KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 9 -- What does the perfect bite of yau char kwai taste like?

For me, it is the gentle crisp that shatters almost immediately, giving way to airy emptiness inside. The cruller shouldn't be dense or chewy. And a golden crust to crown it the king of fried dough.

So where do I usually get my fill of yau char kwai? When the weather is fair, this will typically be Yao Zha Go, a food truck that appears in Taman Desa on select mornings.

There are no fancy doughnuts or hybrid pastries here. Instead, Yao Zha Go's repertoire of traditional crullers ensures there is something for every persuasion: the familiar yau char kwai, the rustic ma geok (also called the butterfly fritter), the ham chim peng generously filled with glutinou...