5 things to know about the bak chor mee hawker turned alleged cocaine vape ring kingpin
In Singapore’s sorta own version of Breaking Bad, Ivan Tan Zhi Xuan, 31, went from selling bak chor mee while he was on a break from his uni undergrad studies to allegedly running a cocaine vape operation years later.
The Straits Times reported that Malaysian police arrested four men in Selangor, including three Singaporeans, who supposedly tried to traffic 20,000 vapes containing etomidate and cocaine into South Korea. Among those arrested is Ivan, a former Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) student at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). He once ran a bak chor mee and fishball noodle stall in Ang Mo Kio.
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The Straits Times also added that Ivan was accused of being the alleged leader of a criminal group that enlisted South Korean students to distribute vapes infused with drugs in Seoul. The four men are now facing cocaine trafficking charges in Kuala Lumpur and, if found guilty, could receive the death penalty or life imprisonment with caning.
Before he became entangled in the world of drug trafficking, Ivan had attempted to build a career in Singapore’s F&B industry.
1. Took a year off uni aged 25 to open bak chor mee stall
A newly married Ivan took a year off his undergrad studies at NTU in 2019 to set up a noodle stall in an Ang Mo Kio coffeeshop. According to Lianhe Zaobao, he was supposed to return to university for his final year of studies in August 2020. It’s unclear if Ivan eventually graduated with a degree.
2. Partnered uni mate and brother-in-law to open noodle stall
Lianhe Zaobao reported that Ivan joined forces with a university mate he met through NTU’s EEE club for his hawker business. They partnered Ivan’s brother-in-law to open Quan Ji, a noodle stall at Ang Mo Kio Street 21. Their stall’s name was inspired by Ivan’s wife’s grandpa’s hawker biz Quan Ji Teochew Mee (see below), and they offered similar dishes such as bak chor mee, fishball kway teow soup and laksa.
They learned how to cook these dishes under the tutelage of Quan Ji Teochew Mee’s second-generation owners.
3. Wife’s grandfather started Quan Ji Teochew Mee in 1965
Interestingly, Ivan’s wife’s grandfather founded hawker stall Quan Ji Teochew Mee back in 1965. The original stall at Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre is still in operation today, selling fishball noodles from $4 to $5. There is another outlet at Koufu food court in Punggol Plaza.
4. Ivan’s parents initially opposed to the idea of him becoming a hawker
Lianhe Zaobao noted that Ivan’s parents were initially against the idea of their undergrad son setting up a hawker stall. However, he managed to convince them it was the right move. He told the Chinese newspaper that his folks even lent him money to start his business back then. He added: “I promised them that I would pay it back in full within three years".
5. Later dabbled in other F&B business ventures
Unfortunately, Ivan’s attempt at hawkerpreneurship did not last and he eventually closed his noodle shop. Following the stall’s closure, he tried his hand at various other businesses, The Straits Times reported. Records showed that he held directorships in multiple Singapore companies, including several F&B outlets, a nightclub and vehicle rental companies.
Quan Ji Teochew Mee is at #01-44 Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre, 208B New Upp Changi Rd, S462208. Open Mon to Fri 6am-9pm; Sat & Sun 6am-2pm.
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