SIN Leong 冼良
Special Project,
Accession Number 003146
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 24
Total Reels
- Loke Tai Tay
Interviewer
- 22:43:23
Total Running Time
- Cantonese
Language
Copyright Notice
All rights to the recordings and transcripts on this website, including the rights to copy, publish, broadcast and perform, are reserved. Written permission is required for any use. If you have any queries, please contact nas@nlb.gov.sg
Reel/Disc 1 of 24
Metadata
- 28 Feb 2007
Recording Date
- 00:58:45
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Interviewee was born in Shanshui, in 1927. Father was a farmer, who owned two plots of land. During the hard time in China, interviewee’s mother made a move to Singapore . Interviewee ‘s elder sister came to Singapore two years later arranged by her mother. Recalled his experiences in working in the field and looking after the cows. Talked about the private hostel where he lived in Singapore.
Described the traditional ritual he went through and witnessed on the first day of school. Shared his experience during Japanese Occupation. The family lost contact with the father. Interviewee mentioned Japanese first bomb in Singapore, where schools were closed, and people fled to rural areas to seek shelter from bombing.
Described the chaotic situation during wartime, and how he encountered with Japanese soldiers.
His working life began in a Cantonese restaurant, and never left the industry ever since. Described his daily tasks in the restaurant. Recalled how the restaurant looked like. Restaurant and kitchen workers indulged in gambling. Described cuisines available in the restaurant during this period of time. Talked about the costs of the meals served at the restaurant, and elaborated more on the various cuisines available in the restaurant. Described the procedure of distributing poultry and groceries to eight other restaurants. Told more on the eight restaurants. Talked about how the food materials were distributed, and how these poultry were stored in the restaurant. Cantonese cuisines served at the restaurant. Described some common dishes that most walk-in customers would order. Japanese soldiers did patronise the restaurant occasionally.
Worked in Da Dong Restaurant(大东酒家) for about two years，he then transferred to another branch Da Dong Tea Restaurant (大东茶楼) later on， where served dim sums early in the morning. How dim sums were served, and food portions were dependent on the prices. Briefly named some of the dim sums available in the morning. Worked in the kitchen for another two more years before moving on to the service department. Main tasks were to serve tea, cashier duties, take orders etc. How waiters made sure that customers paid for their meals, and certain industry terminologies.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 24
Metadata
- 28 Feb 2007
Recording Date
- 00:56:12
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Interviewee elaborated more on the industry terminologies.
He described how dim sums were steamed and served to customers. Recalled number of employees working in the kitchen, and their job responsibilities . Talked about how the kitchen managed during peak periods. Systematically organised was important . Some confusion that occurred during peak hours. Main chef responsible was with the coming up menu including the specific amount of ingredients required. Job mainly entailed serving customers. How these employees were given specific tasks. Focused on providing good customer service. Interviewee mentioned credit system in the old days. Customers were allowed to pay on the next day. He talked about the tipping . Employees of higher ranks received much more, and work flow. Number of workers in the restaurant, and meals provided.
Described the traditions involved, and employees to be provided better meals on a particular day of the month. Interviewee said more on the dishes prepared during those meals. There was a chef who specially took care of the employees’ meals. Talked about the long working hours, and compared the number of workers as well as working hours among the different restaurants he worked at. His income and experiences as a kitchen assistant. Described the chef he was assisting. Description of what he learnt in the kitchen. Interviewee recalled how roasted pigs were prepared and served. Prices of meals during Japanese Occupation.
He slept in the restaurant at night. Interviewee described the living conditions in Chinatown. There was no employee benefits until late fifties. Most of the restaurants worked closely with unions to negotiate for employee benefits. However some of them resorted to labour strikes.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 24
Metadata
- 28 Feb 2007
Recording Date
- 00:58:37
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Interviewee described the situation during the labour strikes, and how the strikes affected the restaurants’ businesses. Started to establish his new career in late 50s. Interpreted what he had learnt in the kitchen. Also talked about the various restaurants he had been working throughout the years, and job opportunities in those years. Recalled how the three closed friends and him (later known as“Four Heavenly King”[四大天王] ) met each other. Elaborated more on the eight restaurants he used to work as kitchen assistant.
