The Apprentice

Nee was supposed to learn some kind of secret Foochow cooking from Yi Poh (Grand Aunt) in Sibu this week. But something came up & the trip didn't materialise.

So with 3 days of leave at her disposal, she had nothing to do. And when that happens, it's a scary thing for me. She starts calling me up at work, acting silly and making silly noises. I don't see how she can be full-time housewife one day. I know it's her dream & ultimate life ambition, but somehow I can't imagine how she'd survive the boredom.

Anyways, today, on her second day, she did something that very few people have ever done before. Foochows are known for the thickness of their skin. This is the mother of all thick skin. Today, Nee became an apprentice at New Happy Cafe.

The shop serves very original Chow Chai Bee Hoon but the owner will be leaving soon. And so Nee took it up as a quest to conserve this authentic Foochow dish before it's lost forever. She became an apprentice for one day!

Nee always look like this when she has some cooking projects to play with.

For the Koreans, everything they use must come from Korea. Similarly, for the foochows, everything must come from Sibu.

Sibu big headed fresh water prawns still in their Sibu plastic bag shipped all the way from Sibu. These prawns are so full of Sibu that they probably speak Foochow.

Just like Sibu Foochow children, you can see that they are really well fed.


Aunty cutting the Sibu prawns without mercy with a pair of Sibu scissors.

Die until cannot die oredi.

The cooking ingredients are arranged in a strictly predetermined order to allow for speed cooking. The aunty can practically cook blindfolded. Her hands already where to go & what to
do.

Chow Chai. The mother of all ingredients.

The Great Aunty of Chow Chai shows how it's done.

Ready to be served. The prawns died an honourable death worth the sacrifice.

Adding the final touches before being served.

The apprentice apprenticing & kaypo-ing.

The Boss - Uncle Augustine.
Haiya. Today not really making money because got apprentice disturb my business.

Greg & Nee presents
A Ting Sim Nee production of
The most original & most highly authentic
Foochow Chow Chai Bee Hoon

Nee's rendition of Chow Chai Fish Soup.

The shop will change hands on 23rd December. Go soon & try it out because there's no telling how authentic it'll be after that. It's open 6.30am-4pm daily. It closes at 1pm on Sundays & public holidays. The location can be found here.