Chef Hoy Yong rose from washing dishes to mastering them. Trained by Singapore’s culinary maestro and Red Star Restaurant co-founder, Masterchef Tham Yew Kai, Chef Hoy Yong’s appetite for innovation has earned him a devout following of his Cantonese dishes at his tze char stall in Clementi.
In this episode of Eat by Ear, he and award-winning filmmaker Woo Yen Yen demystify the sublime art of cooking Cantonese food. Hint: it’s a lot to do with pouring your heart and tears.
This plate of dramedy contains:
* The trick to getting the perfect char in Wat Tan Hor
*The secret to the golden egg swirls in Wat Tan Hor
*Chef Yong’s commentary on his favourite kind of customers
*The truth behind the slurp-worthy sauce
* Captivating monologues of a hard-working fictional eater
* Wok Hei and the meaning of life
Fans of Cantonese cuisine are going to find this episode as soft, smoky, and silken as your favourite Wat Tan Hor.
TRANSCRIPT
HOST
This is Eat by Ear, where every episode is inspired by a beloved dish and the chef who cooks it with care … like an artist.
The Eater, played by an actor, will “ooh” and “ahh” over the food … with you.
I'm your host, Woo Yen Yen. This programme is brought to you with the support of Lasalle College of the Arts, University of the Arts Singapore.
Are you relaxed? Are you comfortable? Do you have a pack of tissues ready …
Because, listeners … you might salivate.
Episode one.
CHORUS
Hua Dan He
HOST
Hua Dan He as it’s known in Mandarin-speaking places. Also known as
CHORUS
Wat Tan Hor
HOST
Wat Tan Hor as it’s known in Cantonese speaking places in Singapore and Malaysia.
Wat Tan Hor, fried flat rice noodles with seafood topped with a silky egg sauce
Not to be confused with
Sup Kam Hor, fried flat rice noodles with seafood, no egg sauce
And not to be confused with
Ghon Hor—fried flat rice noodles, dry, no sauce
Or Ghon chow ngau hor—fried flat rice noodles, no sauce, with beef
Same kind of flat rice noodles as Kway Teow as it’s known in Teochew and Hokkien speaking places.
WORKING MAN
Hrmm…Mmmm… sigh.
Laksa, closed
Char kway teow, closed
Western food, also closed.
Overtime until so late
Performing for the boss
Pretending for the clients
[Sigh] no time to eat at all
And now, everything is closed
Is this life?
Eh?
Uncle! Still open?
CHEF HOY YONG
要等的
WORKING MAN
Must wait? Mmm (considering it)
CHEF HOY YONG
我喜欢的顾客是会要等的。这个河粉啊很多地方都有。 但是它没有我这个味道。 它没有我这个功夫。
HOST
My favourite customers are those who can wait. Many places sell hor fun, but they don’t have my flavor. They don’t have my kung fu.
Chef Hoy Yong serves freshly cooked Cantonese dishes in a Tze Char stall in a Kopi Tiam or coffee shop, housed on the ground floor of a public housing estate in Clementi in Singapore. Tze Char literally means cook and fry.
WORKING MAN
Huh?
What kung fu is this?
He stands, two feet planted
He moves, efficiently, silently
Like a kung fu master
His hand, steady on the wok
As orange flames
Chase up the sides
[Gasps]
Ok, I will wait,
Uncle, One Wat Dan Hor
Small one
CHEF HOY YONG
然後就在我的Kampung啊，小小的时候 十一岁，十二岁的时候呢就经过那种餐馆啦。 他餐馆很简陋 的。 叫老板 “你要不要请人洗碗啊？” “要要要要要要” 这样，我就会在 那边就帮他洗碗啦。我什么都做。
HOST
I was about 11 or 12. There was this restaurant in my village. I asked the boss, “do you need a dishwasher?” “yes, yes, yes” he said. And I started washing dishes. I did everything.
WORKING MAN
He grabs the flat white noodles
Throws them against the shiny wall of wok
Hor fun slides up the side
They never stay in one place
They never stick
He tosses the noodles
With a flick of his wrist
His inner strength [Hmm]
Sizzling from his core
To the wok
To the noodles.
