Fruit juices on a hot day
KOTA KINABALU: Pineapple and watermelon juices are among the latest attraction for visitors to the Sunday Gaya Street market here.
Those juices are good to quench thirst while touring downtown, but many visitors are also seen taking pictures with the drinks.
Vendor Vincent Tan, 32, said visitors — foreigners and locals — went to their stalls non-stop for the juices that were served in the real fruit.
“Upon request, we use (handheld) blending tool to turn the flesh into juice. There is no sugar additive and it is fresh.
“We keep the whole fruit in an ice container to serve chilled juice, instead of blending it with ice cubes, which will dilute the taste,” he said at the market.
Tan, who runs the stall with two friends, said he got the idea of preparing the juices from YouTube two years ago.
“Back then, people only sold beverages such as Lo Han Guo (herbal drink). Not many offered fresh juices.
“From selling crystal jewellery, I switched to making these juices and they sell like hot cakes,” he said, adding that initially they were targeting foreigners but it turned out locals were fond of the juices too.
Priced between RM10 and RM20, depending on the size, Tan said they could sell up to 80 pineapples and watermelons a day, especially during hot weather.
He added that the pineapple supply was obtained from Kiulu, while the watermelon came from Kota Belud.