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‘Performance art’ may be the key 
to ensuring a future for hawker food

SINGAPORE — Third-generation popiah-maker Michael Ker will inherit his father’s popiah-making business one day. In fact, he gave up a career as a pharmacist just so “heritage food such as popiah won’t be lost”.

SINGAPORE — Third-generation popiah-maker Michael Ker will inherit his father’s popiah-making business one day. In fact, he gave up a career as a pharmacist just so “heritage food such as popiah won’t be lost”.

The 40-year-old helps to run his family business, Kway Guan Huat Joo Chiat Original Popiah & Kueh Pie Tee — a 78-year-old brand that prides itself on ingredients and condiments made by hand.

These include popiah skin, which Ker says must be made fresh since the machine-made skins that are so commonly used today taste somewhat “plasticky”.

“Food can be an art (form) — you are creating something out of raw materials, so you can really let your creativity flow,” said Ker.

Ker has been flown to cities such as Copenhagen and New York to showcase his popiah-making skills at Singapore Tourism Board and Tiger Beer events. He will be at The Fullerton Hotel next month, rolling out freshly made popiah skins

for diners.

He said that such “performance art” may be the key to ensuring popiah-making’s survival.

Kway Guan Huat was started by his grandfather, and passed down to his father. Ker is set to take the reins of the business in the future.

“I believe — or rather, I hope — that with the introduction of the Michelin guide (and how it hands out stars to hawkers), more people will pick up the trade,” he said, when asked about the future of his industry.

Ker admits that any kind of work that involves cooking is not glamorous.

“I have worked the pans for 12 hours straight, and (know that) it is sweaty and strenuous,” he said.

But the job is also very fulfilling,

he noted.

“You will think, ‘How do I improve a dish, and can I create something else out of it? Can I find a different platform to bring the dish to the public?’ I’m interested in that,” he added.

Aside from popiah made the traditional way, other foods he wants see taken off the “endangered species list” are dragon’s beard candy and peanut candy.

“A way to do that is to showcase the art of making these foods on the spot,” he said. “I believe this is a very interesting path to take. We have all these new technologies, and ... are able to bring our art to the forefront and make (such dishes) on the spot for diners. I believe customers will be intrigued by that.”

Ker had entered the ranks of Kway Guan Huat against the wishes of his father, who wanted him to have a better future, he said.

But “without this popiah business, I wouldn’t be who I am today — I wouldn’t have an education or be brought up to be who I am”, said Ker.

“I feel gratitude towards it, and I feel that I should be doing this to bring the food to Singaporeans and also, if possible, to people abroad, so they will know there is a street food in Singapore called ‘popiah’.”

His goal is to raise the level of appreciation of heritage foods by educating Singaporeans on the popiah trade.

He aims to one day open a restaurant that will have live popiah-making demonstrations but also exhibitions on the past that showcase old equipment such as charcoal griddles that were once used to make popiah, he said.

 

Catch Michael Ker at The Fullerton Hotel’s Town Restaurant dinner buffet (from S$69 per adult and S$34 per child) from March 8 to 18. He will showcase his popiah-making skills from Sundays to Tuesdays between 6.30pm and 10.30pm. For reservations and enquiries, call 68778911 or visit www.fullertonhotels.com

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