They flip inwards
They land, like gymnasts
Again
Again
And Again
Until
CHEF HOY YONG
这个“滑蛋河” 很奇怪的。 它的锅 , 你要烧到热。一定要放点猪油。 那个锅要 “𠺘” 一下油，它就不会黏锅 。像你就那个河粉下去。 放一点点蛋。鸡蛋啊。 它更不会粘窝 嘛.
HOST
Wat Tan Hor is a strange dish. The wok must be hot and you have to add lard. You can’t let the noodles stick. You add a little bit of egg and it won’t stick.
CHEF HOY YONG
慢慢火煎叻。 煎到两面金黄叻。 就是很像Roti Prata这样啊 。就煎它两面金黄。
HOST
You must fry with a small fire, until both sides are golden yellow. Like Roti Prata.
CHEF HOY YONG
还要放鱼露。 自己调一个酱料 。这个很重要。 你也不可以纯粹放他。 你要放点白开水 。煮滚的白开水, 七分的鱼露加那个Maggi seasoning, 三分是水叻。
HOST
And then you add the sauce, this is important. You can’t just use the sauce as it is. You must add some boiled water – 70% fish sauce with Maggie seasoning, and 30% water.
CHEF HOY YONG
炒香之后你要放一点点黑酱油 。一点点就好给它金黄。 金黄色就放到盘。
HOST
When it’s fragrant, you add a little bit of dark soy sauce, and you’ll get the golden brown. That’s when it goes on the plate.
WORKING MAN
Huh, could this be?
No it can’t be, but it is indeed
The Char
The Char in the Tze Char
The Char …
CHEF HOY YONG
我十六七岁就来这里边帮忙鸡饭 。帮忙鱼圆面。 帮忙煮咖啡。我的 "契爷" 就给我 一个 摊位。
HOST
I was 16 or 17 when I came to help here at the chicken rice stall, fish ball noodles, and coffee. That’s when my Godpa gave me a stall.
CHEF HOY YONG
反应很差啦。“他讲你一定倒闭的 。你只有这样的水准。“
HOST
The response was bad. Customers would say, you will definitely fail, such low standards.
CHEF HOY YONG
所以 我慢慢就去外面吃人家东西。 吃了之后回来再修改修改修改。
HOST
I would go eat other people’s food and then edit my cooking.
CHEF HOY YONG
我1990年我去报名读中餐。 这个是烹饪学校来的。ITE (Institute of Technical Education) 新加坡的ITE啊。 那时读是四千多块。 读两年。谁教我？
HOST
In 1990, I went to culinary school at ITE. Singapore’s ITE. Four thousand dollars for two years. You know who taught me?
CHEF HOY YONG
一进去哇，就看到谭锐佳。他是我的崇拜！在里面教。他们讲，你的老师是谭锐佳。我高兴的要命。三天三夜都不能睡觉。
HOST
I went in, whoa, I saw Tham Yiu Kai, he is my idol! I was so happy. I couldn’t sleep for three nights!
CHEF HOY YONG
“红星” 餐馆他的。“鱼生”是他发明的。“发财鱼生” 他发明 的。 他有教我们。 不过我是还是要创新的。创新的 。不可以就跟着老师走 。
HOST
He’s the founder of Red Star restaurant. He invented Yu Sheng. He taught us … But I needed to innovate. I want to innovate and not just follow my teachers.
WORKING MAN
It’s coming
I smell it
I feel it
I see it
The jiggly mess on the plate
Totally at home
No make up
No performance
No pretense
It’s coming
Huh?
Oh it’s not mine
it’s for the next table
It’ ok, I shall wait
CHEF HOY YONG
你做這行啊你自己要用心。 心态要好。 对每一个顾客的好。 一定要煮到最好。 最完美 。要慢慢地煮 。人家不能够等就没有办法了。 好吃的东西一定要等的。 那东西不可以 煮便便，放那边倒下去就出了。 我不要做这东西 。
HOST
You must cook with your heart. Be good to every customer. You must cook the best, the most perfect. Cook slowly. If people don’t want to wait, there’s nothing you can do. To make good food, you have to wait. You can’t be sloppy. Some people just pour the pre-made sauce. I don’t want to do that.
