All Joy

All Joy was a Malaysian bakery and food-service brand based in Kuching, Sarawak. It operated through two related establishments: All Joy Bakery and All Joy Good Food Centre. The businesses were founded in 1981 by the Chai identical twins and became locally recognizable for combining inexpensive food with a broad, familiar menu aimed particularly at Kuching's predominantly rural-based clientele. The original business began as a small bakery at the Kuching Open Air Market on Jalan Khoo Hun Yeang. All Joy Bakery built its reputation around everyday bread and bun products rather than premium patisserie. Its best-known items included Milo buns, butter buns, chicken buns, Swiss rolls, satay chicken buns, and chicken hot dog rolls. The bakery's appeal came from a combination of accessible pricing, consistent availability, and products that became part of the routine food culture of local customers. In 1983, the twins amicably separated their operations. Chai Kee Lee continued operating All Joy Bakery, while his twin established All Joy Good Food Centre at Wisma Saberkas. Although the businesses were separately pursued, both retained the All Joy name and developed distinct identities. The food centre became known for inexpensive prepared meals, snacks, desserts, and drinks. Its menu included rojak chicken chop, mie jawa with fried chicken, belacan bihun, lok-lok, chicken-and-cheese sandwiches, popia, Thai-style bean thread, yam delight, pandan delight, chicken egg burgers, nasi ayam penyet, ais kacang, white lady, bubur cha cha, Oreo cornflakes, Milo Horlicks split, and the All Joy signature ice cream. All Joy's significance was therefore broader than that of a conventional bakery or restaurant chain. The bakery supplied familiar takeaway breads and buns, while the food centre provided casual meals and local-style refreshments. Both establishments occupied a place in Kuching's everyday food landscape, particularly among customers who valued filling portions, recognizable flavors, and affordable prices. After the COVID-19 pandemic, All Joy Good Food Centre reduced the scale of its operations. In October 2022, it moved to a smaller unit within Wisma Saberkas and was rebranded as All Joy Macam Macam Ada Cafe. The change reflected a downsizing of the food-service operation, although the All Joy name remained part of the new identity. In April 2025, the quiet closure of the food centre, reports concerning Chai Kee Lee's retirement, and rising ingredient costs prompted public discussion about the future of All Joy Bakery. During the bakery's final week, large numbers of former and current customers visited to purchase its products and revisit memories associated with the brand. The turnout was sufficiently heavy to contribute to traffic congestion in Kuching city centre. Local public figures, including Kuching South City Council mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng and Bandar Kuching Member of Parliament Dr. Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen, publicly acknowledged the brand's local legacy and the strength of food nostalgia surrounding its closure. To handle demand during its final week, the bakery adopted a two-session opening arrangement, opening briefly in the morning, closing to control the crowds, and reopening in the afternoon. Purchases were limited to two buns per person. All Joy Bakery officially ceased operations on 30 April 2025, bringing the All Joy bakery and food-centre businesses to an end. The brand is consequently remembered primarily as a Kuching institution whose value lay in its long local presence, accessible food, and emotional connection with generations of customers.

