Crawford noodle stall owner: 'A bit of pressure now to deliver'

Singapore

WHEN the Bib Gourmand list went public last week and his stall was not on it, Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle's owner Tang Chay Seng was most disappointed.

"The Michelin officials came to my stall to look for me last week, and told me I was getting an award. But when the papers came out I called them to tell them my name wasn't in it," said the 69-year-old, who runs the popular Teochew-style pork-and-vinegar noodle stall at Crawford Lane.

It was founded by his father Tang Joon Teo in 1932, and moved to its current location in 2004.

He continued over a phone interview in Mandarin: "They just told me it's okay, sure will have one. So I'm not sure lah."

Despite believing that he was passed over for an award, Mr Tang still attended the gala dinner on Thursday night, if anything to just "see people receive their award and clap for them".

After discovering that he did indeed receive a star however, he remained practical and said: "I feel pretty normal about it. It's not that I'm not happy - getting a star means affirmation for my food.

But there's a bit of pressure now to deliver. Because everyone's taste buds are subjective and I don't want to disappoint customers."