CHEF HOY YONG
最主要熬那个高汤。 用大骨， 猪皮, 还有老母鸡。三样 。熬熬它差不多出那个白色 的 ，牛奶的颜色。
HOST
The most important thing is the broth. Large bones, pig skin, old hen. These three. You boil until you see the white milky color.
CHEF HOY YONG
要 熬高汤 差不多要熬两三个小时以上才拿高汤上来。 再加再熬再拿。第一遍第二遍的我们是拿来煮猪肚汤, 猪肚汤啊。 第二遍第三 遍的全部是拿来煮那个菜。 第三遍第四遍的是拿来煮河粉。
HOST
It takes about three hours to cook the broth. You add water and you continue boiling. The first and second rounds of the broth, you use it for pig stomach soup, the third round, you use it for vegetables, and the fourth, you use it for hor fun.
CHEF HOY YONG
我有猪油去炒那河粉。 要好的时候我下那什么呢？ 葱油 。打芡的时候啊葱油 下， 才下鸡蛋。 他封住那个汁啊.跟雞蛋啊那个那个葱油啊锁住啊.
HOST
I use lard to fry. Just when it’s about ready, shallot oil. And then egg. You seal in the juices that way.
CHF HOY YONG
所以香就香在这边，跟着你的猪油渣在里面 啊. 几个兄弟在里面啊搞啊. 很厉害的这个很厉害的.
HOST
And then you add the fried lard. The fragrance comes from these flavors. When these flavor brothers get together, it’s powerful.
WORKING MAN
Ahhhh finally
Mine
All mine
[gasp]
A gleaming silky puddle
The eggy swirls, a golden dance in
Brown sauce like a warm hand caressing my heart, binding the different elements
Sealing in the heat of the smoky charred noodles
Dark green choy sum leaves
Play hide-and-seek with the light green stems, promising crunch
Two plump prawns, the ruby red tails teasing with umami
Clam shells yawning wide, little spoons of flavor, inviting a slurp.
The golden fried lard
CHORUS
Jyuuuu Yao Zha
WORKING MAN
Jyuuuu Yao Zha
Lighting up the plate
Like the lighthouse from the dark sea
Giving
Direction
CHEF HOY YONG
我煮的东西全部是我亲自下厨的嘛。 小份量的。 他们现在 很多工厂用机器化的 。做出大量生产。它没有那种感情啦 。没有那种我们的泪水在里面 。
HOST
Everything I cook, I cook myself. In small portions. Now they cook in factories, in big batches. No feeling. That kind of food doesn’t have our tears in it.
CHEF HOY YONG
我很用心做的。 炸一个猪油渣， 这炸差不多两三个小时。 慢慢火。
HOST
I cook with my heart. The golden lard alone takes 3 hours. Very slow fire.
CHEF HOY YONG
还要用那个吃哪个玉蜀黍的鸡。 生出来的母鸡还会生出那个黄色， 金黄色的蛋黄。 如果你拿马来西亚的鸡蛋没有这个效果，出来不漂亮。白白的。它的颜色你看到吗? 金黄。
HOST
I use the eggs from chickens that eat corn. So the eggs have that golden yellow. If you use Malaysian eggs, they won’t have that effect. Doesn’t look good. Too white. Can you see? It’s golden yellow.
WORKING MAN
I let my mouth embrace the spoon
I can’t move my mouth
Just hold it
Just hold it
broth, noodle, egg, lard
And something else
Something
Fundamental
Primal
Elemental
CHEF HOY YONG
如果是没有火气的人啊， 不要做煮炒。去剪头发好。炒出来的东西不好吃的。 “没锅 气, 没 人气” 没有生气哪里会好吃。 肯定不好吃的！
HOST
If you don’t have the fire, you can’t cook this tze char. What you cook won’t be good. No human breath, no wok breath. Your food won’t be good. Definitely, it won’t be good.
