Netizens Astonished To See Famously Moody Wah Kee Prawn Mee Hawker Smiling In Photo With MP Melvin Yong
She even gave a thumbs up sign. It is well-known that customers who patronise the stall usually get a tongue lashing from the hawker.
There are some things that Singaporeans regard as a certainty. Like the traffic jam to Johor Bahru, the high odds of striking Toto and, conversely, the likelihood of getting scolded by the Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles hawker auntie.
The stall at Pek Kio Food Centre is as famous for its tasty giant wild-caught prawn mee as it is for its mercurial owner Tham Lay Mon, 79, who runs the longtime joint with her husband Lau Fook Wah, 81.Customers have reported being intimidated by the curt Lay Mon, whom many described as having an “attitude problem”. One apparently cannot order a bowl of prawn noodles without being snapped at by the auntie, who was profiled in 2016 in a TODAY article.
The story detailed the lengths that netizens go to to avoid being lashed by her very sharp tongue. Like: “Stay within visual range and speak only when spoken to.” Some of our friends even make a point of bragging when they manage to dine at Wah Kee without getting scolded. Basically it's high risk, high reward here.
Photo: Facebook/ MP Melvin Yong
Auntie spotted smiling in a photo with MP Melvin Yong
Last December, MP for Radin Mas SMC Melvin Yong posted on Facebook a photo of himself with Lay Mon and her husband at their stall. “Had an event nearby and popped over to Pek Kio Market for a quick lunch… and a much overdue catchup with old friends. Ps: the prawn mee is still as tasty as ever,” he wrote.
Netizens were astonished, as Lay Mon was beaming widely in the photo and giving a thumbs up sign, which was apparently a sight as rare as seeing the blood moon.
MP Melvin Yong’s comment section also exploded with his followers trading aggrieved war stories. “Very bad and arrogant attitude. Give me free prawn mee I also don't want,” sniffed a netizen, while another remarked: “Order $15-$30 aunty your best friend. Order less than that aunty your nightmare."
Photo: Facebook/ Lionel Ong
She is just misunderstood
According to TODAY’s profile, Lay Mon is just very misunderstood. She snaps at customers to move along because of previous incidents where people have accidentally spilled boiling soup on other patrons. “I have no choice. If people think I am fierce, so be it. I am already in my 70s. They still come anyway. I try to ignore them. At the most, they won’t buy my noodles,” she said candidly.
One netizen, Lionel Ong, detailed his visit to Wah Kee on Facebook foodie group Can Eat! Hawker Food. “Few weeks ago I was here and got a ‘scolding’ for not being behind the red line.. lol… BUT TODAY….. wahhh Aunty happy like a bird… I ordered my usual $20 no more no less… Aunty was in a damn happy mood. Got say ‘thank you’ got say ‘help yourself to the chilli’ even got say ‘bye bye’ leh! She never even try to upsell me. I think I even saw a smile in her eyes,” he marvelled.
Photo: Facebook/ Lionel Ong
The reason for auntie’s good mood is apparently because Lionel ordered a pricier $20 bowl, which pleased Lay Mon very much. We asked him if he had ever ordered a bowl for below $20 and received good service. “Nope! Doing that is like just asking to get scolded. Not worth it lah,” he replied, adding: “Moral of the story is just get the $20 and above [bowl] if you must, and eat once in a while lah. Their soup is good and they’re the only ones who offer mee kia.”
As terrifying as it may sound, Wah Kee Prawn Noodles is also emblematic of Singapore’s uniquely colourful hawker culture: Delicious food cooked by sometimes unfriendly aunties and uncles who lavish tough love on their customers.
Wah Kee Prawn Noodles is at #01-15 Pek Kio Market & Food Centre, 41A Cambridge Rd, S211041. Tel: 9688-3633. Open Wed-Sat 7.30am-2pm, Sun 9am-2pm. Closed on Mon & Tue.
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