Mooncakes @ Nam Yick 南益 in Kluang, Johor, Malaysia

Traditional wooden mould bearing Nam Yick 南益's  label

Nam Yick 南益 is one of the oldest and most popular traditional bakeries in Kluang, Johor.

A heritage mould in Nam Yick, now part of the family heirloom

Nam Yick 南益 started making its famous traditional pastries in 1945 and though much have changed, much of the old tastes and flavours 古早味 still remained.  No wonder, every year during the Mid Autumn (Mooncake) festival, customers from all over Malaysia and also Singapore, descend on Nam Yick for their famous mooncakes.

Mid Autumn festival is also a time of reunion for three generations of the 張 family, who are living in various parts of Malaysia and Singapore, to all return to Kluang to make their famous mooncakes together to meet the seemingly insatiable (and growing) demand.

What keep regulars coming back to Nam Yick is the traditional tastes and flavours which are hard to come by, nowadays. New customers are drawn to Nam Yick because their mooncakes are simply so delicious and make such great festive gifts. To the traditionally minded, giving the best mooncakes to family and friends during the Mid Autumn festival is a sincere gesture of love and respect.

Everyone in the 張 family chips in during the Mid Autumn festival rush. Here, the warm and friendly family patriarch helps roll the dough that forms the skin of the mooncakes.

The steamed salted egg yolks that go into the mooncakes.

The stuffings for Nam Yick's five kernel 五仁 mooncakes are solidly packed balls of choice seeds and nuts. 

The stuffings are individually weighed to ensure consistency.

At Nam Yick, each mooncake is individually handcrafted in keeping with the time honoured way, handed down by Nam Yick's founders. No wonder three generations of the 張 clan are mobilised each year to uphold the treasured family tradition.

Nam Yick's popular Shanghai mooncakes.

As Nam Yick 南益 mooncakes are made in the traditional way, they contain no preservatives or artificial flavourings.

Here are just some of the Nam Yick mooncakes I enjoyed today :)

The five kernel 五仁 mooncake, chockful of nutty flavours and textures.

I love Nam Yick's Shanghai mooncake with bean paste (tau sar) 豆沙 fillings. The creamy and fluffy crust wraps the smooth and not overly sweet bean paste.

I indulged in my favourite 豆沙 fillings, this time in the traditional baked golden brown skinned mooncake.



Emerald lotus paste 翡翠蓮蓉 is a tasty blend of mung bean paste and lotus seed paste.

Old shop front

Many people come to Kluang during the Mid Autumn festival each year looking for this simple wooden house with the bright red signboard with one of Malaysia's best mooncakes inside.

Restaurant name: Nam Yick Food Trading 南益饼家
Address: 67, Jalan Besar, No. 31, Jalan 10, Taman Sri Kluang, Kluang, Johor
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/RlHbA http://goo.gl/maps/i14zt (rough new location near GIANT)
GPS: 2.021681,103.322864 2.007887,103.310271 (rough new location near GIANT)
Hours: 9:30am to 7:00pm (Monday off)
Tel: +6012-7195969

No pork, no lard



Date visited: 20 Sep 2012

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