Unlike most freshies who would get part-time jobs or take the opportunity to travel before starting university, pals Gerald Lee, Kelvin Ching and Tan Kuan Feng, all 20, decided to set up their own F&B venture: Mee hoon kueh hawker stall Jiak Mee.
Located at the cafeteria above the Bishan bus interchange, the two-week-old Jiak Mee (which means “eat noodles” in Hokkien) is already attracting queues despite being so new. Their stall offers traditional hand-made ban mian and mee hoon kueh, as well as sides like fried chicken wings and luncheon meat sticks.
IT’S AN OFFSHOOT OF KELVIN’S FAMILY MEE HOON KUEH CHAIN
The guys, who have known each other since they were 14, have just completed their National Service. They will begin their undergrad studies at the National University of Singapore in August this year – Kelvin in the College of Humanities and Sciences, Gerald in industrial engineering, and Kuan Feng in computer science.
While the lads were working part-time at Kelvin’s parents’ hawker chain called Traditional Handmade Mee Koon Kueh, his folks suggested that the pals start an offshoot of their brand. The mee hoon kueh business, which started in 2023, quickly expanded to its current four outlets in Boon Keng, Holland Drive, Jurong, and Tampines. Kelvin’s parents also own zi char chain Ching Seafood and a cai png stall.
Jiak Mee has the same menu as Traditional Handmade Mee Koon Kueh and uses the same recipes as its outlets. The difference is that it operates under a snazzier name and a trendier image. Some of the ingredients, like dough for their handmade noodles, fried ikan bilis and chilli are supplied by the ban mian chain’s central kitchen.