While Holland Village is better known for its trendy cafés, there’s a stall serving affordable, comforting stir-fried noodle dishes at Holland Village Market and Food Centre. Lee Ji Xiao Chi has no fancy pictures of its star dishes — including Hokkien mee and hor fun — just a no-frills menu.
Wakes up at 6am & works till 10pm daily
When we dropped by on a Tuesday for dinner, there weren’t any queues, and Madam Lee was calmly frying up a fresh batch of noodles. We managed to chat with her between orders.
Madam Lee started working when she was about ten years old, back when her family was struggling to make ends meet. “We used to be very poor,” she recalls. “My father didn’t earn a lot so we would eat simple dishes like [what I serve now].”
She wakes up at 6am daily to buy ingredients from the market, opens shop at 10am, and only heads home once the last plate is washed and stacked away, usually around 10pm. She allows herself just one rest day every two weeks.
No plans to retire yet
That may sound exhausting, especially for someone aged 76, but she has no plans to retire soon.
“I’m doing this to make a living,” she explains simply. But she is quick to add: “No lah, I’m not tired. I’ll feel even more tired if I don’t do anything!”
How’s business? “I don’t really keep count of my money,” Madam Lee says. “I just work, work, and work — buy ingredients and collect money. I don’t keep track of how much I make. I’m also not sure how much I’m left with. As long as I have enough to eat and use, I’m okay. Whether I make [extra] money or not doesn’t matter.”
In the afternoons, her younger sister drops by to lend a hand during the lunch rush. Her regulars often stop by for a chat.
“I’m happy. I’ve worked here for so many years and I’m familiar with the people of Holland Road,” she smiles.
Lives alone in flat nearby
Madam Lee, a widow with one son, lives alone in an HDB flat along Holland Drive, a short walk from the hawker centre.
When asked if her son might take over her stall one day, she shakes her head. “Young people nowadays want jobs that pay a lot,” she says quietly. “Being a hawker is very hard,” she replies, declining to elaborate further.
“I will work until I cannot work anymore”
She says that business can be unpredictable — sometimes good, sometimes bad — and the most challenging moments come when long queues form, especially at times when she’s running the stall alone.
Still, she has no plans to slow down. “I will work until I cannot work anymore,” she says simply. “I’m already so old, where else can I go? At this age, where [else] to find work?”
Fried Hokkien Mee, $5
Madam Lee’s Hokkien mee is not quite like the version most of us are used to. Think of it as a home-style rendition. The yellow noodles and thin bee hoon are lightly stir-fried, with a light, savoury sauce that coats each strand. It may not boast a wok hei punch, but it’s still fairly comforting, with fresh, springy prawns, crunchy bok choy and homemade sambal that ties everything together with a slightly sweet, gentle heat.
Fried Hor Fun, $5
Like her Hokkien mee, Madam Lee’s fried hor fun isn’t the usual smoky version one might expect. Instead, the flat rice noodles are only very briefly stir-fried before being doused in a dark sauce. The hor fun is silky with a nice bite, and also served with prawns and veg. What we liked best? The tender slices of juicy, flavourful pork.
Fried Bee Hoon, $5
We actually prefer this to the Hokkien mee. We found the bee hoon tastier and it’s littered with lots of fried egg bits, plus it comes with a few slices of tender mushroom and pork.
Fish Porridge, $4.50
A homey, comforting bowl with fresh chunks of fish, minced pork, soft grains and bok choy. The flavour isn’t very strong, but we like that it isn’t too salty.
Lee Ji Xiao Chi is located in Holland Village Market & Food Centre, #01-23, 1 Lor Mambong, S277700. Open daily 10am-3pm; 6.30pm-9.30pm.
Photos: Simone Chuah
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