Within Singapore’s culinary tapestry, hawker fares are almost always affordable, scrumptious but nevertheless well-loved. Last December, the local hawker culture has been added to the UNESCO list of intangible culture and heritage, much to the rejoice of many foodies on the sunny island. Now, more than ever, there is that sense of pride dining at a local hawker centre or be a hawker.
At Soon Soon Huat Curry Puffs, third-generation owner Tay Mui Lan is one such hawker. Mui Lan inherited the hawker business from her mother, who in turn had inherited the label from her mother (or Mui Lan’s grandmother) too. Selling handmade crispy curry puffs to the masses, the shortcrust pastries from Soon Soon Huat Curry Puffs are equally popular amongst the young and old.
Crispy, aromatic and decadent, each curry puff is brimming with fillings, including a wedge of hard-boiled egg, diced curry chicken, and diced potato. The mother-and-daughter duo still prepares these by hand daily. Like many most hawkers, the duo would wake up early, head to the kitchen, and kickstart the day’s work.
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Late last year, Mui Lan suffered frequent dizzy spells. This led her to investigate the cause. Following an MRI evaluation, her physician delivered grave news: she had 50 per cent hearing loss in her left ear and a 4cm huge tumour resting on her brain.
While the tumour was benign in nature, she was advised to undergo a grueling surgery to remove a part of the tumour. The doctor would then arrange another procedure to remove the remaining tumour. As Mui Lan recalls, all of those “happened so quickly”. She was soon admitted to a ward and the surgery was scheduled just a few days later. “There was little time to process everything. I was scared,” Mui Lan says, tearing up.
Mui Lan took six weeks off work to recuperate. She had left her business to the well-trained hands of her mothers’, but never did she not think of work. “You can never really let go,” she explains. “This is my grandmother’s legacy. I want to keep it alive.”
A year on from the huge surgery, Mui Lan is now fully deaf on her left ear and her facial muscles have also weakened, both an aftermath of the surgery. Sometimes, she struggles to hear her customers speak or put up a beaming smile. Nevertheless, the hawker is as determined as ever. She wants to keep her grandmother’s legacy alive, and she will. Read on to find out Mui Lan’s story with hoolah Singapore.
Sng Ler Jun: When did Soon Soon Huat Curry Puffs first founded?
Tay Mui Lan: Soon Soon Huat Curry Puffs was first founded by my grandmother at Block 1A Eunos Crescent in 1991. She started selling handmade curry puffs as a form of livelihood then. I remember selling out daily, and she would always want to make more. It has been almost thirty years!
Ler Jun: Why did you become a hawker?
Mui Lan: Succeeding my grandmother, my mum was the second-generation hawker. But one day, she confided in me that she wanted to give up the business. She told me it was impossible and difficult to get new hires. I felt that it would be a waste to give up my grandmother’s legacy. If we gave up then, we would have lost our heritage. I knew I needed to take action. So I gave up my full-time position as a secretary at a local SME, and took over.
Ler Jun: What are the struggles of being a hawker today?
Mui Lan: There are many! You sacrifice your time during the weekends and public holidays. Effectively those are the family bonding time you lose. We work long hours a day and by the time we reached home, after a 14-hour shift, we sleep. We work so long to keep the business going, to have quality control, to keep our customers satisfied.
We also always trying to improve our curry puffs to fit the changing taste buds. The curry puffs we used to sell have been modified slightly to fit what our customers want to eat today. All these require time, effort and perceptiveness to happen.
Ler Jun: How many curry puffs do you make in a day?
Mui Lan: Probably between 400 to 500 curry puffs!
Ler Jun: How long did it take for you learn the skills of making curry puffs?
Mui Lan: I started young. As a teenager, I would patronize my grandmother’s kitchen to help her. That’s where and when I learned the ropes of kneading the dough, making the diced curry fillings, and even some aspect of managing the business.
Ler Jun: For the most part, Soon Soon Huat Curry Puffs are run by women and the business has been passed on from mothers to their daughters. What’s it like to inherit the place from your mother?
Mui Lan: I guess I am proud. I am proud to have parents who support me at what I do, proud to have sisters who help out all the time. When I first inherited the business, I wanted to keep my grandmother’s legacy alive and make good curry puffs. That’s all that went in my mind.
I mean I was stressed too, but I am happy.
Ler Jun: Soon Soon Huat Curry Puffs is now a traditional curry puff café that resides along East Coast Road, where many good food establishments are also located at. What does it mean to stand shoulder-to-shoulder against all the hipster cafés around the area?
Mui Lan: I like that when youngsters patronize the cafés around the street, they would pop by and grab a curry puff or two to go. It’s like gratifying to see them patronising a traditional curry puff place, like Soon Soon Huat’s. Of course, we don’t sell expensive coffee; we try and keep things affordable, just like old-school.
Ler Jun: Last year, you went through a brain surgery. What happened?
Mui Lan: I have had frequent dizzy spells in late 2019. After a referral from my Ear, Nose and Throat doctor to get an MRI, my doctor discovered I had loss 50% of my hearing on my left ear and I also had a 4cm tumour in my brain.
It was known as the benign nerve tumour, or acoustic neuroma. I needed to undergo a surgery to remove 2cm of that tumour, and then go through a gamma knife treatment to remove the remainder. According to the doctor, some of the complications include permanent hearing loss, facial numbness, and even death. The doctor also told me that fluid had also accumulated in my brain, and that posed a risk as well.
Ler Jun: When you first heard the news, what did you feel?
Mui Lan: I felt sad … (tearing up) Why did it happen to me? But this is life, so I tried to stay positive. Of course, it is really … painful. I mean, I still have a lot of things I haven’t had the chance to complete. I knew I needed to be strong. I needed to survive.
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Ler Jun: What about the business?
Mui Lan: I still had my mum, and my sisters, and my family helping me. So, it was scary to us all, but I am sure they will be able to handle Soon Soon Huat Curry Puffs fine.
Ler Jun: What did you learn from that ordeal?
Mui Lan: Life is really precious. We should always treat one another with kindness. It’s also important to help others in need. Even if you have certain limitations, you can still do your best.
Ler Jun: What would you tell your 18-year-old self?
Mui Lan: Take the leap of faith earlier and become a hawker.
Ler Jun: What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
Mui Lan: Women are strong and International Women’s Day celebrates that!
Ler Jun: What taboos related to the theme of women you wished were broken?
Mui Lan: A lot of people don’t think women have what it takes to hold a leadership position. This occurrence happens even more frequently in the past, but it is not the case today anymore. Time and again, women have proven to be as capable or even better than their male counterparts.
Ler Jun: What should women do to position themselves better in the workplace?
Mui Lan: It all boils down to balancing all their duties. Be professional when you work. Devote your best in the workplace, at home, but whenever necessary, take the time to rest up!
Ler Jun: Which women are you inspired by in your local community, or globe?
Mui Lan: My mother, my grandmother, and my sisters. These are the women who inspire me daily.
Ler Jun: What are the women themes that still need greater awareness?
Mui Lan: We have a lot more privileges today. That’s great! I guess what people need to know today is that we are capable. We can be mothers, be bosses, be leaders. And we should celebrate our achievements, no matter how small they are, regardless.
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This story is Part Two of four stories (featuring Tay Mui Lan from Soon Soon Huat Curry Puffs) on the exceptional female figures in Singapore. In light of International Women’s Day, we tip hats to the everyday women who are narrating their own chapter of female inclusivity and empowerment in their own lives and in the 21st century.
Here’s wishing all ladies a Happy International Women’s Day!
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