If you're a MasterChef Singapore fan, then you're probably familiar with our friendly neighbourhood ah beng, Aaron Wong. He's recently opened up his very own mee hoon kueh stall at Telok Blangah Crescent Block 11 Market and Food Centre called 'Jiak Song' or 吃爽, which literally translates to 'eat until shiok'.
But why open up a food stall in the midst of Covid-19, where it seems like everywhere we go there's a restaurant closing down?
Aaron reasons simply that people still need to eat, pandemic or not. "If you serve humble food to everyday people, you are okay," he says. "Upmarket restaurants will suffer due to the lack of spending power because of this pandemic and the painful fact that seating capacity is slashed by half due to safe distancing. But this means nothing to a hawker because we sell affordable, everyday food with tons of free seating everywhere!"
In a Facebook post, Aaron also reiterates that he's a "hawker food kinda guy" and "lover of all things local."
"No matter how hard I try, I’m just not a fan of fancy pants stuff and in my humble opinion, a good old school hawker stall beats any atas joint anytime. So, after years of talking, I have decided to put my money where my mouth is and support the hawker culture in Singapore with my first humble little hawker stall," he says.
So what's special about Aaron's mee hoon kueh?
"For a start, we really took the old-school approach. We make our dough by hand right in front of you. Secondly, all the other components in the dish – like meat balls, fish slices and shrimp balls – are each in a class of their own, items you can literally eat on their own," says Aaron.
"In short, as simple as it looks, it’s packed full of love!"
And true to the MasterChef Singapore alumni's personality, the food is no-nonsense, traditional with no fanfare, and it tastes and looks old school but done in a whole new way.
And a bowl of his signature mee hoon kway sells for as little as S$3.50!
The stall opens at 9am until sold out, which is around 1pm or even earlier if it's the weekends, so try to get there early! It's closed on Mondays, and other opening days also depend on Wong's schedule, as his main profession is an underwater photographer. Stay posted on his Facebook page for updates so you won't make a wasted trip!
For now, you'll find Aaron working at the stall, but that will probably change as he's looking to hire someone "young and dynamic" to join his venture.
However, he also acknowledged that many young Singaporeans are unwilling to consider the hawker trade, due to perceptions of it being a "hot, wet, and greasy environment that turns people off".
And that's why Aaron also started up the stall to reinvent the way hawkers operate. "Who says a hawker stall can’t have an organized and updated kitchen?" He says.
Take a look at his kitchen:
Looks super organized and professional and goes against what we think of hawker stalls, right?
So if you're keen to join Aaron's new venture, Aaron is keen to hire and train. Shoot him a PM!