Hilton Chef Leaves Hotel After 40 Years To Open Laksa Hawker Stall Called Uncle Ah Teck’s Noodle House

Ong Beng Seng a fan of his noodles

Once a fixture at Hilton/Voco hotel's coffee house, his noodles were so well-loved by guests that management named the noodle station after him — Uncle Ah Teck’s Noodle House — a rare honour for any chef.

He shares that even prominent guests and billionaire tycoon Ong Beng Seng, whose company Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) owns the hotel, were fans of his food and would check if he was on duty before dropping by for a meal.

When we ask what he thinks about his former boss making headlines recently for abetting former Transport Minister S Iswaran in the obstruction of justice, Uncle Ah Teck replies candidly: “We’re in no position to criticise him.”

“Not because he’s my boss then I speak good about him,” he adds. “Though he’s a big boss, he doesn’t have airs. He is a very nice person and very easy-going.”

When Uncle Ah Teck left the hotel in October this year to start a hawker business, the hotel management — which he describes as “very good” to him — let him use the “Uncle Ah Teck” name for his stall and even take the signboard with him. 

Today, it is proudly displayed at his Chinatown stall, where he serves the same laksa that once delighted hotel guests and won him countless thank you notes and loyal fans.

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“Felt pressure when they named it after me”

Before becoming a hawker, Uncle Ah Teck spent 42 years at the hotel, starting as a chef at its Chinese restaurant Inn of Happiness in 1983 before moving to the coffee house in 1994. There, he ran the noodle station and became known for his rotating menu of laksa, prawn noodles and lor mee.

“Customers said all my noodles are good,” he tells 8days.sg with a smile.

When the noodle counter was first named after him in 2020, he admits he “felt a lot of pressure”. 

“If I don’t cook well and customers complain, it’s very difficult for me to explain,” he says. “But as a chef, you must first want to eat your own food before serving others.”

That pride and precision carried him through decades of service. Over time, “Uncle Ah Teck’s Noodle House” became a highlight at the hotel’s coffee house, with guests leaving glowing reviews. 

“Some asked if I was specially hired to cook noodles, some even asked if I had a stall outside as it was odd for a hotel to put a chef’s name on a sign,” he laughs.

Still every bit the hotel chef

He’s proud of his background and still carries himself like a hotel chef. He runs the stall dressed in crisp chef’s whites, complete with a name tag that reads “Uncle Ah Teck”. The tall chef’s toque? Only for our photoshoot, he quips.

“Us chefs, if we wear plain clothes, we feel like we are not chefs. Must be clean, neat, presentable,” he explains.  

“I don’t feel warm wearing my uniform as my stall has good ventilation.”

At the stall, a monitor screen plays a loop of photos and mementos from his hotel days — snapshots with guests, handwritten thank-you notes, and accolades like his Long Service and Kindness Awards. We even spotted a snap of him with Ong Beng Seng.

Why start a hawker business at 70 years old?

Uncle Ah Teck might have happily continued cooking at the hotel if not for his 44-year-old son who only wanted to be known as G.

He had been toying with the idea of starting his own hawker stall for a couple of years but never acted on it until G, who works in logistics, tried his laksa earlier this year.

“My son loves my laksa. He told me, you cannot get this taste elsewhere,” shares Uncle Ah Teck. “If I didn’t open this stall, I’d probably work at the hotel until I am 71,” he adds, noting that the hotel threw him a farewell party when he left.

Encouraged by his son, he took the plunge. G invested about $20K to get it off the ground. Uncle Ah Teck would run the business, while G, who has no F&B experience, learned the ropes.

“I told him, when the business takes off, he can take over. I’m old, I want to retire. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll just shut it,” says Uncle Ah Teck matter-of-factly.

The first week was rough. Unlike at the hotel, Uncle Ah Teck had to do everything himself, from food prep to cooking and washing dishes and stall. By the time he got home, it was around 9pm.

Now that he has a stall assistant, things are easier. “In fact, I work shorter hours here than at the hotel. I used to start work at 4am at the hotel, now I wake up at 5am,” he says.

