Brothers Leave Fintech & Trading Jobs To Sell Tasty Hakka Yong Tau Foo At New Horse Noodles In Chinatown Complex Food Centre
The young siblings learned the ropes from an 85-year-old hawker in Malaysia. They admit hawker life is “siong” and they’re earning “less than minimum wage".
Some people travel in search of beautiful beaches. Others for cheap shopping. Bubbly brothers Scott Lee (right in pic), 29, and Troy Lee (left), 31, journey across the Causeway for springy Malaysian-style noodles slicked in dark soy sauce and littered with crispy lard. One trip led them to learn the art of cooking these noodles, plus Hakka yong tau foo from an 85-year-old hawker in Malacca. They now sell both dishes at their two-month-old stall New Horse Noodles in Chinatown Complex Food Centre.
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"We just want to make the best food we can," gushes Scott, who left a career in fintech to become a hawker alongside his sibling Troy, a former trader.
Scott has a bachelor’s degree from Nanyang Technological University's Nanyang Business School with a specialisation in Business Analytics, while Troy has a degree in marketing from Queensland University of Technology.
What’s with the name?
No, there isn't a horse involved. The quirky stall name is the literal English translation of "Xin Ma", or short for Singapore and Malaysia: the former home for the brothers, the latter the country that inspired their signature bowls.
Why start a hawker biz? Scott tells 8days.sg that he had grown tired of going through the same motions at his corporate job and wanted more satisfying work. Meanwhile, Troy had long dreamt of opening an F&B business but did not know what to sell. Until now.
The answer lay in the lardy dry noodles they kept returning for in Malaysia over the years. “The offerings in Singapore are too sweet for our liking,” Troy explains.
Learnt recipe from 85-year-old hawker in Malacca
The brothers initially considered serving fishballs with the noodles before stumbling upon a modest Hakka yong tau foo stall in Malacca. The boys say that the 85-year-old owner’s family had little interest in taking over the business. “We loved her yong tau foo,” Troy says. “We thought it would be a waste if such a heritage recipe were to disappear.”
So the brothers boldly asked the senior if she would teach them her recipe. To their surprise, she said yes.
Scott and Troy trained with the veteran hawker at her shop for 10 days, picking up everything from preparing the pork filling to stuffing tofu and bitter gourd by hand. The brothers are Hokkien, so they didn’t grow up eating this dish often. “She didn’t hold anything back,” Scott recalls. “She really taught us everything.”
Malaysian hawker who shared recipe refused payment
Before leaving Malaysia, they offered their teacher a red packet. She refused it and generously told them to make good use of what they had learnt. They continued fine-tuning her recipe back in Singapore before setting up shop.
Like many new hawkers, the brothers aren't taking home much just yet. Scott admits that he's probably earning "less than minimum wage", but there's little self-pity in his voice. If anything, he's more excited about perfecting tomorrow's yong tau foo than worrying about today's pay cheque.
The brothers bootstrapped the stall with about $20,000 from their savings. Scott says he previously earned anywhere between $5,000 and $10,000 a month in fintech as a product manager, though he declined to disclose the exact figure. Troy also declined to share his previous salary.
Hawker life “very siong”
Both now clock around 70 hours a week as hawkers. “We didn’t expect that,” admits Scott. “And yes, it’s very siong (Hokkien for gruelling).”
“Our parents were initially sceptical when we told them [our plan to become hawkers],” Troy says. “But they were eventually supportive when they saw that we had made up our minds.”
Bros bicker occasionally
Unsurprisingly, spending so much time together has tested their brotherly harmony. They bickered occasionally during the stall’s first month. Troy would be trying to pick up the pace, while Scott was concentrating on getting things right. Neither realised they were working with different expectations until frustrations boiled over.
They have since learnt to be more open with each other. “I will say sorry, or he will say sorry. Then we move on,” laughs Scott.
Documenting their journey online
Scott and Troy have also been documenting their hawker life on social media. Often filming after the shutters come down, their clips range from thank you messages and sold-out apologies to Scott scarfing down a bowl after a customer changed his mind about an order Troy had painstakingly prepared.
The online attention has extended beyond the food. One customer even left a Google review proclaiming Scott to be "single and ready to mingle". He laughs when it's brought up, but insists he's hardly in a position to date. Between six-day work weeks and spending his only day off preparing for the next working day, "I don't have the time, attention or energy," he says. Troy, who is recently single, is similarly focused on the stall for now.
Handmade Hakka Yong Tau Foo Set, $6.50 (8 DAYS Pick!)
We’ve dined here incognito thrice, and the soup has become more flavourful with each visit. The dry noodles that inspired this whole venture have remained consistently good.
Each set comes with a hearty assortment of yong tau foo (tau pok, tofu, two slices of tau kee and bitter gourd) served in a clear broth with crunchy xiao bai cai, chunky carrots and, if you’re lucky, a wedge of corn. The brothers make the stuffing in-house each morning and pack every piece until plump.
They keep the recipe for the filling close to their chests, but our guess is a juicy blend of minced pork, with hints of shrimp and fish paste. Extra yong tau foo costs $1.50 per piece, while two slices of tau kee cost $1.50.
Unlike the typical yong tau foo broth, which is often brewed with mostly soybeans and ikan bilis, Scott and Troy also simmer theirs with carrots and corn. The result is a naturally sweeter broth. Refills are free (for now), so ask the brothers for another bowl if you wish.
The springy yellow noodles have little of the harsh alkaline aftertaste common in lesser versions. Mildly sweet dark soy sauce and sesame oil coat each thick strand, while minced pork, house-fried shallots and crackly pork lard add savouriness and crunch. Yummy.
Fried Meatballs, $2 for three pcs
Crisp and springy, these fried pork balls make a decent side, though they're a touch salty and on the small side. The brothers say they are looking to create a larger version in the near future.
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