily, or until the chicken runs out. "Our hawker community here is very close-knit and supportive. Since 1993, our bonds have only grown stronger, and we also guide younger hawkers," Then shares. How to visit Chin Khoon is at Stall No.5, Hui Sing Open Air Hawker Centre, Kuching. Open in Google Maps. Open daily 3pm–7pm, closed Saturdays. Come early — the popcorn chicken often sells out before closing. The hawker centre has plenty of other stalls worth trying too, including satay and tomato noodles.

A Hui Sing drain complaint was marked resolved, but the drain was still clogged when checked again. [image: 1784455492695-mbks-hui-sing-drain.jpeg] Source: The Borneo Post / handout photo Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen's special assistant Michael Kong said the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) should check maintenance work on-site before closing public complaints. The case involves a filthy and clogged drain in front of a department store at Hui Sing Commercial Centre. Kong said he reported it through Talikhidmat, then later received an update saying clearing work had been done on May 28. When he went back to the site, he said stagnant water and rubbish were still there. Location: Hui Sing Commercial Centre, Kuching Details: Kong wants MBKS to send workers back for proper cleaning and explain how the complaint was marked completed. Source: The Borneo Post Anyone around Hui Sing saw this drain before? What do you think?