Everything is still and quiet in the wee hours, except for a slight drizzle and gushes of cold breeze gently swaying the coconut trees. Upon driving into the narrow path among the coconut trees in the heart of Lunas, a few wooden houses are scattered around, of which only one is brightly lit. The kitchen is filled with steam, a world apart from the cold outside. A large pot of boiling water sits on top of the wood stove. A stainless steel perforated metal mesh encased in a wooden frame is placed across the pot, a pair of seemingly heat-resistant hands work deftly; the right hand kneads the half-cooked, thick rice batter through the sieve, while the left hand retrieves the cooked, snow-white rice noodles – Bee Tai Bak.
Bee Tai Bak is a term transliterated from the Hokkien dialect. It is a type of noodle that is round and slender, tapering to a fine point at the end. In the Minnan region, Bee Tai Bak is typically served as a sweet cold dish, while in Singapore and Malaysia, it is more commonly found as a savory hot dish, prepared either dry or in soup. The chewy and bouncy Bee Tai Bak is often tossed in a fragrant sauce or submerged in a delicious broth, accompanied by fish balls, dark sauce minced pork, barbecued pork in slices as well as chunks, with chili sauce adding an extra kick.
As the first rays of dawn illuminate the sky, customers begin to arrive, conscientiously parking their vehicles under the coconut trees to avoid obstructing others. Uncle Teh Guan Cheng and his wife Aunty Koh move from the kitchen inside the house to the stall in the back, busily serving bowl after bowl of Bee Tai Bak. Customers enjoy a hearty meal of steaming Rice Taimu in the soft morning light, plenishing energy to kick start the day. By 9:30 AM, the sunlight grows stronger, and those going to school or work have left, prompting Uncle Teh and his wife to close up.
Closing after merely three and a half hours of operation does not mean they can return to bed for extra sleep; instead, they seize the time to head out to purchase fresh groceries, preparing ingredients for the next day. Fresh pork needs to be marinated for several hours before being processed into dark sauce minced pork and barbecued pork. Barbecued pork is made from pork loin, which is the tenderest, best, and most expensive part of the pig. The chili sauce, which is free for customers to consume, is entirely handmade—from chopping the chili to simmering two large pots of aromatic sauce, each step is handled with delicate care.
This home-based Bee Tai Bak stall has stood in the same location for over 60 years without relocating. The previous owner, Mr Tan, ran it for 23 years, sourcing fish balls from Uncle Teh’s mother-in-law. Upon learning that Mr Tan planned to retire and sell the business, she suggested her son-in-law, who was a vegetable farmer, try his hand at it. After about six months of observation and research, Uncle Teh officially took over at the end of 1986, moving his family from Tasek Gelugor to operate this food stall in Lunas. Day in and day out, he and his wife work diligently, paying meticulous attention to each step from selecting and preparing ingredients to cutting and cooking, embodying the spirit of craftsmanship.
In this unassuming township, Uncle Teh and his wife embrace a leisurely lifestyle, living in simplicity while making each day busy and fulfilling. Before long, their young children are grown up and helping them out. The humble noodles from this village home under the coconut trees may one day succumb to the tide of development and eventually disappear, and now they seem closer to vanishing than ever.
有你 UNI Production
Producer : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Michael Lerk
Drone : Daniel Lim
Video Editor : Amelia Lim
Copywriter : Pua Hui Wen
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