All Joy began in 1981 as a small bakery at the Kuching Open Air Market on Jalan Khoo Hun Yeang in Kuching, Sarawak. The business was founded by the Chai identical twins and developed a following by selling familiar bakery products at affordable prices. Its bread range included Milo buns, butter buns, chicken buns, Swiss rolls, satay chicken buns, and chicken hot dog rolls. The brand's customer base included Kuching residents, especially those from the area's predominantly rural-based communities, for whom inexpensive and recognizable food was an important part of everyday consumption. In 1983, the twins amicably separated their business activities. Chai Kee Lee continued to operate All Joy Bakery. His twin established All Joy Good Food Centre at Wisma Saberkas. The two operations developed different menus while retaining the All Joy identity. The bakery remained associated with buns, bread, and rolls, while the food centre became known for casual meals, snacks, desserts, drinks, and its signature ice cream. Among its remembered dishes were rojak chicken chop, mie jawa with fried chicken, belacan bihun, lok-lok, nasi ayam penyet, chicken egg burgers, ais kacang, white lady, bubur cha cha, and other local-style offerings. The food centre's operation was reduced after the global COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2022, it relocated to a smaller unit within the same shopping mall and changed its name to All Joy Macam Macam Ada Cafe. The rebrand represented a smaller-scale continuation of the food-service business rather than the original food centre format. By April 2025, the food centre had quietly closed. At the same time, public discussion about Chai Kee Lee's possible retirement and the pressure of rising ingredient costs raised concerns about All Joy Bakery's future. The bakery's final week became a major local moment. Customers arrived in large numbers to buy its products, creating traffic congestion in Kuching city centre and demonstrating the strength of the brand's nostalgic appeal. Kuching South City Council mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng and Bandar Kuching Member of Parliament Dr. Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen both commented publicly on All Joy's local legacy and the emotional importance of its food. The bakery introduced crowd-management measures during its last week. It opened for a short morning session, closed temporarily to manage demand, and reopened in the afternoon. Purchases were restricted to two buns per person. All Joy Bakery officially closed on 30 April 2025. With the closure of the bakery and the preceding closure of the food centre, the All Joy businesses ended operations after more than four decades of association with Kuching's everyday food culture.

• 2025

  All Joy Bakery closes

  [1]All Joyen.wikipedia.org

  The bakery ceases operations on 30 April after a final week marked by exceptionally high customer demand.

• 2022

  Food centre downsizes and adopts a new name

  [1]All Joyen.wikipedia.org

  All Joy Good Food Centre moves to a smaller unit and becomes All Joy Macam Macam Ada Cafe.

• 1983

  The founders separate their operations

  [1]All Joyen.wikipedia.org

  Chai Kee Lee continues with All Joy Bakery, while his twin establishes All Joy Good Food Centre at Wisma Saberkas.

• 1981

  All Joy bakery opens in Kuching

  [1]All Joyen.wikipedia.org

  The Chai twins establish a small bakery at the Kuching Open Air Market on Jalan Khoo Hun Yeang.

A locally rooted, value-oriented bakery and casual food brand offering familiar breads, buns, Malaysian meals, snacks, desserts, and drinks to Kuching consumers.

• Bakery

  Milo buns

  A signature All Joy Bakery bun associated with the brand's long-running everyday bread range and its recognizable local product identity.

• Bakery

  Butter buns

  A core sweet bakery item sold among All Joy's familiar buns and breads.

• Bakery

  Chicken buns

  A savory filled bun that formed part of the bakery's best-known product assortment.

• Bakery

  Swiss rolls

  A rolled bakery and confectionery item offered alongside All Joy's buns and other takeaway products.

• Dessert

  All Joy signature ice cream

  The food centre's named ice-cream offering, remembered as one of its distinctive dessert products.

• Prepared food

  Rojak chicken chop

  A signature prepared dish associated with All Joy Good Food Centre's casual Malaysian-style menu.

• Prepared food

  Mie jawa with fried chicken

  A noodle-and-chicken meal listed among the food centre's popular staple dishes.

• Prepared food

  Belacan bihun

  A vermicelli dish associated with the food centre's local and regional food offering.

• 2025

  Implement crowd controls during the bakery's final weekOther

  Background

  A surge of nostalgic customers created exceptionally high demand before the bakery's scheduled end of operations.

  Action taken

  The bakery used two opening sessions and limited purchases to two buns per customer.

  Aftermath

  All Joy Bakery closed on 30 April 2025, ending the All Joy businesses.

  Source

• 2022

  Downsize and rebrand the food-centre operationStrategy

  Background

  After the COVID-19 pandemic, All Joy Good Food Centre reduced its operating footprint.

  Action taken

  The business moved to a smaller unit within Wisma Saberkas and adopted the name All Joy Macam Macam Ada Cafe.

  Aftermath

  The rebranded cafe later closed quietly in April 2025.

  Source

1. 1All Joyen.wikipedia.org