Heritage beancurd stall with long history
The family business dates back to the 1950s, when the elder Loh sold soy bean milk and beancurd from a pushcart in Tiong Bahru. He moved into a permanent stall at Seng Poh Market, now known as Tiong Bahru Market, in 1979, before Teck Seng took over the biz in 1985. The stall operates from an ungodly 2am to 2.30pm on Tuesday to Saturday.
One of the stall’s most famous longtime customers was Singapore’s late founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew.
LKY’s go-to order
Teck Seng says Mr Lee’s bodyguards visited his stall almost every morning. They would spend at least $3 each time on hot soy bean milk and beancurd, both unsweetened. The bodyguards also brought Mr Lee’s own containers to pack his order.
Mr Lee patronised his stall for many years and could apparently tell whenever his soy-based favourites came from somewhere else.
“The bodyguard told me, ‘Mr Lee only likes your soy bean milk and beancurd. When your stall is closed and we buy from somewhere else, he knows it’s not from Tiong Bahru,’” Teck Seng tells 8days.sg with a laugh.
“He could tell the difference.”
Late PM’s bodyguards came to tapow soy milk every morning
Teck Seng never met or spoke to Mr Lee and initially did not know who the regular orders were for.
“At first, they didn’t want to tell me,” he says.
As the bodyguards sometimes bought large quantities for themselves and other staff, Teck Seng would help carry their orders from his stall to their car.
He later recognised the same vehicle travelling in a convoy behind a car carrying Mr Lee.
After the bodyguards had patronised his stall for some time, one of them finally confirmed that the daily orders were for the founding prime minister.
“Every morning they would buy [my soy milk],” Teck Seng says.
The bodyguards were so familiar with his schedule that they knew Monday was his regular rest day. Whenever Teck Seng planned to close on another day, he had to inform them beforehand.
“The bodyguard gave me the assistant’s office number and said, ‘If you’re closing tomorrow, call our office tonight so we don’t have to come down to Tiong Bahru,’” he recalls.
Teck Seng does not remember exactly when Mr Lee first became his customer, only that it was more than 20 years ago.
Says he’s the last soy milk hawker using traditional methods
Teck Seng reckons he is now the only person in Singapore still producing soy bean milk and beancurd the traditional way.
Some beancurd stalls buy their products ready-made from factories. Others make theirs on-site using commercial machines that automate almost everything, from grinding the beans and separating the pulp to cooking and stirring the soya milk.
While Teck Seng uses a grinder for the soaked soybeans, he cooks and stirs each batch manually in a large cast-iron wok before straining the mixture through a muslin cloth by hand.
“Mine is handmade. I don’t think anyone else in Singapore cooks it this way anymore,” he says.
The raw soybeans are first soaked in water for at least four hours so they become soft enough to grind. Once ground, the mixture is cooked immediately to keep it fresh.
Painstaking work
He slow-cooks the soybean mixture in the large wok, stirring it frequently so it does not burn. Instead of relying on measuring cups or thermometers, he judges each batch using the instinct he has developed over four decades.
After cooking each batch, he scrubs and rinses the wok to prevent the next batch from burning.
For the beancurd, a coagulant is added to the freshly cooked soy bean milk before it is left to set.
“Traditional things should be preserved”
Though beancurd consists of just water, soybeans and coagulant, Teck Seng says getting the proportions right took years of practice. He also adjusts the recipe when necessary as each batch of beans can be different.
The traditional cooking process produces soy bean milk with a stronger aroma and flavour, along with beancurd that is thicker and smoother, he says.
Everything is prepared at the stall except for the grass jelly, which comes from a factory.
“Traditional things should be preserved. Otherwise, Singapore will really lose these traditional foods in the future,” he adds.
Smooth, clean-tasting soy milk, $1.20
Our colleague found Teck Seng’s soya bean milk slightly better than usual. It was silky and clean-tasting, with a distinct soybean flavour. It was not overly sweet either, making it suitable for older customers or those who prefer a lighter drink.
Super creamy beancurd, $1.20
The beancurd, which she sampled soon after it was made, was exceptionally soft and creamy. It was also better than most other hawker versions, with a richer soybean flavour.
Teck Seng serves it with only a little syrup, allowing the natural soybean flavour to shine through.
The beancurd is usually sold out after 10am, while the soy bean milk runs out before 11am.
Teck Seng says he has kept his prices low to give back to regulars who have supported him over the years.
Retrenchment led him to take over dad’s stall
Before taking over the stall in 1985, Teck Seng worked as a shipping clerk for over a decade until he was retrenched during the recession. His father then asked him to take over the family business, and Teck Seng agreed, having already learnt the ropes by helping at the stall on weekends.
“I said, ‘Sure, I’ll give it a try.’ Little did I know that one try would turn into 41 years,” he shares.
Asked if he regrets becoming a hawker, Teck Seng replies: “No, even though when I was a shipping clerk, my working hours were lesser. Now, I work more than 12 hours a day and it’s tiring, but being a hawker makes me happy.”
His regulars make the long hours worthwhile too. “The customers have become like family to me. It makes this job more fun than my old one,” he adds.
Sleeps in three short stretches daily
After working through the night to prepare his soy bean milk and beancurd while serving late-night customers, Teck Seng finishes cooking and cleaning at about 4am, when his wife arrives to take over.
He then heads home for a shower and three hours of sleep before returning to the stall at about 8am for the morning rush.
After closing for the day, he sleeps for another two hours in the afternoon, followed by an hour after dinner.
“I’m used to it now, but sometimes I’m still tired,” he admits.
Despite the demanding schedule, Teck Seng says: “I’m healthy. I don’t have high blood pressure, and even my eyesight is still good!”
“Maybe it’s because I drink soy bean milk every day,” he laughs.
Stall closed on Sun & Mon
Until this year, Teck Seng closed shop only on Mondays. He now closes on Sundays as well to get more rest and spend time with his grandchildren.
“At my age, spending time with my grandchildren and watching them grow up is one of life’s greatest joys,” he says.
May retire within three years
The longtime hawker expects to retire in another three to five years and hopes one of his children will continue the business.
“If my children don’t want to take over, this traditional method will disappear,” he says. “I won’t force them because this work is very tiring,” he adds.
His 37-year-old daughter currently helps at the stall, while his 36-year-old son works at a cafe in Tanjong Pagar.
For now, encouragement from his regular customers keeps him going despite the long nights and broken sleep.
“As long as I’m happy doing it, that’s enough,” he muses.
Teck Seng Soya Bean Milk is at #02-69 Tiong Bahru Market, 30 Seng Poh Rd, S168898. Open Tue–Sat 2am–2.30pm. Closed Sun & Mon. Tel: 9786 5103.
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