Mum proud of daughter, but still thinks she’s the more skilled cook
“A customer even told my father that my cooking [is] nicer,” Chun Li tells 8days.sg with a broad smile.
Pornthip isn’t fazed by the comparison.
When asked who the better cook is, she laughs before replying without hesitation: “I think I still win.”
But more on that later.
Worked at parents’ stall till 9pm daily after ITE classes
Born in Singapore to a Thai mother and Singaporean father, Chun Li, an only child, began helping at Krua Thip when she was 17, shortly after her family opened the stall in 2022 while she was still studying at ITE College East.
After classes, she would head straight to the stall and work until 9pm almost every day.
“It was quite tiring, honestly,” she admits.
Her father, Tan Peng Nguan, 69, previously worked as a lorry crane driver before venturing into F&B.
“I couldn’t stand watching them work by themselves”
“My father is already 69 and his body is starting to hurt,” she tells 8days.sg. “My parents worked so hard to raise me. I couldn’t stand watching them work by themselves.”
Now on a gap year after graduating with a Higher Nitec in Biochemical Technology, Chun Li works full-time at the stall while waiting to apply for an ITE Work-Study Diploma.
“It’s worth it because I get to spend time with my parents.”
From filial piety to passion
When Chun Li first began helping out, she never imagined herself becoming one of the stall’s main cooks.
“To me, it started out as part of my responsibility to do so,” she says. “They raised me and made me who I am today.”
Initially, she only prepared ingredients while her mother cooked every order and her father handled plating and taking orders.
Eventually, she realised her mum couldn’t keep managing the wok alone.
“I felt like I should learn too, because it’s tiring to be the only one cooking the whole day.”
Slowly, responsibility became passion.
“After a while, I started to like cooking,” she says. “I like it when people compliment my cooking.”
Regulars affectionately call her xiao mei (little sister in Mandarin).
“They’ll ask my parents, ‘Can xiao mei cook for us?'” she laughs
Claims she’s better than mum at plating dishes
Pornthip says Chun Li is a good student in the kitchen. Although Chun Li learnt how to cook from her mum, she believes they’ve since developed slightly different strengths in the kitchen.
“Although our cooking style is similar, I’m more detailed than my mum in terms of presentation.”
She’s especially particular about plating.
“I was the one who told them the presentation must be nice,” she laughs. “The food has to look nice on top of tasting nice.”
But even a quick learner needed time to master the wok.
“When I first started, I had to measure every single ingredient. Now it’s like second nature,” she recalls.
The tom yum fried rice took her the longest to master.
“My first few [tries] were super sour,” she laughs.
Despite the mistakes, Chun Li says her mum was always supportive.
“When I feel like giving up, my mum always supports me.”
Mum spent over a decade in restaurants, including Porn’s Thai Restaurant
Pornthip spent more than a decade cooking at Thai restaurants across Singapore, including Porn’s Thai Restaurant, Kin Cow and Basil Thai Kitchen, and most recently at kopitiam stall Teenoy Thai Kitchen.
At Porn’s, owned by Thai-Singaporean personality Pornsak Prajakwit, she specialised in Thai desserts.
“He was a very kind person,” she recalls. “He would come by and see how [us staff] were doing.”
At Teenoy, her boss encouraged her to strike out on her own.
“He told me, ‘Your cooking is good. Why not open your own stall?'”
The family invested around $30,000 to set up Krua Thip. Today, rent alone costs about $5,000 a month.
“It can be quite hard to manage the rent sometimes,” Chun Li admits.
No regrets working here despite “missing out on a lot”, including dating
Helping at the stall almost every day inevitably comes with sacrifices.
“To be honest, I feel like I missed out on a lot,” Chun Li admits.
Her schedule left little room for a social life. She’s currently single and admits helping at the stall hasn’t left much time for dating either.
“I have no time, but I still put my family above all else,” she says resolutely.
Despite everything, she has no regrets.
“If I were to choose again, I would still choose to help my parents.”
The family occasionally quarrels during stressful peak meal times, but Chun Li believes working together has brought them closer.
Pornthip agrees.
“I think she is a very good daughter,” she says with a smile.
Parents want her to take over stall, but she dreams of career in another field
Her parents hope she will one day take over the stall.
However, after graduating with a Higher Nitec in Biochemical Technology, Chun Li realised lab work wasn’t for her and plans to pursue a career in hospitality instead.
“I want to work at the airport. I like meeting new people,” she says.
If she had to choose between her dream career and Krua Thip?
“I’ll choose my dream career first, unless my parents really need me. At the end of the day, it’s my life.”
Pornthip understands.
“I’m thankful she helps at the stall, but I want her to do what she likes.”
Chun Li’s seafood pad Thai vs mum’s – which is better?
So, whose cooking is better?
We asked Chun Li and Pornthip to each prepare a plate of the stall’s Seafood Pad Thai, one of the dishes they both regularly cook.
Chun Li’s claim about being better at plating held true — her dish was undeniably the more visually appealing of the two. But Pornthip’s years behind a restaurant wok showed in the noodles’ slightly more pronounced smokiness and balanced seasoning, though Chun Li’s version came remarkably close.
Sorry, Chun Li. This round still goes to Mum, albeit by the slimmest of margins.
Creamy Crabmeat Omelette, $10 (8 DAYS Pick!)
Our favourite dish here. The silky omelette is generously filled with sweet, chunky lump crabmeat. Chilli oil runs through the dish, lending gentle warmth and a subtle fragrance. Every spoonful is soft, creamy and deeply comforting.
Basil Pork With Rice, $6
One of Krua Thip’s most popular dishes, this classic Thai street food dish features minced pork coated in the family’s peppery house-made basil sauce, delivering plenty of savoury depth. Our colleague who tried it said the crispy holy basil leaves add an aromatic contrast, while the fried egg’s crusty edges and runny yolk tie everything together. Those looking for a richer option can also order the off-menu Basil Chicken or Pork Rice with Creamy Egg ($8), which swaps the fried egg for a plain creamy omelette.
Tom Yum Seafood Soup (Red), $7 (8 DAYS Pick!)
Krua Thip’s red tom yum soup strikes a satisfying balance between sweetness, citrusy punch and heat. Generous portions of prawns, squid and fried fish slices make it a tasty bowl we’d happily order again.
Seafood Pad Thai, $6 (8 DAYS Pick!)
Instead of the dried rice noodles commonly used, Krua Thip opts for fresh flat rice noodles, a more traditional choice in Thailand. They give the dish a silky, springy texture while soaking up the house-made sauce beautifully. Sweetness, savouriness and tanginess are complemented by smoky wok hei. This is one dish worth ordering, whether it’s Chun Li or Pornthip cooking it.
Glass Noodle Salad, $10
This refreshing salad pairs glass noodles with chicken, prawns and cuttlefish in a boldly sour, spicy dressing. We found it a touch too acidic, though fans of punchy Thai salads may enjoy it.
Lime & Chilli Seabass, $21
The most expensive dish on Krua Thip’s menu is a whole seabass that’s large enough for three to four diners to share. The fish is fresh, moist and served in a bright, tangy lime broth packed with chopped garlic and chillies. It’s a vibrant centrepiece that showcases the stall’s ability to execute larger communal dishes just as well as its affordable one-dish meals.
Krua Thip Thai Kitchen is located at 88 Brew Kopi Coffeeshop, 44 Owen Rd, S210044. Open Wed to Mon, 11am to 8.30pm. Closed on Tue. More info via Facebook.
Photos: Kelvin Chia
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