By Song Jingwoo 
Heritage in food is not only about how long a business has existed. It is also about the people who carry the tradition forward, the skills they continue to practise and the way those traditions stay relevant to modern customers.
For Bunn Choon Restaurant, that story dates back to 1893. Its family food tradition has passed through several generations and continues today in Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur, beside Kwai Chai Hong.
Bunn Choon Restaurant’s family food heritage dates back to 1893, although the current legal company was incorporated much later.
An earlier chapter of the family business was connected with 61 Petaling Street. The journey later moved through different stages, including Wong Kok Tong’s experience selling egg tarts at Imbi Market.
Today, Wong Kok Tong is part of the fourth generation carrying the family food tradition forward.
Visitors interested in the restaurant’s place within Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown can learn more about Bunn Choon Restaurant as a traditional restaurant in Chinatown Kuala Lumpur.
Wong Kok Tong’s story shows that traditional food skills are not simply inherited by name.
When he was learning to make egg tarts, his father took him by motorcycle to visit experienced chefs so he could observe their preparation methods. He later returned home and practised the process himself.
The early attempts were not always successful. Problems included:
- Pastry layers that did not form properly
- Unstable egg filling
- Cracked tarts
- Collapsed tarts
He continued by reviewing what went wrong, making adjustments and trying again.
That experience became part of Bunn Choon Restaurant’s egg-tart craft today. The Classic Egg Tart pastry is shaped by hand using a light, controlled touch to help protect the delicate layers.
Visitors can explore more about Bunn Choon Restaurant’s must-try egg tart in Kuala Lumpur.
A heritage restaurant becomes more meaningful when its history is reflected in the food served today.
At Bunn Choon Restaurant, traditional dim sum is prepared in-house each day using fresh ingredients. Steamed dim sum is not pre-steamed in advance. Instead, steaming begins after the customer places an order.
This helps avoid over-steaming, which can affect texture and taste.
Visitors can learn more about Bunn Choon Restaurant’s authentic Cantonese dim sum in Kuala Lumpur.
The restaurant also continues to serve a broad selection of traditional tea-house foods.
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Egg tarts | Classic Egg Tart, Charcoal Sesame Egg Tart, Durian Tart |
| Dim sum | Siu Mai, shrimp dumplings, fish balls, bao, fried taro |
| Congee | Century Egg & Lean Pork Congee, Chicken Scallop Congee |
| Noodles | Minced Pork Dry Noodles with Turnip, Homemade Rice Wine Mee Sua |
| Pastries | Lau Po Bing, Coconut Pineapple Tart, Kaya Puff, Pineapple Stick |
| Drinks | Chinese tea, cold brew tea, kopi and teh |
Bunn Choon Restaurant’s heritage has continued alongside changes in products and customer preferences.
The Charcoal Sesame Egg Tart was introduced around 2013, while the Durian Tart was introduced in 2021.
These products sit alongside older traditional items rather than replacing them.
This shows how a heritage restaurant can evolve while keeping familiar preparation methods, food categories and family identity at the centre of the business.
Location remains an important part of Bunn Choon Restaurant’s identity.
The restaurant is beside Kwai Chai Hong in the Petaling Street area, allowing visitors to combine traditional food with nearby heritage sightseeing.
A simple visit can include:
- Breakfast or dim sum at Bunn Choon Restaurant
- A walk through Kwai Chai Hong
- Exploring Petaling Street
- Taking home traditional pastries
Visitors planning food around the area can also explore Bunn Choon Restaurant’s guide to food near Kwai Chai Hong.
Takeaway pastries are another way the restaurant’s food tradition reaches customers beyond the dining table.
Bunn Choon Restaurant offers items such as:
- Lau Po Bing
- Coconut Pineapple Tart
- Kaya Puff
- Pineapple Stick
- Almond Tart
- Red bean pastries
- Lotus paste pastries
- Egg tarts
Its homemade pastries are prepared without added preservatives, and takeaway boxes are available.
For the best flavour and freshness, Bunn Choon Restaurant recommends enjoying its homemade pastries within three days.
Travellers can also explore these options as food souvenirs from Kuala Lumpur.
Bunn Choon Restaurant’s story offers several practical lessons for food businesses.
- Heritage needs real stories. A date is more meaningful when it is supported by people, places and experiences.
- Skills need practice. Traditional food knowledge develops through observation, mistakes, adjustment and repetition.
- Preparation builds trust. Explaining how food is made helps customers understand what they are eating.
- Tradition and change can coexist. New products can be introduced without removing the identity of older favourites.
- Location adds context. Petaling Street and Kwai Chai Hong remain closely connected to the restaurant’s current identity.
Bunn Choon Restaurant’s story is not about remaining unchanged since 1893.
It is about carrying selected traditions through different stages of the family business: the earlier Petaling Street chapter, Wong Kok Tong’s Imbi Market experience, fourth-generation involvement and the current restaurant beside Kwai Chai Hong.
Traditional dim sum is still prepared in-house, steamed dim sum is cooked after ordering, egg tart pastry is shaped by hand, and family history remains visible in the restaurant.
That combination of history, food craft and continuity is how Bunn Choon Restaurant carries its heritage food story into modern Kuala Lumpur.