Antoinette Cafe Founder Opening “Hypebeast” Curry Rice Concept, Closes His Pang’s Hakka Noodle Stalls
“We thought it would be funny to make the local curry hypebeast,” says chef Pang Kok Keong, who is also looking for a new location to reopen his Hakka noodle stall.
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The chain, which was set up by homegrown chef Pang Kok Keong, was popular for its shiok lard-slicked Hakka noodles with yong tau foo soup. The Sprout Hub stall offers a seafood zi char concept called Guppies at night.Chef Pang also founded French patisserie Antoinette. He closed it after nine years in 2020, as the levy he was paying to the Urban Development Authority (URA) for commercial use of Antoinette’s Penhas Road shophouse had made his business unsustainable.
Photo: Pang's Hakka Noodles
Business at Arc 380 “just bad so we threw in the towel”
Chef Pang tells 8days.sg that he had decided to close his Arc 380 stall due to poor business there. “It was just bad, so we threw in the towel,” he shares. The location was so challenging that the stall’s social media posts frequently reminded people that it was “behind the big pillar.”
Photo: Pang's Hakka Noodles
While chef Pang did get some customers at Jalan Besar, they were usually his regulars who frequent the Sprout Hub stall. “In the long run, we don't think [Arc 380] is an ideal location as it's really out of the way and there's zero foot traffic,” he shares.
The outlet suffered the same fate as Pang’s Hakka Noodles’ first location at beleaguered food hall Xin Tekka, which closed just eight months after opening. The closure had forced chef Pang to shift his business to Arc 380 last April.
Photo: Pang's Hakka Noodles
He is also shutting down his Sprout Hub location as his “sub-landlord discontinued the lease, so we had no choice [but to close].” Chef Pang is currently looking for a new location to reopen his noodle stall. “We're considering a few places now. We may remain in the Bukit Merah vicinity,” he says.
Photo: Supercurry
Launching new “hypebeast” curry rice concept
Other than reopening Pang’s Hakka Noodles, chef Pang is also launching a new curry rice concept called Supercurry. The upcoming hawker stall - which is slated to open around two weeks later - is located in the same Telok Ayer coffeeshop as buzzy Malaysian-style nasi lemak joint Uptown Nasi Lemak.
Photo: Supercurry
Streetwear fans may recognise Supercurry’s cheeky logo, which is a riff on New York brand Supreme’s iconic box logo. “We thought it would be funny to make the local curry hypebeast,” chef Pang says, though he jokes “I don't know” when we ask if he might run into copyright issues with the streetwear giant.
Photo: Supercurry
The menu
According to chef Pang, the curry rice will be “sold in sets for faster service.” This includes Curry Chicken ($7.80), Braised Chicken ($7.80), Fried Chicken ($7.80) and Assam Fish ($8.80).
Customers can add on more toppings like:
Fried Chicken, $2.50 for half a thigh 
Sambal Sotong with Tempeh, $2.50 
Corn Fritters, $3 
Photo: Supercurry
Fried Chicken Skin, $1.50
Pang’s Hakka Noodles is open until Aug 31 at Sprout Hub, 102 Henderson Rd, S159562. Open daily except Wed, Mon, Tues, Thu & Fri 9am-3pm, Sat & Sun 9am-4pm.
Supercurry is opening at 121 Telok Ayer St, S068590.
Related topics
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