81-Year-Old Hawker Sells Chwee Kueh At Taman Jurong From 6am Daily

Ah Bah’s stall has no name. Its signboard is emblazoned with the generic Chinese words for chwee kueh (which is why his regulars simply call it “Taman Jurong chwee kueh”). When 8days.sg dropped by the stall, we were greeted by the surprisingly robust elderly man, who took our order by heartily booming in Hokkien: “How many you want?” We repeated ourselves a couple of times, ’cos uncle is a little hard of hearing.

But when we requested to take his photo, a pleased Ah Bah sprang up from his hunched posture, pulled down his mask and placed his hands assertively on his counter. “Come, come take my photo,” beamed our twinkly-eyed model. “Wah, he must be damn havoc last time,” our dining companion muttered.

Ah Bah turned out to be a chatty bundle of energy who would put even Zoomers to shame. When we asked if he had considered retirement at an earlier age, he looked startled. “Retire early? For what?!” he exclaimed. Up till his seventies, he could slog the whole day without feeling tired. “But now, I get a little tired. My body aches,” he admitted.

He opened his current stall at Taman Jurong in 2015, and runs it by himself. Before that, he had a chain of four chwee kueh stalls at Holland Village, ABC Market, Havelock Road and Jalan Kukoh. They were partnerships with other hawkers, who cooked at the stalls and earned a cut of the profits. But Ah Bah has since closed all his outlets. “It was too much work. I’m already old. Now I just run this stall,” he explained.

Ah Bah has been making chwee kueh for over 30 years. His first job was at a slaughterhouse, where he slaughtered ducks and chickens. He later set up his own hawker business selling chwee kueh. “I chose it 'cos it was easy to make. I can do it by myself,” he reckoned. The highlight of his career was flying to London in 2014 for Singapore Day. “I was there with PM Lee [Hsien Loong], and I made my chwee kueh there,” he shared excitedly.

These days, he arrives at his stall at 5am, and spends about 20 minutes prepping his chwee kueh. Upon getting a customer’s order, his hands move deftly as he scoops the rice cakes out of their ramekins. He also pulls the lid of the massive steamer in his stall — which could steam dozens of chwee kuehs at one go — with physical ease.

Despite his sprightliness, Ah Bah is finally keen on retiring now. He shared, “I will just work for another two more years, till my stall lease is up. But if someone wants to buy over my equipment, I can give up my stall immediately.” His retirement plan is a simple one. “Just stay home and rest. My children all have their own homes now, so it’s just me and my wife,” he said.

He has five children and five grandchildren, though none of them are taking over his stall. “Back then I offered my kids one of my four stalls, but they preferred working office jobs. Why not, since they have university degrees,” he reasoned.

At his prime, Ah Bah had "15 disciples" learning how to make chwee kueh under him. “Only three went on to open their own businesses with my recipe,” he recalled. Unlike some hawkers who guard their money-making recipes fiercely, he’s generous with his knowledge. “It’s no secret. I can teach anyone who wants to learn. Even you!” he said, fixing us with a steely stare.

Ah Bah proudly told us that at his age, his blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels are all within a healthy range. To keep fit, he avoids heavy meals during the day. “I only eat instant oatmeal,” he declared, hoisting a family-sized tub to show us. He has one big meal a day at dinnertime, where he eats “lots of duck and chicken”, and very little vegetables. “My father used to be a veggie farmer, so I got sick of eating veggies,” he said candidly.

Ah Bah reminded us a few times that he is increasing his prices by 40 cents from Jan 1, 2021. “Ingredients are too expensive these days,” he explained. But for now, his handmade chwee kueh costs $1 for three pieces, $1.50 for five and $3 for 10.

The chwee kueh is topped with housemade chye poh, which Ah Bah makes with ingredients like preserved turnips, shallots, sesame seeds and oil. The chye poh simmers in a slow cooker till he serves it to customers.

We ordered a plate of 10 chwee kuehs, which would nicely feed two for breakfast. The steamed rice cake was on the softer side, and could benefit from a bouncier texture. We like the chye poh here better. Though a tad oily, the coarsely chopped preserved turnips had a good crunch and rich, full-bodied flavour. Those who prefer their chye poh more nuanced will find this too heavy, but it goes well with the light chwee kueh and fragrant sambal.

Singapore’s hawker scene has recently been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (in a Facebook post, PM Lee thanked hawkers for “nourishing a nation’s stomach and spirits.”) While our makan culture lives on on the list, elderly hawkers like Peng Ah Bah are retiring without any successors. It goes without saying that one should try his chwee kueh soon, or even learn how to make ’em from the man himself. After all, the heritage of a beloved traditional dish is worth preserving too.

#02-67 Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre, 3 Yung Sheng Rd, S618499. Open daily 6am-1.30pm.

PHOTOS: YIP JIEYING