I have a date with 'Pao' at Lai Ann (Pokok Assam Market)

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I don't really fancy Char Siew Pao (Barbecued Pork Bun). Even when someone told me that some stalls are selling notably impressed Char Siew Pao, I never had the curiosity to find out how true it was. However, my two old folks are great fans of Char Siew Pao, so I have endless missions to accomplish - looking for good Char Siew Pao for them. Taiping has very few places selling nice and tasty food. One of the very few is this stall in the Pokok Assam market which sells the best Char Siew Pao (best in terms of the taste, not the size, because it is also the most petite I've ever seen).

Ready-to-bake Char Siew Pao (mobile upload)

Skillful workers stuffing the filling into the dough and pinching the dough to seal (mobile upload)

The stall owner flattening the dough with a rolling pin (mobile upload)

Before ... (mobile upload)

and after ... (mobile upload)

These paos are not as good as those I used to have in Ipoh (particularly at New Paradise Restaurant in Bercham). Otherwise, they are still considered as one of the best (if not the cream of the crop) in Taiping. They are so small that I can actually stuff the whole bun into my mouth without much difficulty. Guess how much it costs? RM0.80 each! I'd rather pay RM1.10 for the one in Bercham, at least it never fails to put a smile on my face.

Lai Ann 

Pokok Assam Market

Business hour : 4:30p.m. till late night