Behind the Teochew meat puffs that are drawing long queues in Singapore
Of late, many Singaporeans have been spotted at night markets or pasar malams queuing up for juicy and crispy Teochew meat puffs by local food vendor Hoo Eng, 80.
These puffs are inspired by the Fuzhou Oyster Cakes that hail from China, and consist of oysters, minced pork and spring onions before they are doused in batter and deep fried. Hoo has added a twist to these snacks – which are also known as UFOs – by adding peanuts and offering a variety of ingredient options such as prawns, scallops, octopus, crab sticks as well as vegetables.
When Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore visited his stall at a pasar malam in Sembawang on Saturday (29 July), we ended up queuing for an hour and 40 minutes to purchase the puffs. There were about 20 others in the queue, with some customers buying up to 20 pieces.
Despite having to stand and fry meat puffs the whole day, Hoo Eng and his family never failed to serve with a smile.
These affordable puffs are priced from $1.50 for the vegetable puff to $3.50 for the scallop puff. The ones with prawn, octopus, oysters and crab sticks are $3 each. Teochew Meat Puff is currently at a pasar malam in Hougang until 13 August, from 1pm to 10pm daily.
During a phone interview with employee and son Keith Hoo, 50, he shared that the occasion this reporter visited was the first time the family had witnessed a long queue at their stall in Sembawang.
“The last time we were there was about six to seven years ago, when the neighbourhood was rather new. At the time, the response wasn’t as good,” he said, adding that the family would typically get long queues at pasar malams in Yishun.
While the queues have only come about recently, the business has been around for over 20 years, sticking to just the food fairs and Uncle Ringo carnivals instead of running it at a permanent stall. Hoo attributes their recent popularity to local food blogger Leslie Tay, who runs the site ieatishootipost.
“Last year, [Leslie Tay] put up a post and commended our puffs. His followers came by to give them a try and most of them are in love. We are doing our best to satisfy everybody’s taste,” he said.
When asked about plans for a permanent stall to accommodate more customers, Hoo said, “Pasar malams are rented spaces to sell things and then you go to another area. If you have a permanent place, you still have to pay the rent if you don’t work. Whereas with pasar malams, we can take a break before the next event.”
The family has had its share of complaints from customers about the queue, to which Hoo explains: “The puffs are all handmade. You can’t rush them as it takes 30 to 45 seconds to prepare a puff, and when you put them inside the hotpot it takes 10 to 15 minutes for it to cook”.
Meanwhile, many customers have also come to them with praise. “They say the ingredients are fresh, crispy on the outside juicy on the inside. Even if you don’t eat it today and you eat it the next day, while it might not be that crispy, it’s still juicy and fresh,” Hoo said.
He is the middle child of three and began working full-time with his father after he was retrenched from a job in logistics about two years ago. But he has been assisting with the business long before, by heading over to the stall after work.
“It’s good for family bonding. We get to know each other more. Even though we’ve been living together since young, we don’t really see each other. When you get old, you [want to] look at one another and try to improve one another,” he said.
He also mentioned that his parents might not be able to continue with the business for long due to their age. “We might only do it for another few more years. It is not easy to take over because it’s not easy to get a helper in Singapore. Not many Singaporeans would do this type of work.”
Related stories:
