SHAH ALAM, March 3 — Cake Jalan Tiung has built its reputation on laminated dough and levain. Founded by the dynamic duo of Hidzad Bin Lahuree and his wife Nur Shafinaz Binti Abdul Rahman, the Shah Alam bakery café first drew attention for marrying French technique with Malaysian flavours – think pandan gula Melaka croissants.
This Ramadan, however, the ovens and proofing baskets share space with stock pots as Cake Jalan Tiung dishes up their new iftar menu.
For Hidzad, creating dishes specifically for buka puasa requires a careful calibration: “For us, iftar is an important moment during Ramadan. After a long day of fasting, the body needs filling comfort and bold flavours re-energise.”
The first dish, Crispy Ayam Gepuk Pedas, began not as a commercial brainstorm but as a staff craving.
Hidzad explains, “Our staff loved ayam gepuk so much that they would order from all the popular places almost every week or twice a week for lunch. It’s simple, bold and also satisfying. So we thought instead of buying it we would try to make it as a staff meal.”
The chicken is boneless leg — chosen, he notes, for “the right balance of tenderness and texture”.
It is marinated and boiled with lemongrass, galangal, garlic and turmeric before being coated in their own flour blend and fried until golden. The result is shatteringly crisp outside, yielding within.
The soul of the dish lies in its sambal, which Hidzad says “is made from red cili padi and cili padi kampung that are smashed by hand, then hot oil and seasonings are added to give it a slow, building heat.”
The sambal gajus is made by first roasting the cashews in the oven to bring out their nutty flavour before being pounded and drizzled with hot oil and seasoning.
Hidzad adds, “We want the spice to creep up nicely instead of being overwhelming.”
The dynamic duo: Hidzad Bin Lahuree and Nur Shafinaz Binti Abdul Rahman. — Picture courtesy of Cake Jalan Tiung
Around it, a supporting cast of fried tempeh and tofu, deeply caramelised cabbage and fried jakut (watercress). A drizzle of kicap manis ABC over fragrant rice completes the plate.
The next dish, the Sup Ekor Aussie Beef & Ulam, is a deeply soulful, nostalgic and comforting dish – “a love letter to the sup tulang we grew up with,” Hidzad says.
The distinction lies partly in the choice of protein.
Hidzad explains, “Our version is elevated with the exceptional quality of Australian beef that was deliberately chosen to produce a cleaner, sweeter depth of flavour and richness into the broth.”
Yet he is careful not to stray too far: “We try to stay true to the traditional version especially with the broth as this is what holds everything together by simmering the oxtail for hours with herbs and spices like bunga cengkih, buah pelaga and bunga lawang amongst others.”
Served with rice, ulam, sambal belacan and salted egg, the soup is intended to rejuvenate.
Hidzad says, “During iftar, we hope the first sip of sup ekor is almost a restorative and soothing feeling.”
Crispy Ayam Gepuk Pedas. — Picture courtesy of Cake Jalan Tiung
The third main – Itik Salai Lemak Cili Api & Pucuk Paku – catches one’s eye from across the room with its vivid yellow hue.
“It is a distinctive and instantly recognisable dish, even just from its colour, so we thought it definitely deserves a seat at the iftar table,” says Hidzad.
This dish speaks with authority, from its choice of using boneless duck, the complexity of its smoking process, a lemak cili api gravy that is unapologetic in its heat, that is further balanced by pucuk paku and ulam, and – above all else – the vibrant yellow colour.
Hidzad notes its Negeri Sembilan roots: “This is a regional Malaysian dish that is irreplaceable in our culture that is worth celebrating.”
During Ramadan in Malaysia, there is the additional ritual of moreh – a later supper taken after Terawih prayers, whether at the mosque or at home.
Cake Jalan Tiung’s Moreh Specials acknowledge that second appetite. Bubur Candil Sumsum arrives as a comforting bowl of pudding studded with glutinous rice balls and rose sago, bathed in coconut milk.
Sup Ekor Aussie Beef & Ulam. — Picture courtesy of Cake Jalan Tiung
Lempeng Pisang offers two pieces of traditional banana pancake with desiccated coconut – uncomplicated, gently sweet.
For something less expected, there is Mexican Street Corn: charred corn dressed with grated cheese and spices, a playful counterpoint to the evening’s more traditional Malay mains.
That’s a lot of new menu items, however you view it. Indeed, for a café whose daily rhythm revolves around viennoiserie and brunch plates, Ramadan has necessitated operational recalibration.
Hidzad shares, “For context, our kitchen is built around the rhythm of sourdoughs, bagels, croissants, eggs, and afternoon pastas, run by a small, tight team of two cooks. It is an intimate operation, and we are proud of that intimacy.”
For Ramadan and their iftar menu this year, however, the Cake Jalan Tiung team wanted “to make these dishes completely ourselves instead of having them pre-made and frozen.”
The shift is structural as much as culinary. “Introducing an iftar menu means we are essentially running a different kitchen by evening. The techniques, the ingredients, the timing – everything shifts. The iftar menu are dishes that cannot be rushed.”
Itik Salai Lemak Cili Api & Pucuk Paku. — Picture courtesy of Cake Jalan Tiung
Clearly for Cake Jalan Tiung, their new Ramadan menu has been a genuine labour of love.
“There is a different kind of energy in the kitchen during this season,” Hidzad shares, “something more purposeful, more meaningful. Everyone is cooking with the awareness that the people sitting down at iftar have been fasting all day, and that what lands on their table in that moment carries real weight.”
He is equally candid about the strain. “We won’t pretend it hasn’t been a stretch – it has. But some things are worth stretching for. Being able to offer Shah Alam a meaningful, soulful iftar experience from a kitchen that normally plates sourdough at breakfast? That contrast is something we carry with quiet pride.”
Ramadan, Hidzad suggests, has sharpened their sense of direction. Pushing their small kitchen beyond its usual rhythm revealed both weaknesses and room for growth – and clarified who they want to become.
“Ramadan has a way of stripping things back to what truly matters,” he says, explaining how running a more complex iftar menu has had them seriously considering expanding into permanent evening service, not as a seasonal experiment but as a genuine commitment.
They will move carefully, Hidzad adds, mindful of their lean team and intimate space. “Ramadan opened a door for us this year, and we have every intention of walking through it.”
There is no doubt Cake Jalan Tiung can achieve whatever they set out to accomplish. After all, their Ramadan menu alone demonstrates that you can serve both sourdough croissants and sup ekor on the same day.
‘Moreh’ specials include Bubur Candil Sumsum (left) and Lempeng Pisang (right). — Pictures courtesy of Cake Jalan Tiung
Cake Jalan Tiung
No. 9, Jalan Sukun 4/7,
Seksyen 4, Shah Alam.
Ramadan hours: Open daily (except Thu closed) 3.30pm-11.30pm
Standard hours: Open daily (except Thu closed) 8am-7pm
IG: instagram.com/cakejalantiung/
FB: facebook.com/cakejalantiung/
To order: visit https://cakejalantiung.beepit.com or WhatsApp 012-8787258.
