Choon Prawn Mee House (Part 3/3)

Photo credits: Kathleen K.

Choon Prawn Mee House celebrates their 10th year anniversary of operations this 2023. Running the business is increasingly a family affair. A power couple / dynamic duo, Peter runs the back of house while the front of house is entrusted to Angela.

At this turn of the decade for Choon, they are ushering in a new era with the couple's 24 year-old son supporting the expansion of his parents' business into bottled paste for their prawn mee broth. A graduate fresh out of Business school (if memory serves), he has been managing the shop's social media accounts and recently located a factory for the production of the prawn mee paste. His younger brother is likely to also follow his footsteps in supporting the evolution of the family's business.

The idea of selling their soup base as paste came about as the family was discussing the couple's plans to ease into retirement. They needed an alternate revenue stream which didn’t require spending long hours on aching joints. The couple said they had received many requests over the years for "travel packs", and their son himself often longed for a taste of home while studying abroad. Naturally, jarred / packet paste ticked all the boxes - the couple would simply be responsible for overseeing quality control, and the product would be easily transportable with a relatively long shelf life but without compromise on taste.

Angela excitedly passed us sample sachets of the prawn mee base to try at home - all that's needed is some boiling water, your noodles of choice, plus desired toppings, et voilà! Bon appétit! :D The prawn shell dregs naturally sink towards the bottom of the pot so there's no need to sieve the broth as long as it's poured out carefully to serve.

Throughout Ah Choon's illustrious career, he's received great media coverage and been visited by many a local and international celebrity. In person, he exudes as much humble confidence and charm as he does on screen. When the shop was renovated, Angela suggested building a modern enclosed kitchen but Peter outright refused being sealed behind a concrete wall - he firmly stated that he is the face of the business and needs to be seen, plus he enjoys interacting with his customers whenever they walk in.

Indeed, the more open-concept front kitchen behind a simple divider allows him easy access between stove and table. Familiar customers pop their head around for a wave and he wanders out from time-to-time to greet customers with his signature toothy smile. Angela said she strongly considered getting a framed photo of Peter to hang on the wall or a huge cardboard cut-out to usher patrons in at the front door, but agreed in the end that customers often asked to see the bossman in the flesh anyway - seeking assurance that he was still the chef in-charge.

"Behind every successful man there stands a woman". An aesthetician and makeup artist in her past life, Angela quit the field a few years after Ah Choon opened up their current location to support him full time. She shared with a smile that her son was the one who advised her to choose between both commitments after watching her rush in cycles from restaurant kitchen, to home shower to client day after day, gradually burning out. Peter joked with a cheeky wiggle of his brows that now his wife's main client is him - as she regularly pencils on his perfectly arched eyebrows. Angela shared that while she did miss being an aesthetician, she still dabbles in makeup and noted how quickly trends evolve, especially with the virality of social media, acknowledging it's a process of constant learning.

The family usually take a long 2-week or so break during the Lunar New Year to visit family back in Penang and/or travel abroad. This is the only period where they fully close up shop apart from their rest days on Thursdays. Open from 7.30am-4.30pm, they also offer delivery between 8am-4pm. You MUST visit them if you haven't before and tag @staplestocks on Instagram to let me know what you think!

YumCheers,

Nat