CHORUS
Wok Hey
CHEF HOY YONG
你没有发觉我的滑蛋河, 拿出去的时候 ,你的手放在盘底 哦, 很烧的. 你没有办法顶住那个盘的。特别烧的因为那个火锁在里面 。很厉害的。
HOST
Did you realize that my Wat Tan Hor, when you carry the plate, it’s very hot and you can’t actually hold it from under. It’s very hot because the fire is locked inside. It’s very powerful.
WORKING MAN
Oh oh ….
Life is not work
Life is WOK
Hey
The Breath of Wok
In the WOK of life
Wok Hey!
Mmm… mm… [chewing]
Hmm, Something’s missing
Hmmm
Hmmmm
Ahhh! Uncle ah!
Paiseh ah, you got green chilli?
CHEF HOY YONG
我太太, 我岳母。很难请人。做 我们这个煮 炒， 要吃得苦 。不要一直想去玩啊时间很绑的 。很绑住我的时间的。
HOST
My wife and my mother-in-law work here. It’s very hard to hire help. It’s hard work. You can’t think of leisure time. All your time is tied up here.
CHEF HOY YONG
請人很難啊現在你知道 嗎。 不容易啊。 可以请多两个马来西亚人 。马来西亚人很 高价的现在。 会 炒一点点就要三千五。 抓那锅还没有稳 ，就要 三千五了。 怎样请？还有人头税。六百就 四千多还给他住。 不简单。人头就玩死你了。
HOST
Hiring is very hard. Government regulation allows me to hire Malaysians, but Malaysians are expensive. If they can cook a little, it’s three thousand five. They can’t even hold the wok steady yet. How can I hire? 600 plus for levy and it’s over 4000 dollars. Manpower overheads will kill you.
WORKING MAN
Wat Tan Hor
Reward after a hard day’s work
Supper for the soul
Aiyah …. Should have ordered extra-large.
CHEF HOY YONG
每个人讲 我， 你卖酒楼式的菜， 谁有本事吃你的菜。 煎蛋啦 ，红烧豆腐啦。 咸鱼 豆腐煲啦， 这种便宜的嘛 。铁板豆腐啦。通街都是，我都不要。 我要创我自己的。
HOST
Many people asked me, why do you cook banquet food? Why don’t you make omelettes, braised tofu, salted fish and tofu. Cheaper food. I don’t want. I want to invent my own.
CHEF HOY YONG
人家看不起 我们不用紧的。 我们接受 。“你 煮东西不好吃啊”。 接受, 再改咯。
HOST
It’s ok when people doubt me. I accept. If they say, your food is not good. Accept and change.
CHEF HOY YONG
“我的名字叫许开洋。开心的开, 海洋的洋。我 出生于 JB, Pekan Nanas人， 出产黄梨的最大的最多的黄梨”
[record translation]
HOST
My name is Hui Hoy Yong, Hoy means happy, and Yong means the sea. I was born in Johor’s Pekan Nanas, where they grow pineapples, a lot of pineapples
HOST
Chef Hui Hoy Yong, 许开洋 serves Wat Tan Hor and many other unique and traditional Cantonese dishes every evening except Thursdays at Hoy Yong Seafood, 352 Clementi Ave 2 in Singapore.
Eat by Ear is written by Woo HOST produced by Woo HOST & Terence Lau
Our sound designer is Lim Tingli
Our voice artist for this episode is Sivakumar Palakrishnan
Our voice singer is Yakuza Baby
Our theme music is composed by Joe Ng
Field recording by Arnold San Juan & Terence Lau
Studio sound engineering by Steven Cheong
Our production assistant is Chua Chia Hui
Design and photography by Timothy Wee
Our advisors are KF Seetoh & Patrick Cox
Eat by Ear is a Woo Yen Yen production
A huge thank you to LASALLE College of the Arts, University of the Arts Singapore for supporting this work.
You can listen to all our episodes and find photos and important notes about each episode at eatbyear.com.
For the final minute, find a comfortable seated position. You can sit cross-legged on the floor or sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Keep your spine straight.
Gently close your eyes.
Listen.
[SOUNDS OF KOPITIAM]