L&T Chinese Food

Address 50 East Coast Rd 01-64, Roxy Square Senoko Food Junction Pte Ltd

Opening Hours 10am to 3pm daily

Walk into any local food center at peak hour and likely there’s a beeline heading for the economic or chap chye stall.

It is the most popular and profitable outlet at most food centers and yet, very little are known about how they operate, what they know about the customer’s palate and just how do they keep them coming back for more, as they are not a one-item specialist.

Just how do they manage so many items, for so many types of tastebuds and how do they stay relevant.

Picture this, folks search for and travel the world looking for simply great Chinese or Asian makan. They yearn for kung pao chicken, fresh succulent sotong tossed in sambal, ikan assam, braised tofu with minced meat, fresh crunchy bok choy, stewed pork etc…and they pay restaurant prices for it, four to ten bucks an item.

But at a chap chye stall, you can get the whole range freshly spread before your eyes and pick what you desire, topped onto your plate of soft fluffy rice. Best part, you pay peanuts for the meal, $3 on average, with three items and rice.

Mr Tan Bong Weng has been at it for 20 years. By default, he took over his relative’s stall in Parkway Parade then and there was no looking back since. He recalls that “ initially it was about selling what the customer wants. Now, it’s about what I know they want.”

“I have been running our stall in various parts of Singapore, the east, west, north and even ran a $S10,000 a month food court stall in Orchard Road. The same people would like different dishes at different places. Very strange. They would also expect to spend only a certain amount for certain places.”, he observed.

Today they are back at their favourite part of Singapore, the East Coast Road area. “Here, the average price per meal is about $2.50, with a meat and two vegetables or egg, tofu items.” But at Parkway Parade, it was about $3 per similar meal and Mr Tan knows it’s not about the rentals, but the price perception of the customers. And at his previous Orchard Road stall, per meal averaged $4-$5.

“In the past, customers had not much choice for a comparison, they ate whatever you put for sale. Now, they are spoiled for choice and very choosy. They look at the stall, the display, the menu and range and overall hygiene and the feel good factor. They compare prices and we even have to dress up neatly to serve people who are sloppier then us.”

They buy their ingredients every day from two markets in the east area and plan the menu with their chief cook Madam Heng, who was a student of the late legendary master, Mr Tham Yu Kai, former leader of the Four Heavenly makan Kings of Singapore.

She says they “ cook about twenty dishes at this location. But at Orchard, we fry up to 40 items as customers there want variety and don’t mind paying more.”

Their strategy is to cook half of the most sellable items with above average stuff like stewed chicken, towgay and mixed omelette, at the beginning of the day. Customers polish off their sweet and sour fish and pork very quickly just like their assam fish and brinjal sambal. Their sweet and sour pork and fish is done restaurant style, dry outside, crispy and lightly coated with the sauce.

But they save the best for last, when the items begin to clear at late lunch hour. “Then, when we bring out our killer items like the baby bok choy, string beans with peanut and chili, prawn paste chicken, leek sambal and more sweet and sour fish, our number one item. Guarantee clear, no leftover!” beams Madam Heng.

Their baby bok choy is done for colour, texture and taste, bright green, shiny and crunchy. Overall, their items are not too complicated and cooked very well, just like mummy’s at home (provided she a good cook!)

So the next time you explore a chap chye stall for a meal, do think of it as a French style degustation sampler meal : having the best of the chap chye chef in tasting portions, served with rice at a very nice price!