He’s since settled into the routine and has no complaints. “I’ve gotten used to it and don’t feel tired. If I don’t work, I’ll be bored at home. It’s not good to just do nothing at home.”

As for a pay cut? Barely noticeable, it seems.

“Honestly, even though I have worked at the hotel for decades, my salary wasn’t very high because I don’t want to be a head chef. They wanted to promote me but I declined – once you rise up the ranks, you lose your freedom,” he shares.

“I prefer to have less responsibilities. When time’s up, I knock off. I don’t want to think so much. If this business does well, I’m confident that I can make more than I did at the hotel.”

Son hopes to take over business in 2 years

These days, G spends his mornings and weekends at the stall observing and helping with some simple food prep. Though his dad has shared the recipe with him, G hasn’t started cooking yet. 

“Still under training. When he’s ready, I’ll let him try,” says Uncle Ah Teck. “If I think it’s up to standard, I will let him cook, but I will still be around to supervise.”

G reckons it would take about two years before he’s ready to take over. 

“My dad is very active. Working for two more years is not an issue for him, but it is for me. I am not quite ready ’cos I don’t have a [cooking] base,” he admits. “Right now, I am just observing what he’s doing, like what I should do if there is a spike in the crowd.”

Things have been smooth so far. “No clash of opinions,” says G. “Whatever he says, I’ll just absorb. He’s the boss — I don’t argue. I don’t cook at home at all!”

Traditional Laksa, $4.50

Umami and creamy, this laksa features a mildly spicy gravy that’s rich but not overly lemak, fragrant yet balanced — extra delish when mixed with the punchy sambal.

Uncle Ah Teck shares that the flavours echo the laksa he grew up eating. “Some customers say my laksa tastes like their mother’s cooking. It’s the old-school taste,” he says proudly.

“Some laksa, after three spoonfuls, you don’t want to eat anymore. Mine isn’t,” he adds. And he’s right. We slurped up every drop of gravy and still felt like we could go for another bowl. 

He uses a supplier-made spice paste, which he elevates with his own touches, adding dried shrimp, cloves and sambal to deepen the umami and fragrance. The result is a gravy built on decades of instinct and experimentation.

Laksa, mai hum

Our bowl came with thick bee hoon, slices of fish cake, crunchy beansprouts, half a hard-boiled egg, and generous pieces of tau pok that soak up the rich gravy beautifully. 

There are no cockles here (to our dismay) — and that’s entirely intentional.

“The hum now is different,” he explains. “Last time, the sea water was clean, cockles were big. Now, not as clean and expensive. If one person gets sick, I’ll be in trouble. Better not.”

He points out that traditional laksa didn’t even include cockles. “Last time, it only had tau pok. Cockles were added later,” he says.

Sea Prawn Laksa, $7 (8 DAYS Pick!)

If you’re after a bit of indulgence, the sea prawn laksa is your best bet. Each bowl comes with two medium-sized fresh sea prawns, beautifully butterflied and served with their heads intact — a small but crucial detail for prawn head lovers like us.

The crustaceans are naturally sweet and bouncy, cooked just right so they stay firm but juicy. Suck on the prawn heads (go on, you know you want to) and you’ll get that satisfying hit of briny, umami-rich juices that mingle beautifully with the creamy laksa gravy. Yum.

Chicken Drumstick Laksa, $6 

For something a little heartier, go for the chicken drumstick laksa, which comes with three meaty pieces of succulent poached chicken drumstick.

Uncle Ah Teck poaches the meat just like how he used to at the hotel — briefly blanched, then plunged into cold water to lock in the juices for that silky-smooth bite. Dunk the juicy chicken in the gravy before popping it into your mouth — the meat soaks up the aromatic broth and releases bursts of savoury goodness with every bite. Only around 20 bowls are available daily.

Bottom line

Uncle Ah Teck’s Noodle House is at #02-051, Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre, 335 Smith St, S050335. Open daily except Mon & Tue 8am to 2pm, or until sold out. 

Photos: Kelvin Chia

No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.