Set up a coffee stall and sold dim sums. Since he did not apply for license, and was raided by the police. Worked as a cab driver for a period of time. Interviewee felt that he did not like the experience, thus he moved on to rent a stall to sell wanton noodles in 1951. However, business was competitive. His senior - one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” - Tham Rui Kai（谭锐佳） recommended him working at Cathay Restaurant(国泰酒楼).
Described his close relationship with his senior, and the experienced chefs he encountered. Working experiences ignited his passion for cooking, after he witnessed changes in the way Cantonese cuisines were prepared . Talked about a particularly skilled chef , Lou Cheng (罗成)，whom he was learning from. Described the transformation of traditional Cantonese cuisines. Reasons of why there were very few beef dishes served at restaurants. Described how Chinese-style beefsteaks were prepared, which was one of the specialties dish in Cathay Restaurant . Mentioned the good quality of the beef, and elaborated more on other specialty dishes of the restaurant.
Had been learning from his mentor, Mr.Luo, for about 10 years. Did pick up most of his culinary knowledge during this period. Released the kitchen tools which were used including woks and pots. Recalled how meals were prepared using charcoal in the early fifties. Also talked more on how dim sums and certain dishes were steamed.
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Reel/Disc 4 of 24
Metadata
- 28 Feb 2007
Recording Date
- 00:58:59
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Interviewee interpreted the utensils used for steaming dim sums and a separate utensil used for steaming fish. He talked about the bad ventilation in the kitchens between 50’s to 60’s, and the modernised ventilations conditions of Cathay Restaurant. Cathay Restaurant was a night club style Chinese restaurant which performing avenue already set up, and foreign artistes were performing . He described the interior design of the restaurant.
Gave descriptions of the various entertainment shows which were put up. Interviewee illustrated what he had learnt from his mentor. He recalled his mentor’s cooking methods, which set up good examples on standardise quality and taste of food. Cooking was made a lot easier with standardised proportion of ingredients. Years later, interviewee conducted cooking lessons with what his mentor had taught him. He talked about the number of kitchen assistants in the restaurant, and their job responsibilities .
Interviewee mentioned how kitchen assistants slaughtered poultry animals themselves. Had freezers since 1951 to store food to ensure freshness. Interviewee elaborated more on his experiences during the labour strikes. Average income was minimal and no annual or medical leaves granted. Workers demanded pay rise. Interviewee and Mr.Tham represented the union to negotiate for improved employee benefits in 1955.
After setting up own business, he ensured that employees’ welfare were concerned. In which all employees treated equally. Interviewee mentioned that effective communication with the employees was crucial. He talked about two meals a day were provided to employees and there was no service charged in the past. Employees earned through tipping. The proportion system was those with higher ranks got higher percentage in tipping shares . Interviewee continued on his negotiating for improved employee benefits. However his colleagues unsatisfied with the pay increment.
Interviewee and his three closed friends left Cathay Restaurant , set up their own careers in 1962 respectively. Four of them used to assist mentor Luo. He sold “Salted Baked Chicken”(盐?鸡) after leaving the restaurant, and described how this tonic dish was prepared. Interviewee recalled how he set up a stall at the fun fair exhibitions in Great World in 1964. He described how “Beggar Chicken” (叫化鸡)was prepared. Tedious preparation was not suitable to be sold at the exhibition. Revised the way it was prepared. Got inspirations from Western cooking methods and he recruited part-timer to generate publicity for the stall. Sale of the chickens was good. Approached by sponsors to use their cooking gas. Moved on to another fun fair exhibition in Happy World after a month.
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Reel/Disc 5 of 24
Metadata
- 28 Feb 2007
Recording Date
- 00:58:25
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Continued talking about his experiences in setting up stalls at the funfair exhibitions. Recalled a salesman who offered him a business proposition to sell beers at his stall, where interviewee did make profits out of this deal. Incident his eldest daughter was lost and found in the crowd. Also approached by an organiser to set up a stall at a carnival, where salted baked chickens were sold. Conducted cooking lessons at the same time. Eventually he became a well-known figure in the industry.
Interviewee had a plan to set up a seafood stall . To increase mobility, he chose to set up the kitchen in a meal bus. Described how the bus looked like, and parked the meal bus in Kalang Park near a water source. Set up tables and chairs around the bus every night. Recruited seven workers. Described some of the dishes available for sale.
