Nestled in the bustling heart of Teck Ghee Court Market and Food Centre, you will always see a long snaking queue in front of Eng Kee Bak Kut Teh. Behind this stall is Mr Toh Aik Soon, a 68-year-old culinary maestro.
His gastronomic adventure can be dated back to his teenage years when he started as an apprentice at a restaurant. As the tantalising aromas of the kitchen swirled around him, he learned various cooking processes and how to transform raw food ingredients into delicious delicacies.
With his vast culinary experience, he set up his own food catering company for events such as the Lunar Seventh Month Festival and other corporate events. His friend in Malaysia later invited him to run a bak kut teh stall in Johor Bahru. After a year, he decided to return to Singapore because of the need to take care of his young children.
Inspired by his venture in Malaysia, he decided to run a Teochew-style bak kut teh stall in Singapore. He reinvented the braised pig trotter based on a recipe he adapted from serving braised pork buns during his food catering business. Today, the braised pig trotter is one of his signature dishes at Eng Kee Bak Kut Teh.
“Many of my regular customers used to live in Ang Mo Kio. Most have moved, but they still return for my food and bring their children and grandchildren along. Some of the kids call me ‘Ah Gong’ and it is very heartwarming,” said Mr Toh, who has been using the same recipes for his dishes for 30 years.
A lot of determination and hard work go into Mr Toh’s dishes. He wakes up at 3.30am every day and travels from his home in Sembawang to his stall to start the preparation work. “I insist on preparing all the ingredients by myself because I want to make sure that the best parts of the meat are paired with the right cooking methods. This ensures consistency in my dishes,” said Mr Toh, who runs the stall with two assistants.
He is also particular about the cooking utensils that he uses. He said: “I insist on using the same pots that I have been using since I started the stall. These time-tested pots maintain the perfect cooking temperature, ensuring a consistent flavour. These old pots are very heavy, but I did not want to change to lighter and newer pots because this will affect the taste.”
Despite the hard work and long working hours, the friendly and cheerful Mr Toh said he has no plans to retire yet. “My children have seen that I am happy running the stall, so they have also supported me in my business,” he said with a smile.
On what advice Mr Toh has for young aspiring hawkers, he shared: “Young hawkers need to have a passion for cooking, and it would be an added advantage if they have some experience in food and beverage. They must also have the patience to experiment with different cooking methods to create the perfect dish.”
Eng Kee Bak Kut Teh: 341 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, #01-04
Chinese
坐落在德义阁巴刹与熟食中心的永记肉骨茶，由卓亦分（68岁）一手打理，卖的是潮州式肉骨茶。30年来，他一直坚持使用相同的料理配方，烹煮肉骨茶和卤猪蹄等深受欢迎的美食。他凡事亲力亲为，就连锅具也维持不变。他认为，旧锅具能提供合适的烹饪温度，保持食物的味道。对于年轻小贩，卓亦分说：“年轻小贩应保持热忱，耐心尝试不同的烹饪方式，才能创造出完美的料理。”
Malay
Encik Toh Aik Soon, 68 tahun, mengendalikan sebuah gerai bak kut teh di Pasar dan Pusat Penjaja Teck Ghee Court. Dia telah menggunakan resipi yang sama untuk hidangan-hidangannya, seperti bak kut teh ala Teochew dan kaki babi rebus, selama 30 tahun. Dia bangun awal setiap pagi untuk memotong and memasak sendiri, dan bertegas menggunakan periuk yang sama sejak dia memulakan gerai bagi mengekalkan mutu hidangan yang sama. Dia menggalak penjaja muda agar bersemangat memasak dan bersabar dalam usaha mencuba pelbagai kaedah memasak bagi menghasilkan hidangan yang tepat.
Tamil
திரு டோ ஆய்க் சூன், 68, டெக் கீ கோர்ட் சந்தை, உணவு நிலையத்தில் பக் குட் டே உணவுக்கடை நடத்துகிறார். அவர் 30 ஆண்டுகளாக அதே சமையல் குறிப்புகளைப் பயன்படுத்தி பக் குட் டே, வதக்கிய பன்றிக்கால் போன்ற தியோச்சூ பாணி உணவு வகைகளைச் சமைத்து விற்பனை செய்கிறார். ஒவ்வொரு நாளும் அதிகாலையில் எழுந்து, தேவையான பொருட்களைத் தாமே வெட்டி, சமைக்கிறார். உணவு வகைகளின் தரத்தைக் கட்டிக்காக்க, கடையை ஆரம்பித்த நாளிலிருந்து இன்று வரை அதே பானைகளைப் பயன்படுத்துகிறார். இளம் உணவங்காடி கடைக்காரர்கள் சமையலில் ஆர்வம் கொள்ளவும் அவர் ஊக்கமளிக்கிறார். பல்வேறு சமையல் முறைகளைப் பொறுமையாகச் செய்து பார்த்து, சிறந்த உணவு வகைகளை உருவாக்குமாறும் அவர் அறிவுரை கூறுகிறார்.
