The Last Artisan Muah Chee in Singapore

I first met Mr Teo back in 2011 when I wrote about him being the last artisan Muah Chee hawker in Singapore. Fourteen years have passed, and he is still the last one standing. (At least he is still standing!) Looking at how things are going, this humble heritage snack may soon join the list of disappearing local foods.

There was a brief glimmer of hope in 2017 when Heavenly Snacks opened at Circuit Road Food Centre. They gave Muah Chee a makeover and packed them into charming little boxes that increased their perceived value. For a while, I thought this might spark a Muah Chee revival. Sadly, it didn’t take off, and the stall eventually shuttered.

These days, most of the Muah Chee you see are the factory-made kind sold at shopping centre kiosks. This stall is the only one I know of that still makes it the old-fashioned way! Here’s where the dough is kneaded by hand and the peanuts are fried with the skin on. It’s comforting to know it still exists, but perhaps not for long.

Serving Muah Chee for over 7 Decades

Mr Teo Yong Joo, 62, inherited the Muah Chee business from his father. What’s truly remarkable is that their family has been making Muah Chee for several generations, tracing all the way back to their roots in China.

When his father migrated to Singapore, he brought the family craft with him and started a Muah Chee stall in 1952.

Back in those day...