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O ld-school  Happiness Nonya Cakes And Confectionery is a familiar name among Toa Payoh residents, having been operating in the estate for around 50 years. The shop offers a wide selection of traditional handmade Nonya and Teochew-style kuehs such as ang ku kueh , ondeh ondeh , and , priced from just 60 cents a piece. It also sells Chinese wedding biscuits, tidbits, and at $1.80 a pack. No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from  8days.sg   Other than affordable and yummy kuehs, the family-run establishment is also known for… its . It is run by an elderly couple and their son. While the owners declined to reveal their names or be interviewed by 8days.sg , the business is registered under a person surnamed Gan. We are also told that the elderly boss is called Mr Gan. He ran his kueh shop in the Kim Keat neighbourhood for 25 years before moving to his current premise at a HDB block in Lorong 4 around 25 years ago. Customers told off for indecisive ordering Customers have reportedly faced the wrath of various members of the family, whom they described as “rude” and having an “attitude problem”.  One regular tells 8days.sg: “I think it depends on how specific you are when ordering. I’ve seen them tell customers off when they hem and haw and hold up the line.” Another longtime customer shares: “T hey are grumpy, but they are very hardworking people and their food is good. They are not friendly ‘cos they are constantly busy. It’s tough being in the service line.” Constant queue in the morning But the ‘happiness’ in the shop’s name probably refers to the feeling you get when you eat the bakery’s delectable treats. Despite the owners’ less-than-friendly disposition, the shop has its fans, evident by the queue and constant stream of customers when we visited the store at around 7am on a weekday. Though the line was long, it moved swiftly.  There are around 30 varieties of kuehs and snacks on offer and most of the items sell out by noon. It must have been our lucky day ‘cos the younger towkay was in a relatively good mood, greeting us when he took our order. We even saw him smiling at some customers beneath his face mask. When we approached him later for a chat, he shared that his family make most of their Nonya kuehs like ang ku kueh and kueh salat by hand, while some are from suppliers. “ I can do some basic stuff, but my parents make most of the kueh. We also cook the nasi lemak ourselves. But you can’t do much with limited manpower,” he says. Closing shop permanently This is one of the reasons why the family will be closing their confectionery for good this September. “My parents are old and want to retire. They thought of closing a few years ago, so I returned to help them with their business. We haven’t decided on a closure date, but it will probably be mid-September,” he shares, adding that his parents have not raised prices despite the GST hike as they don’t intend to continue the business. Running the business has taken a toll on the family. They start their day at 3am prepping at the bakery before opening at around 6am. By 2pm, you can see them getting ready to close for the day. “We are always rushing for time. Even when the shop is closed, we are still running errands, preparing for the next day, and not really resting. It’s only a complete break when we completely stop [running the business],” he adds. His dad says of the impending closure: “I am of little help. Old already, no use. We don’t want to continue the business anymore.” When we ask about the possibility of his son taking over, he replies: “We cannot manage. There is just too much to do, it’s very frustrating,” before waving us away. Ondeh Ondeh, $0.60 each; 3 for $1.50 Though the ondeh ondeh is not the burst-in-your-mouth variety, it still makes for a delectable treat. The pandan-flavoured balls have a good dough-to-filling ratio and the generous gula melaka and desiccated coconut filling is sweet but not cloying. Ang Ku Kueh, $1 (8 DAYS Pick!) The ang ku kueh, which is the confectionery’s bestseller, is one of the best we’ve tried. The skin is thin, soft and chewy and each plump morsel is chock-full of crunchy peanut filling and just the right amount of sugar. Also available with yam and sweet and salted mung bean paste fillings. Glutinous Rice, $0.80 (8 DAYS Pick!) We are surprised by how much we enjoy the house-made nuo mi fan . Studded with mushroom bits, hae bee and fried shallots, the fist-sized glutinous rice ball is aromatic, peppery and big on umami flavour. Very moreish. Kueh Salat, $0.80 The kueh salat is not bad too. While we like the fragrant kaya custard and slightly savoury glutinous rice, it was a little dry. Nasi Lemak, $3 Now we know why the nasi lemak is so popular. The fluffy coconutty rice is fragrant and delish when paired with sweet-spicy sambal, and the fried chicken wing well-marinated, though a tad salty. Rounding up the dish are the usual sliced cucumber, crispy ikan bilis and a thin slice of omelette. There’s also a smaller, no-frills version which comes with otah, ikan bilis and sambal for $1.80. You will have to go early if you want to try the nasi lemak. According to customers, it usually sells out before 9am. Happiness Nonya Cakes And Confectionery is at #01-282, Blk 92 Toa Payoh Lorong 4, S310092. Open daily except Mon from 6am – 2pm.  Photos:  8days.sg No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from  8days.sg .