Like Sikkander’s Biryani, the stall is also one of the original stalls at the food centre after having relocated from the old Yung Sheng Food Centre, also known as 六十摊 (Mandarin for 60 stalls). Back then, the neighbourhood’s three markets were consolidated into the Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre with more than 200 stalls.

The stall thrived in the 1990s when daily takings were five times higher compared with today, recalled Mr Ng Boon Tue, 66, who runs the stall with his wife, Madam Woon Kai Choy, 62. “That was when we would be swarmed with orders from nearby factories, some asking for more than 100 packs a day. There used to be six of us. One of us would just be doing the packing,” said Madam Woon. “Things have slowed down a lot since the factories shifted overseas.” The couple used to run a chicken supply business at Lim Chu Kang until most of the poultry farms in Singapore were resettled and moved to the Neo Tiew area in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

They worked at serval coffee shops before learning the art of making traditional Hainanese chicken rice from a stall holder.“He had always been late with payments when we were his suppliers and so he returned us the favour (by teaching us his recipe) after none of his children and relatives wanted to carry on,” recalled Mr Ng

the stall is best known for its succulent Hainanese white chicken and chili sauce though it also sells roast pork and char siew, which are roasted daily by Mr Ng while Madam Woon prepares the sauces. “We prepare the sauces from fresh ingredients and unlike others, we use lime instead of vinegar for our chili,” said Madam Woon

“Our children have often asked us to retire, but we feel that we owe it to our regular customers,” said Madam Woon, who has five children and six grandchildren living with them in Pasir Panjang home. However, the couple has learned to take it easy these days, closing their stall as early as 7.30pm instead of working till 10pm like before.