'Can a Vietnamese hawker fry Hokkien Mee? Nice meh?' Yes, this hardworking lady can
When Vietnam-born hawker Lim Mei Zhen, 40, first opened her stall, 618 Hokkien Mee, at a nondescript Yishun kopitiam two years ago, the most common reaction she received from patrons was scepticism.
Speaking to 8days.sg, she recalls in slightly hesitant Mandarin: “Customers would say to me, ‘Can a Vietnamese [hawker] fry Hokkien mee? Nice meh?’” Asked if she felt discouraged, the soft-spoken lady shrugs it off with a smile. “I told them to try my food first. If it’s good, come back again. If it’s bad, tell me how I can improve, I’ll accept your criticism."
Overcoming bias with hard work
Located in a quiet HDB estate, 618 Hokkien Mee only offers two dishes: fried Hokkien mee and char kway teow. Despite the long hours (the stall opens from 8am to 8pm), Mei Zhen handles all the cooking herself, while two recently-hired assistants help with orders and prep. “I have to work harder than everyone else,” she asserts.
Proudly, she tells us that she has won over the Singaporean crowd – most of her regular customers are elderly residents from the area (which also explains the stall’s early operating hours). Recently, a netizen left a positive review on a Facebook hawker food group, noting that “her skills [are] really on par with local hawkers”.
“It makes me really happy to hear that. I put a lot of heart into what I do. I enjoy cooking and I’m always looking for ways to improve my skills,” she says cheerfully.
Honed her skills from working as a hawker’s assistant
The hawker’s petite frame transforms into a commanding presence in the kitchen as she deftly manages the large woks used to fry noodles. The stall sells “over 100 plates” daily, with orders evenly split between both dishes.
How did a lady from Kien Giang, an agricultural province in southern Vietnam, end up selling these popular hawker dishes? Mei Zhen, who’s now a Singapore PR, recounts her journey prior to becoming a hawker: “I relocated here in 2008 after marrying my [Singaporean] husband. All my jobs were related to F&B – I’ve worked at a fruit stall and a popiah stall.”
She learned how to cook fried Hokkien mee and char kway teow while working at a hawker stall. “I was hired to take customer orders, but I had an interest in learning to cook these dishes so I started observing my boss. He began to teach me how to cook and sometimes when he was busy, he’d let me fry the noodles for customers. Over time, he’d let me do most of the frying,” she shares.
Prefers selling local noodles over pho
Did she ever consider selling Vietnamese food instead? “Many customers have asked me why I’m not selling pho, but I like Hokkien mee and char kway teow. I find it rewarding when they enjoy my dishes,” she says.
Six years ago, Mei Zhen opened her first hawker stall at a different kopitiam in the same Yishun neighbourhood, but closed the joint after about two years. “It was too tiring as I was running the stall alone. I was selling about eight dishes back then! [Besides Hokkien mee and char kway teow] I also sold fried carrot cake and oyster omelette,” she shares.
Even though the hawker has a bigger team now, she affirms that she will not be expanding her menu: “I just want to focus on these two dishes. I think there’s still room for improvement.”
Fried Hokkien Mee, from $4.50 (8 DAYS Pick!)
While most stalls opt for either thick or thin bee hoon along with yellow noodles, Mei Zhen uses both in her dish, which gives her version a more interesting, chewier texture. The noodles are on the wetter side, drenched in a gooey, satisfying briny gravy rendered from a rich stock made from prawn shells. This dish also has a stronger wok hei than the stall’s other item, char kway teow. Our large plate ($5.50) comes with three fresh sea prawns, sotong, sliced pork belly and freshly-fried, crunchy pork lard prepared by the hawker. The housemade hae bee-heavy sambal is superb and elevates the dish with its punchy flavour.
Fried Kway Teow, from $4
Due to a lack of wok-charred aroma, this dish reminds us of breakfast noodles rather than standard char kway teow. We recommend ordering the more flavoursome Hokkien mee instead.
Bottom line
Mei Zhen’s dedication to perfecting our beloved hawker dishes is admirable. Her fried Hokkien mee is comparable to good Singaporean versions (the affordable price is a bonus), and house-made sambal tastier than average. Worth a visit if you’re in the area.
The details
618 Hokkien Mee is at Blk 618, 618 Yishun Ring Rd, S760618. Open daily except Wed, 8am - 8pm. More info via Facebook.
Photos: Aik Chen
