Ex-SQ Girl Turned First-Time Hawker Realises ‘Act Cute’ Hubby Is ‘Very Fierce’ Working At Their New Taiwanese-Style Western Food Stall
If you enjoy watching day-in-the-life videos on TikTok, you might have come across first-time hawker Cherry Tan, who goes by the handle @cherrykiang, on the social media platform.
The 29-year-old recently left her job as a Singapore Airlines flight attendant after six years to start a hawker business with her Taiwanese husband, ex-hotel chef Duncan Hsu, 36. She has been documenting her hawker journey since their Woodlands kopitiam stall Kiang Kiang Taiwan Teppanyaki opened on May 21. It offers Taiwan night market-style ‘teppanyaki’, which is typically Western fare like steak, chicken chop and pasta cooked on a griddle and served sizzling on a hotplate. It’s not to be confused with traditional Japanese teppanyaki.
The stall is named after the noise spatulas make when clanging on the teppanyaki grill and also because Duncan “loves his booze. Kiang means drunk in Taiwanese Hokkien”.
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They met when working in the same hotel in Taipei
The couple met in 2013 when Cherry was on a six-month internship as a waitress at Holiday Inn Taipei, where Duncan was working as a chef. She was then studying Tourism and Resort Management at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. They dated long distance for four years before Duncan relocated to Singapore in 2017 as part of the opening team at Andaz Singapore. They tied the knot the following year.
In 2020, the commis chef quit his job and started home-based business Jamming Scones, which is known for its mochi scones and unique spreads, and also took his time to plan for his hawker venture.
It has been his dream since he was 20 to start his own F&B business. “When you work in a hotel kitchen, you have to follow their recipes and are not allowed to change them or even offer suggestions. There is no chance to show my ability and creativity,” Duncan tells 8days.sg in Mandarin.
He decided to offer Western fare as that is his specialty and spent $30K to set up the business.
Even though Cherry had to take “at least 50 per cent” pay cut, she decided to join Duncan as she wanted to support his dream and “try something new”. She didn’t mind the gruelling hours and prolonged periods of standing as she was “used to it when working as a cabin crew”.
“I already did all the things I wanted to do… and had planned to leave my job at SIA, so even if I didn’t join my husband, I would have found another job,” she says.
“I also felt this is a way for us to work together. He handles the cooking, while I take care of the sales and service. I think we make a good team.”
Duncan is “very fierce” in the kitchen
Little did she know she would see a vastly different side to Duncan.
“I was surprised by how fierce he is in the kitchen,” says Cherry.
Apparently, the usually convivial Duncan who “sa jiao (acts cute) at home” would often shout at her and scold her when she’s slow or gets the orders wrong. For example, he says he doesn’t hesitate to yell “zou kai!” (Mandarin for “get out of the way”) when Cherry is in his way.
She wasn’t exaggerating. When 8days.sg visited the couple at their stall last week, we saw first-hand how stern and intimidating Duncan is when he’s in his element. Tempers flared and there’s no mincing of words - it’s like watching Hell’s Kitchen, albeit on a smaller scale.
“I am very serious during meal service ’cos I am trying to get the dishes out. My meat is ready and I want to plate it, but if Cherry delays putting together the sides by 10, 15 secs, the meat will be overcooked and we cannot serve it to customers. So I keep yelling at her to move faster. I don’t have time to be polite,” explains Duncan.
Thankfully Cherry isn’t too affected by this.
“The kitchen is his domain and I respect that. Furthermore, SQ trained me well. I have interacted with all sorts of people on the job, so I am very adaptable. This is nothing,” she laughs.
“Besides, he’s only fierce in the kitchen. I call the shots at home.”
“Yes, when I go home, I have to wash the clothes and mop the floor,” quips Duncan.
The menu
Kiang Kiang offers just four mains: chicken chop ($8.50), basil pork chop ($9.50), rib-eye steak ($13.50) and grilled halibut ($12.50).
All mains come with a sunny side up egg, your choice of carb (pasta or short-grain rice), veggie (teppanyaki beansprouts or corn) and sauce (black pepper, mushroom or a mix of both). Additional servings are priced from $5 for protein and $1 for sides.
According to Duncan, the dishes taste like the hotplate Western fare you find at Taiwan night markets.
“We don’t tweak the dishes to cater to the local palate ’cos we want to offer authentic Taiwanese teppanyaki. We try to incorporate Taiwanese ingredients in our food,” he says.
Chicken Chop, $8.50 (8 DAYS Pick!)
This is Kiang Kiang’s bestseller and we can see why. The serving is hearty and the succulent chicken thigh, seasoned overnight with a blend of herbs and spices, is perfectly grilled with a good sear.
The accompanying chunky mushroom sauce is an elevated version of the typical runny brown gravy that you get with your kopitiam-style Western fare. Made with shiitake and button mushrooms and chock full of caramelised onions, it is rich with a good balance of umami, sweet and tangy flavours. We mopped up every drop of it with the short-grain rice. Extra points for the fried egg with a gooey yolk.
Rib-eye Steak, $13.50 (8 DAYS Pick!)
The steak, which we paired with black pepper sauce, gives us Pepper Lunch vibes. Cooked to perfect doneness, the thin slab of Australian rib-eye (around 200g) is juicy and tender. The sauce has a nice kick of heat, and we were pleasantly surprised by the citrusy note.
Duncan uses toasted maqaw peppercorns that are indigenous to Taiwan. The spice, which boasts a lemongrass scent and hints of citrus, are mainly used in fine-dining due to its high cost.
The pasta, tossed with the same sauce, is not bad, though we would have preferred the spaghetti to be more al dente.
Basil Pork Chop, $9.50
The dish comes with two slabs of pork chop topped with fried basil leaves. The meat, served slightly pink, is tender and flavourful. We think it’s good on its own as any sauce would overpower the basil. But if you want more flavour, Cherry recommends a mix of the two sauces, which “whets the appetite”.
Halibut, $12.50
Instead of the usual dory, Kiang Kiang uses halibut, which is delicate, flaky, and sweet. Not bad with the mix sauce that nicely complements the fish.
Bottom line
Great food, hearty portions at a decent price. All the meats are well done and while we prefer our Western food without condiments, we find ourselves enjoying Duncan’s elevated sauces. Its location in Woodlands is a bit ulu, but worth a visit if you are a fan of Taiwanese-style Western grub.
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