Do you know that uncontrollable feeling of wanting to squish something small, fluffy, and downright adorable? You aren’t alone. Malaysian brand Chubbies is the first and only local plushie brand that makes cute anthropomorphized designs based on the country’s best-loved foods.
The minds behind this brand are real-life couple Ian Gan Ming Zhi and Jess Ho Mun Yan. “In 2022, we were in Bangkok, just casually browsing in a mall, when we came across some food plushies,” shared Gan in an interview with FMT Lifestyle. “For a long time, the two of us had wanted to create something meaningful. We’ve always had a bunch of hobbies, so we thought, this is a great idea to pour our hearts into,” Jess added.
As they continued to create the stuffed toys, it was a process of trial and error. Either the design wasn’t satisfactory to them, or the texture and “squeezability” didn’t feel right. Eventually, they found a balance and came up with Cara the curry puff—their first successful character and, to this day, their best-selling plushie.
Jess Ho Mun Yan, co-woner of Chubbies with the plushies | Photo from Chubbies
Cara is a representation of the karipap pusing, a crispy and flaky puff pastry filled with savory potatoes. It’s basically a food fusion influenced by British Cornish pasties, Portuguese empanadas, and South Asian samosas. Just thinking about it makes your mouth water, and now you can squeeze the pastry as a plushie.
Polly as a Bag Charm | Photo From Chubbies
Nyle | Photo from Chubbies
Other Chubbies characters are Nyle (Nasi Lemak), Talia (Ikat Tepi), Ollie (Otak-Otak), Sofie (Seri Muka), Ravi (Roti Telur), Cody (Ice Kacang), and Polly (Potong Ice Cream). From savory to sweet, these plushies will surely give you positive vibes and get you craving for some good Malaysian food.
All these designs are created by Gan and manufactured overseas. They’ve also expanded from huggable plushies to cutesy bag charms.
If you’re into these cute creations then visit TWIGS Bookshop, Sunway 163 Mall in Kuala Lumpur and GiftPortals, One Utama Shopping Centre in Bandar Utama, or check out the shopchubbies.com.