By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Oct 27: For 33-year-old David Wee, his family’s pork leg rice has always been something that captivated him since he was nine years old, and fast-forward 24 years later, he now finds himself helming his family’s business, which has lasted four generations.
In an interview with DayakDaily, Wee revealed that his family is well-known for making the dish, and he is glad to have inherited the culinary skills to make the dish.
Despite his age, he added that he had honed his culinary skills since he was nine years old from learning from his grandfather and mother, the latter who is now always by his side in preparing and serving the dishes at their stall.
“I observed and helped them with the kitchen chores. I helped in serving customers. Over the years, I honed my skills.
“Making pork leg rice was fascinating for me even from a young age, and now I continue doing it as a profession.”
Wee shared that he would complete his homework at the stall after school, and after that, he would learn to make his family’s pork leg rice.
“After completing my secondary school education, I took a bold move to make it my profession with blessings from my family, especially my mother,” he chuckled.
“I find that the dish created by my family suits the palates of locals who come to our stall until today.
“Even though my 59-year-old mother, Chai Siew Fong, and I are now selling the dish, they (customers) still ask about my grandfather, who is still alive but retired.”
Wee said that his 83-year-old grandfather, Chai Chong Chiang, retired three years ago and that his mother had taken over the stall.
“I am glad to be the fourth generation (to run this stall) and hope the legacy will continue with my two children, a boy and a girl,” he enthused.
Wee further said that their family’s pork leg rice recipe originated from his maternal great-grandfather, who operated at Chai Song Soon at Padungan.
“The proprietor and pork leg rice operator at Chai Song Soon now are my uncles.
“When my great-grandfather passed away, my grandfather and grandmother inherited the business from him and later gave it to my uncle before they moved to the present One One Eight Kopitiam some 25 years ago with my mother.
“The basics (of the dishes) are the same except for the hands that made them have changed. Now, we hear feedback from regulars and new customers to enhance the taste (of the dish).
Wee elaborated that he was unsure why his grandfather moved to One One Eight Kopitiam but joked that ‘118 kopitiam’ in Chinese meant ‘a café that prospers daily’.
“People also nicknamed my grandfather ‘Lo Song’, which, in Chinese, meant to be strong, powerful or soothing.
Wee said he looked at his grandfather and his mother as his pillars of strength so they could continue the legacy of his great-grandfather, and he wanted to be like them.
“My mother and I hope to continue to make our business prosper, and our pork leg rice dish will forever remain ‘soothing’ in years to come,” he said.
Wee’s stall is located at One One Eight Kopitiam, 64 Jalan Pending and operates daily from 9am to 2pm except for Wednesdays. For more information, call 019 816 1139. —DayakDaily
