Since 2008, Steven Yap has been selling baby oil sticks or mini yau char kwai (Chinese crullers) from his truck.
As businesses folded and restaurants shuttered due to Covid-19 earlier this year, Yap instead marked a milestone – by opening his shop, Steven Ann Baby Oil Stick, in Bandar Baru Ampang.
It has been a long journey for the 36-year-old who hails from Cheras. His determination and that of his wife Annie Leong, 25, in achieving success have played a huge part in this “graduation”.
“Ann is short for Annie,” Yap said, explaining the name of his shop while preparing the dough.
“Everyone was closing down (due to the Movement Control Order) and we saw an opportunity to open (a shop). We started operating from the shop since the Recovery Movement Control Order (was imposed).”
Yap, who learnt the trade from his friends, started by selling baby oil sticks at pasar malam (night markets). He then traded at the Yulek market in Cheras in the mornings before parking his vehicle at the junction across Restoran Chuan Hupp in Bandar Baru Ampang in the afternoons.
What was his motivation?
“I doubt I would have reached my life goals by getting a 9-to-5 job. When you run your own business, there’s no limit and no one can stop you. You set the limit.
“And the food business will never be eliminated. It’s not like camera shops that used to develop films. Today, everything is digital. But people need food.”
People wait patiently for his baby oil sticks as he continuously fries the traditional yau char kwai, yau char kwai with sesame seed and ham chim peng (red bean and glutinous rice).
“Business was good at the junction. Not many people know I’ve moved here although it’s near the old place. Some regulars have found us and we’ve seen new faces coming over.”
Why the baby size?
“People ‘eat’ with their eyes first. Making them small and cute is attractive. Also, it gives people the opportunity to eat more than just the yau char kwai.”
Steven Ann Baby Oil Stick offers more than just mini yau char kwai and ham chin peng – and that’s thanks to Leong.
For RM6.50, you can get a bowl of spicy lala soup noodle which comes with a generous amount of clams (12 in our bowl, yes we counted!). For the same price, one can also get a plate of nasi lemak special (which is pretty decent) that comes with a piece of chicken or a bowl of pork porridge.
The shop also serves an array of traditional soups, including herbal soup with black chicken, ginseng root with chicken soup and pig maw pepper soup.
The other specialties are the Chinese desserts, including bubur cha cha, red bean soup and snow fungus longan drink. They also have soya milk and tau fu fah (soybean curd).
As a ‘leong leong’ posted on a Google Review on Steven Ann Baby Oil Stick:
“There is no five-star decoration, but it offers a five-star taste and service.”
If you’re in Ampang and in need of some baby oil sticks, you now know where to go.
Steven Ann Baby Oil Stick
11AG, Jalan Wawasan 2/10,
Bandar Baru Ampang, 68000
Ampang, Selangor
Contact number: +6016-960 5297
Opening hours: 7.30am – 8pm (Tuesday – Sunday)
