Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice owner returns to work early despite hand injury: 'I still have to pay rent'

On Dec 19, a post on Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice’s Facebook page appeared. It notified customers that the Maxwell Food Centre stall “will be taking a short break as Mr Wong has sustained (a) minor work injury. We shall resume operations once Mr Wong has recovered. Thank you”.

Wong Liang Tai is the stall’s eponymous chef-owner. The 64-year-old, whom many know as "Ah Tai", worked for many years at well-known chicken rice stall Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, but famously left in 2012 to set up his own shop just a few units away after falling out with Tian Tian’s owner.

Five days after his injury, Wong returned to work. He told 8days.sg in Mandarin that he had scalded his hand while preparing the sauce for his chicken rice.

“The doctor gave me an MC for six days, but my injury will take over a month to heal. I just disinfect my hand and wrap it up,” he shared.

He had reopened his stall as soon as he could resume working, and closed early at 3pm on Christmas Eve as business was good.

He pointed out: “It’s not easy to take a break. When I rest for so many days, the expenses incurred are huge. I still have to pay rent. Those in F&B will know, it’s not that easy to rest. I also had customers calling me to ask when I was reopening.”

Work injuries are common for him, especially during peak hours.

“Sometimes I cut my hand while chopping chickens too, especially when I’m rushing. Or when we fry food, we also get scalded by the oil. A hawker’s income is very hard-earned. We work long hours and the job is very tough. But it’s okay lah, I have been in this line for so many years,” he said.

He has one daughter, a university graduate in her 30s who also helps her dad update his stall’s social media page as he is not internet-savvy. But despite her interest in taking over his stall, Wong reckons it’s not a job for a young woman.

He opined: “It’s hard for a girl to chop chickens unless she’s very physically strong. I work over 10 hours a day, but my physical strength deteriorates by the year. Us old folks can take the hardship because we are used to it, but if you ask a youngster to work such long hours, they may not be able to sustain beyond two years.”

Vacations, a common luxury for most Singaporeans, are also few and far between for Wong. “We are tied down by the long hours and rigours of this job. It’s not like office workers who can take leave and go on holidays. It’s very expensive for us to take a vacation,” he chortled.

WONG'S SUCCESSOR

Wong has a “disciple”, a customer who ended up working for him. “He has been with me for over 10 years, and I may pass my business to him,” he said.

Finding a successor is “not easy”, as Wong highlighted: “You find someone in their 20s and they are not stable enough. It takes time and hard work to build a name in F&B. Not everyone can earn money from running an eatery. You must be patient and unafraid to work hard to retain customers, because they form the bulk of your business. When I worked at Tian Tian, it also took many years to establish a reputation.”

As for whether he dreams of winning a Michelin star like fellow chicken rice seller Hawker Chan, Wong responded: “No lah! I don’t have that dream. Just let things run naturally. If you hope for something and don’t get it, you will feel very dissatisfied. If the Michelin Guide people want to give you a star, they will give it.”

But opening an outlet is something he will consider. Wong said: “See how lah. My disciple is very busy now. Even if we open an outlet, it will be run by him.” 

Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice is at 1 Kadayanallur Street, #01-07, Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore 069184. Open daily except Tues, 11am to 7.30pm.

This story was originally published in 8Days.