Netizens Astonished To See Famously Moody Wah Kee Prawn Mee Hawker Smiling In Photo With MP Melvin Yong

Auntie spotted smiling in a photo with MP Melvin Yong

Last December, MP for Radin Mas SMC Melvin Yong posted on Facebook a photo of himself with Lay Mon and her husband at their stall. “Had an event nearby and popped over to Pek Kio Market for a quick lunch… and a much overdue catchup with old friends. Ps: the prawn mee is still as tasty as ever,” he wrote.

Netizens were astonished, as Lay Mon was beaming widely in the photo and giving a thumbs up sign, which was apparently a sight as rare as seeing the blood moon.

MP Melvin Yong’s comment section also blew up, with his followers trading aggrieved war stories. “Very bad and arrogant attitude. Give me free prawn mee I also don't want,” sniffed a netizen, while another remarked: “Order $15-$30 aunty your best friend. Order less than that aunty your nightmare."

She is just misunderstood

According to TODAY’s profile, Lay Mon is just very misunderstood. She snaps at customers to move along because of previous incidents where people have accidentally spilled boiling soup on other patrons. She cares, but she’s just not demonstrative. “I have no choice. If people think I am fierce, so be it. I am already in my 70s. They still come anyway. I try to ignore them. At the most, they won’t buy my noodles,” she said candidly.

She also mentioned that she had a pool of regulars who would bring her snacks and drinks, and jokingly call her “mum” and “godma”.

The reason for auntie’s good mood is apparently because Lionel ordered a pricier $20 bowl, which pleased Lay Mon very much. We asked him if he had ever ordered a bowl for below $20 and received good service. “Nope! Doing that is like just asking to get scolded. Not worth it lah,” he replied, adding: “Moral of the story is just get the $20 and above [bowl] if you must, and eat once in a while lah. Their soup is good and they’re the only ones who offer mee kia.”

As terrifying as it may sound, Wah Kee Prawn Noodles is also emblematic of Singapore’s uniquely colourful hawker culture: Delicious food cooked by sometimes curmudgeonly aunties and uncles who lavish tough love on their customers.

Wah Kee Prawn Noodles is at #01-15 Pek Kio Market & Food Centre, 41A Cambridge Rd, S211041. Tel: 9688-3633. Open Wed-Sat 7.30am-2pm, Sun 9am-2pm. Closed on Mon & Tue.