He is the purple chili man, our neighbourhood lau soo Mr Choo who, together with his mum and son, were our model family when we initiated our community project HandMeDown’s Great Cook-Off.
The Choo family happily played “guinea pigs” and welcomed us into their kitchen in Pek Kio (behind Pek Kio CC) where the ah ma made her famed ngoh hiang.
Ah Ma told us she knows one thing – that as a grandmother, her main job is to “sayang soon” (love your grandchildren).
Her son Mr Choo said his mum’s ngoh hiang “sometimes good, sometimes not so good”.
Mr Choo’s son, master Choo, immediately corrected his dad, “No, sometimes it is good, sometimes very good.”
Score 100 for Young Man Choo, way to go, lad, who luvs ya? Ah Ma!
Ah Ma runs one of the oldest TCM shops, started by grandfather in the Albert Street/Selegie area, decades ago, but they moved shop to Pek Kio, and although business isn’t like what it used to be, the Choo family keep the shop open because “just to see our mother’s face smile” is enough.
Friends come and go and stop to chitchat with Ah Ma who has a couple seats outside, in fact, next time you have cough, cold, or leg pain, she has a healing potion for you.
Back to the purple chili, Mr Choo grows them in pots, which used to be in front of the shop, but people kept stealing them, so now the pots have moved indoors.
We hope to share with you the secret of Mr Choo’s purple chili, can Singapore Purple Chili Curry be far behind?