Known for its signature mee rebus and mee soto, Wantom Food Stall at Cheng San Market and Cooked Food Centre can be traced back to the entrepreneurial spirit of Mdm Norsiah Bte Hassan’s mother. Before setting up in Ang Mo Kio, her mother ran a drinks stall tucked away in a back lane in Bendemeer. Intriguingly, her mother was not well versed in the culinary arts. At the age of 16, Mdm Norsiah and her four sisters stepped in to fill the void and embarked on a journey of culinary experimentation.
With no cooking background, they delved into cooking mee rebus and mee soto, tirelessly creating and refining recipes until they perfected the distinctive flavours that would become the foundation of their mother’s food stall. “Through trial and error, it took us seven years to come up with a successful recipe,” she said.
Although they spent most of their time running the stall and did not have much of a childhood, Mdm Norsiah and her siblings were happy because they were serving good food to customers. “We have benefited from the customers’ feedback on how to improve our dishes. They suggested that we add more ingredients to make our mee rebus taste more balanced,” she added.
Apart from mee rebus and mee soto, Mdm Norsiah, who took over the stall named after her mother, has expanded the menu to include mee siam, lontong, mee goreng, laksa and chicken rice to cater to different tastes. “We have been getting more business since we expanded the menu,” she said.
But mee rebus and mee soto remain her best-sellers. Customers who moved away to Sembawang and Yishun would still come to her stall to buy these dishes. “My customers have been very supportive and many of my regulars bring their children and grandchildren. Some who are now old and in wheelchairs still continue to visit my stall,” she added.
During Ramadan, Mdm Norsiah would donate food and cookies to the Residents’ Committee (RC) centre, asking them not to reveal that she’s the donor. “But many residents will ask the RC volunteers if the food is from my stall, as they recognise the unique flavours,” she said.
While her mother passed away more than 20 years ago, Mdm Norsiah is still proud to have carried on her mother’s legacy. “She was a good mum and loved the stall. She made me promise to take good care of it,” said Mdm Norsiah, who’s now assisted by her husband and brother.
Her 23-year-old daughter plans to take over the stall in the future. “We are teaching her how to prepare the dishes. She’s a keen learner and has the willpower to take over,” she said with a smile.
Despite the challenges and competition faced in running a food business, she takes things in stride. “As long as you take care of the quality and taste of your dishes, and know how to interact with your customers, everything will be fine.”
Located along Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, Cheng San Market and Food Centre will be rejuvenated under the Hawker Centres Transformation Programme from 1 June to 30 November 2024. The programme aims to make hawker centres cleaner, more productive and more sustainable. Improvements will include ventilation enhancements such as new fixtures and fans, and changes to existing infrastructure such as toilets.
Wantom Food Stall: Cheng San Market and Cooked Food Centre, #01-102
Chinese
诺西雅（Norsiah Bte Hassan）在静山巴刹与熟食中心售卖本地马来美食。马来卤面（mee rebus）和马来面汤（mee soto）是她的招牌菜，深受顾客喜爱。但她原本不会烹饪，却努力钻研食谱，并聆听顾客的反馈，费了不少功夫才烹制出称心的口味。斋戒月期间，她也不忘做善事，把自制的食物和糕饼捐赠给居民委员会中心。
Malay
Pemilik Gerai Makan Wantom di Pasar dan Pusat Makanan Cheng San, Puan Norsiah Bte Hassan, telah meluangkan masa tujuh tahun menyempurnakan resipi mi rebus dan mi soto, yang merupakan juadah paling laris di gerainya. Semasa bulan Ramadan, beliau akan dengan murah hati menderma makanan dan kuih-muih kepada pusat Jawatankuasa Penduduk.
Tamil
செங் சான் சந்தை, உணவு நிலையத்தில் உள்ள வன்டோம் உணவுக்கடையின் உரிமையாளரான திருவாட்டி நூர்சியா பிந்தி ஹசான், மீ ரெபுஸ், மீ சோத்தோ உணவு வகைகளைச் சிறந்த சுவையுடன் தயாரிக்க ஏழு ஆண்டுகாலம் முயற்சி எடுத்தார். அவரது முயற்சியின் பலனாக, இவ்விரு உணவு வகைகளும் அவரது கடையில் அமோகமாக விற்பனையாகின்றன. ரமலான் மாதத்தில், அவர் வசிப்போர் குழு நிலையத்திற்கு உணவும் குக்கீஸ் தின்பண்டங்களும் நன்கொடையாக வழங்கி வருகிறார்.