Interviewee set up a cooking institution after he left Cathay Restaurant. Certificate was issued after students graduated from cooking course. Rented a semi-detached property to conduct cooking lessons. Talked about the cooking utensils acquired. Interviewee interpreted how the cooking lessons were conducted. The course fees and various sessions available. Explained how he recruited students for the institution. Conducted cooking lessons in the day and set up food stalls at exhibitions venue at night. He taught Cantonese and Western cuisines himself and recruited Malay chefs to conduct Malay cuisines. Many renowned figures were once his students. Recalled one of his lady’s students who graduated from his cooking course, and set up a restaurant. Her specialty dish was braised pork ribs which she picked up from the course. Described how the dish was prepared.
Another student of his, named Yu Tie Jun（余铁军）. who after graduation went for an interview in US. Mr.Yu did well and was eventually hired by the owner of the restaurant. Talked more on some of his dishes which he taught Mr Yu, during the cooking course. There was a farewell dinner before Mr Yu left for US. Interviewee explained his decision to set up Sin Leong Restaurant （冼良酒家）. Described the first restaurant which he set up. The shop could only hold about ten tables, but business was good.
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Reel/Disc 6 of 24
Metadata
- 28 Feb 2007
Recording Date
- 00:57:22
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Recalled the surrounding environment of the shop he acquired at MacPherson Road in 1968 . Prices of properties around that area. A temple opposite would drive traffic to the restaurant. Elaborated his failure in purchasing a apartment on second floor of hisn restaurant. Business remained profitable, interviewee opened another branch at Upper Serangoon Road in 1971. Half of second restaurant land area was rented by a nightclub.
Some conflicts that arose at the common area of the car-park. His offer to buy over the other half of the land was accepted by the nightclub tenant. Described his second restaurant . The meal bus was retained for delivery purposes. Recalled the surrounding environment of Potong Pasir and Upper Serangoon Road, where agricultural farm nearby, and land was set aside for development in the late nineties.
Described how people dealt with poultry meat and groceries after purchasing them. Acquired several freezers for the restaurant, and food in the freezers would last on the average temperature. Explaind how poultry meat was thoroughly washed before storing in the freezers. Government bought over the restaurant for MRT construction. Moved his main branch from MacPherson Road to Marine Parade. Government compensated a small sum of money to buy over the branch at Upper Serangoon Road. Eaborated on the process of renting the restaurant at Marine Parade, and managed the business diligently for the next twenty years. Since interviewee made up his mind in semi-retirement in 2000, Roland bought over interviewee’s business at Marine Parade.
Described the interior design of the main branch. There were local bands and singers performing . The environment at Marine Parade. He believed that the restaurant would drive traffic to the neighbourhood. Larger land area as compared with the Upper Serangoon Road branch. It was a risky move to Marine Parade where was really undeveloped yet. Preparation works before the restaurant opened for business. Ordered air-conditioning unit from the US, which took two months to arrive. Interviewee requested for two conditions to be granted before renting the place. HDB accepted.
Talked about the advertising and promotional efforts he put in to drive traffic to the restaurant. Prices charged to hold a banquet. Interviewee explained how the specialty dish “USA Duck” (美国鸭)idea came about. He compared it with Chinese Roast Duck. Described how “USA Duck” imported and was prepared.
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Reel/Disc 7 of 24
Metadata
- 28 Feb 2007
Recording Date
- 00:57:13
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*“USA Duck” remained as one of the specialty dish throughout the restaurant’s operations., which was catered to health-conscious Singaporeans. Interviewee described the preparation process of this dish. Description of several other specialty dishes. Interpreted about how set menus came into picture. Restaurants came up with set menu as early as Japanese Occupation. Described the set menus hence. Nowadays, set menu was convenient for larger group of customers. Explained how dishes were chosen to be part of a set menu. Menu was generally prepared by the master chef as well as the restaurant manager. Lesser time needed for kitchen to prepare dishes on set menus.
Described how he organised the working structure of kitchens in the various restaurant branches to ensure that duties were performed efficiently. Elaborated more on the ventilation conditions in the kitchens. Talked about buffet of a restaurant provided. Described the dishes available for the buffet. Attires of employees working in kitchens. Footwear of the kitchen staff from past to present. Number of kitchen employees recruited. Supper was provided for restaurant employees. Interpreted how he managed the kitchen systematically during peak periods. Some basic guidelines to provide better customer service. Explained how each employee was allocated to serve two tables. Temporary workers were paid around $12 per hour.
