My experience with Blackball

I have notice a sign board announcing  the set-up of a black ball outlet in Farlim for already a few months. My daughter, M have also told me that a black ball outlet is coming to town but I did not enquire any further.  After its opening, I saw a brightly litted outlet among the road of shoplots lining in the same roll as Green Loaf bakery.

It was also located to Maybank and I used to frequent the bank and I did bother to check it out.  One day, I saw my wife drinking from a container and she told me that it was a leftover by my daughter, M.  Again , I did not bother anymore.  The curiosity have been building up in me and the urge to check it out is getting more serious.

This morning, after breadfast of half boilded egg with bread with my sister and brother at the Genting Coffee shop , I suggested to take a short walk towards the outlet.  My sister did not know my intention and she keeps asking me where I am talking her.  I kept her curious and when I read the outlet , I pulled her in and my brother also follow as well. 

The outlet was very simple with a TV screen explaining the product in English and Chinese and the walk is linked with light green trees and farms. There was a ordering counter and behind it , there is the kitchen and several halpers were waiting there.  In front of the counter , there is a digital menu  and some posters for you to indicate your order.  The place was fully air-conditioned and with several plastic and wooden tables and chairs. It was a very simple setting , nothing to eleborate about.

I ordered a " fruit punch", it is actually a mixed of yam, sweet postato,  black jelly , red beans and black balls.  The black balls , where the restaurant got its name is actually black colored flour balls . It is mixed with ingredients from Taiwan and turn into  stubborn chewy balls.  Nothing new, the black balls have been in the market and it is mixed in drinks offered by some Taiwanese outlets.  It is the same stuffl.

I also ordered two Green Tea mixed with black ball tea . The ingredient is mixed with small pieces of yam and some slimy stuff.  You can ordered for very sweet, 75% sweet or 50% or non sweet.  It is a choice which you can choose.  It is either hot or cold.

For the twenty minutes , I sat there eating the stuff,  I could see that the customers are mainly youngsters. The same youngsters who would be frequencing  starbucks , Coffee bean , old Town Coffee, Sweet recipe, KFC , the big Mac,.....etc.  All these franchise outlets are mushrooming everywhere. The franchise business is so easy. The owners  have a set of their recipes and make a brand name for themselves and after that, they charge a fee to set up the outlet  , offering their secret recipe , their outlet design, the pricing , the menu design  and the billing software.  it is a whole package and when they advertise their products , they just add our outlet as their branch  and share the advantage of their advertising.  Simple idea and that is how the brand name frachisees have been doing all these years.

There is nothing special about the food at black ball outlet,  it is just the brand  and the comfortable setting offered to the customers and the taste is so-so good  for the frist timer like me. In Penang, I could also see another up and coming outlet, the Tong Pak Fu.  This outlet is also selling delicacies and the sweet stuff like mango puddings, sweet potatos, red beans , black beans, jelly, etc.   These food stuff are the usual tea time food for the older Chinese people.

The business advantage of black ball outlet or the TPF ( Tong Pak Fu) outlet is their pricing.  It is more expensive than the old food but less those charged in the American branded outlets.  For a " fruit mix" , it is about RM6.90 while the drink is about 5.90 . This is about half the price of a Starbuck or Cofee Bean Coffee.  It is much more manageable for the youngsters to be seen spending their time in these outlets.

During dinner time, I happen to pass by  Old Town Coffee and it was quite crowded with youngsters suffing their internet or doing homework there.  Normally, they will order a drink and stay there for hours under the air-con to escape the heat at home and out in the open.  It is also a place for socializing.

Well, we have to try everything out there whether it is good or bad, it is a choice . One man's meat is another man's poison.   I could be totally wrong . You may like it , so like the saying goes " walking a thousand miles will win you reading a thousand books" . Sorry, this is a direct translation from an ancient Chinese sayings.  What it actually mean is that we can learn much better by seeing or tasting a thousand things rather than by just reading a thousand books.  So , please take a walk. LOL.

Namaste.