While many ten-year-olds dream of becoming YouTubers or doctors when they grow up, Letrena Lim plans to take over as girl boss of her family’s curry puff shop, Soon Soon Huat on East Coast Road. Every weekday after school, you’ll find the P4 student at the eatery, where she does her homework, chills, and helps fill and shape curry puffs.
Third-generation biz
Soon Soon Huat Curry Puff, known as “Singapore’s first curry puff cafe,” is currently run by Letrena’s mother, Tay Mui Lan (pictured, left), 44, a third-gen owner of the biz that was started in the ’90s by Letrena’s grandmother (right). The eatery made headlines last year when kitefoiling Olympic bronze medalist Max Maeder, a regular customer, volunteered to work a shift there after being awarded the first Singaporean male Young World Sailor of the year.
After a TikTok video by 8dayseat of the precocious Gen Alpha went semi-viral, we decided to have a chat with the ten-year-old.
The little helper has been mastering the art of filling and pleating curry puffs since she was six years old, she tells 8days.sg. By seven, she began her official ‘career’ at the eatery.
“I felt bored [at home] and found it interesting at the shop, so I wanted to try it out,” shares the student from CHIJ Our Lady of the Nativity, who divides her time between school, floorball CCA, art activities and helping at her family’s biz.
Rates her curry puff-making skills “seven out of ten”
Her current duties? Manning the cashier and crafting curry puffs, though she rates herself “seven out of ten” in curry puff-making skills. “Sometimes I make the curry puffs and they turn out banana-shaped, so minus three for the banana ones,” she giggles. “But I get to eat those banana-shaped puffs myself!”
Between manning the cashier and crafting puffs in the kitchen, she prefers the former. “The kitchen is very hot,” she explains. “The cashier area is near the air-con.”
She’s also particularly good at calling out to the kitchen staff, apparently better than her mother. “My mummy speaks very kindly and softly. She can call for them like five times but it’s no use, so I help her call them once and they can hear already,” she asserts.
Self-taught curry puff artisan
Perhaps most impressive is the fact that Letrena learnt her craft simply by observation. “Actually, nobody really taught me how to make curry puffs. I just watch them folding it, then I copy,” she explains. The Gen Alpha even practices her pleating technique at home – using clay (see above photo).
Makes 40 puffs daily
Letrena folds about 40 curry puffs almost every weekday after she finishes her homework. However, she admits the chicken curry puff is the most challenging. “You have to roll the dough, put in the potato, chicken, egg and then fold fold fold,” she explains. Her favourite puff to make? The otah version, which she describes as “so easy.”
However, the shop’s sardine curry puff is her favourite flavour to eat (though she can only manage “one and a half” at a time). “Sardine is kind of spicy, I still like it but I can’t eat too many,” she admits, though she’s quick to establish her spice credentials: “I can eat chilli padi!”
Dreams of drive-through artsy curry puff cafe
Letrena has ambitious plans to revolutionise her family’s biz. “I love art, so I was planning to turn Soon Soon Huat into an art cafe that also sells curry puffs,” she shares excitedly. Her vision includes adding a drive-through service – something she dreamt up after observing rushed customers and hearing aunties constantly urging “kuai dian, kuai dian” (hurry up in mandarin) at the shop.
“I don’t want it to be so noisy in the cafe, so I [also] want a drive-through. Then my sister can handle the noisy customers outside,” she says cheekily. Her 22-year-old sister, who is studying communications at SIM, occasionally helps at the eatery. Still, Letrena believes she’s the more likely successor, given her natural interest in art and handicrafts – including making curry puffs.
No ordinary ten-year-old
Between her curry puff duties, school, and various activities (she has tuition on weekdays, rollerblading and art on Saturdays), Letrena has a busy schedule. But the boss-in-training takes it all in stride. “I don’t find it tiring ’cause I can eat all the food,” she laughs. Besides puffs, she also enjoys the bee hoon at Soon Soon Huat.
For now, she continues to charm customers at the shop, though she’s particular about one thing – no unauthorised photos of her please.
“No lah, I’m not shy, I love taking pictures!” she insists. However, when it comes to “aunties” wielding phones at Soon Soon Huat, she prefers to duck behind the counter rather than end up on someone’s social media post.
“You know some aunties right, they like to post everything. Post, post, post until they don’t know what they’ve posted,” she explains with the wisdom of someone far beyond her years.
Soon Soon Huat Curry Puff is at 220 East Coast Rd, S428917. Open daily except Mon 7.30am to 5pm. https://www.facebook.com/SSHCurryPuff. Tel: 68415618.
Photos: 8 Days/Soon Soon Huat Curry Puff
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