Performing stage also set up at the Upper Serangoon Road branch as well, and entertainment items which were presented . Described some of the drunken customers behaviour. Recalled difficulties which he faced when the main branch was moved to Marine Parade. Solved the problem of delivering dishes efficiently from kitchen to tables which were served with the use of wheeled carts.
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Reel/Disc 8 of 24
Metadata
- 28 Feb 2007
Recording Date
- 00:58:11
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Though menu remained simple throughout the years, interviewee focused on having specialty dishes to attract more customers. Some of the specialty dishes and prices of these dishes. Described the differences in interior designs between Upper Serangoon Road branch and Marine Parade main branch. Helped out in the kitchen most of the time, and personally checked the stocks in terms of quantity as well as the quality of the poultry meat and groceries.
Reason of quality and freshness of the ingredients should not be compromised. Reared live seafood only at the Marine Parade main branch. Described how to determine the freshness of prawns as well as vegetables. How to deal with shortage in dried seafood because suppliers generally stock up dried-seafood . Therefore restaurants had to alter for frozen seafood. Interviewee ended up Marine Parade business in 2000. Roland took over the restaurant. Deal he made with Roland， and his relationship with Roland. Interviewee preferred to retain the existing employees. He expanded the menu with more variety. Business became even better.
Elaborated more on the time when he left Cathay Restaurant . The four of them developed their careers within the industry. Actually interviewee had no intention to set up restaurant. He conducted cooking lessons in daytime and owned a stall sold seafood at night. Ten years later, the four brothers had a plan to set up a restaurant, named “Red Ruby Restaurant”(红宝石酒家). Described how the restaurant looked like and the process where they bided for the shop. The bid was successful. Described some of the specialty dishes of the restaurant. Business was good. Recalled the incident when the kitchen cutleries were insufficient for the huge group of customers.
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Reel/Disc 9 of 24
Metadata
- 28 Feb 2007
Recording Date
- 00:57:19
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*In 1973, Interviewee set up “Red Star Restaurant” （红星酒家）. Described the major renovations. And the various highlights of the interior design including a styling room. Air-conditioning unit also specially ordered from US. Biggest problem was the power capacity. Interpreted the problem solution. Amount of money spent on renovation.
Description on how the restaurant was divided into two different segments - dim sum and Cantonese cuisines. Talked about the various utensils acquired, and employees trained for about a month. Interviewee recalled the opening ceremony as well as the guest-of-honour invited. Organised a charity banquet donated to Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital and Nursing Home in 1973. Restaurant in operation for 34 years to date, became a tourist attraction due to its strong cultural presence. Interviewee described some of the specialty dishes of Red Star Restaurant other than its dim sums. Released the number of shareholders of Red Star Restaurant. Described the latest specialty dim sum ? “Big Bao” （大包）, and the price of one serving.
Recalled after the five years contract was over , Ruby Restaurant had to move to new venue. PSA recommended several locations. Accept the conditions and moved on for renovation. Business affected by the construction of the Pasir Panjang Expressway. Ended the business of the Red Ruby Restaurant . Reason of “Red Ruby” was named. He did not think of opening a one more restaurant, and decided to focus on Red Star Restaurant instead. Prices of meals remained affordable. Talked about problem he faced when the government first introduced the CPF scheme. How the various restaurants solved this problem.
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Reel/Disc 10 of 24
Metadata
- 28 Feb 2007
Recording Date
- 00:57:54
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Interviewee participated in “Gu Su Hang”( 姑苏行) as a consultant in the late sixties. The union took care of the welfare of employees working in the service industry. Part of the restaurants’ tips were donated to jobless employees. Mentioned that the union had affiliations at various parts in Malaysia. Various types of unions present at that time. Merging between various unions seem to have better benefits for employee. The cooking-related activities which organised by the union.
Described some of the dishes prepared during demonstrations. Initiatively to set up an association for people who was within the industry from various countries. Legally registered the union. Spent many afternoons planning for activities. Key man of the association. One of the first activities were to organise cooking courses. Lessons were conducted. Interpreted his position in the uion. How the association managed to raise a large amount of fund within four years. Part of the fund came from the cooking institution set up at Pulau Uman. Students who graduated from the course would bond to work at various restaurants in Singapore. Recalled the meeting in Korea with guests from restaurant associations of other countries.
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