bak kut teh

 

Stephanie Lee is executive director of her family’s company, and manages a portfolio of properties and investments. She sits on the committee for the Prestige-Yellow Ribbon Children Fund, and the board for the Yellow Ribbon Fund Family & Children’s Welfare Committee. She is also in the Committee of the Ferrari Owners’ Club Singapore and is its social director. Lee has an 18-month-old son, Max, and is expecting a baby girl with her husband, Choo Ken-Yi.

[dropcap size=small]D[/dropcap]espite her busy schedule as a working mother who also contributes to various social causes, Stephanie Lee still finds opportunities to enjoy quality time with family and close friends over good food and drinks. One of her favourite local dishes is bak kut teh, as “it’s a very comforting dish with piping hot broth that is great on its own, or goes well with rice or noodles”.

To have her dose of this dish, Lee frequents Heng Heng Bak Kut Teh at 107 Owen Road. She goes there twice a month, with her father (who introduced her to this eatery) for a weekday lunch, and with her husband and son on a weekend.

“Funnily enough, while I enjoy Heng Heng’s broth, which is skewed more to the clear herbal type, the eatery is more famous for its steamed fish head/tail. One must go early, before 12.30pm, to order the fish and the stallholder will steam it to simple perfection. The dish, a blend of Cantonese and Teochew style, is a must-try,” says Lee.

She adds that the owners are a husband-and-wife team. The latter is the main person running the show – from cooking and serving to chatting with customers. Her husband helps out with the business.

“I learnt from my dad that he is picking up golf and has a good collection of Teochew tea which he shares with customers. We usually bring our own herbal tea, and I enjoy watching my father go through his diligent routine of brewing the tea leaves and water, while waiting for the dishes to arrive,” says Lee, whose parents and sister introduced her to all types of cuisines, with locations ranging from restaurants to hawker centres, which helped her to appreciate food better and be more adventurous.

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