70 years of flavour: Ng family keeps Ah Mui’s legendary beef noodle legacy alive

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By Wilfred Pilo

KUCHING, March 13: For seven decades, the Ng family has proudly served their beloved “Ah Mui Mee Sapi” (beef noodles). Today, the second and third generations continue the culinary legacy of Ah Mui, the family patriarch whose recipe has become a cherished tradition passed down through the years.

At Sing Wah Yuen Cafe in Jalan Nanas, the legendary beef noodle stall founded by Ah Mui is now run by his fourth child, Ng Hui Hian, 70, better known as Ah Chai. Hui Hian has been serving the family’s signature dish for the past two decades, having moved the business to the eatery in 1988.

Helping him preserve his late father’s legacy is his eldest daughter, Ng Swee Lin, 47, who joined the business after leaving her nine-to-five job at medical centres in the city.

After spending the last decade working alongside her father, Swee Lin said she has come to love the culinary trade far more than her previous corporate career, a profession her grandfather, Ah Mui, first started in the 1950s.

“I lasted eight years in my ‘pink-collar’ job before deciding to quit to help my father, as the business was growing and the popularity of our noodles was surging at the eatery.

“As the eldest of two siblings, both girls, I spent much of my childhood around the family noodle stall. So it felt like a natural transition, and I suppose I inherited the Ng family’s culinary gene,” she told DayakDaily with a chuckle.

Swee Lin said the comforting taste of their beef noodles has remained largely unchanged from the days when her grandfather first perfected the recipe.

“To cater to customers’ preferences, we now offer different noodle options such as flat rice noodles (kueh tiaw), rice vermicelli (bee hoon), as well as a ‘Special’ menu,” she said.

However, the noodles often sell out by mid-morning. Located in a busy commercial area, the stall attracts a steady stream of customers who favour the hearty beef noodles for breakfast or a late-morning meal.

“We’re one of the busiest stalls here, even with the wide variety of food choices available at the coffee shop,” she said.
“My father has been here for 38 years since we moved from the Open Air Market. During the morning rush, he’s constantly preparing the noodles while I handle the serving.

“It can get quite chaotic, but after decades in the business, it has become routine, just part of life in the culinary trade,” she added, describing their daily rhythm.

Preparation begins at home, where Swee Lin and her mother handle the ingredients each day to ensure the family recipe is followed closely and the taste remains consistent.

“Over the years, we’ve been serving our noodles with generous portions of broth, tender beef brisket, tripe, bean sprouts and coriander, a combination that our customers, especially the regulars, have grown to love,” she said.

Swee Lin also shared that her grandfather, fondly known as Ah Mui, first started selling beef noodles at a coffee shop near the Brooke Dockyard area before later moving to the Open Air Market, where his 11 children, including her father, helped out at the stall.

“After my grandfather passed away, my father and his brother started their own businesses. At one time, there were actually three Ah Mui beef noodle stalls in the city.

“Today, the stall at the Open Air Market and another at the 3rd Mile Market Hawker Centre are still run by my cousins,” she said, reflecting on the family’s enduring culinary heritage.

Now firmly part of that legacy, Swee Lin said she takes pride in continuing her grandfather’s tradition.

“I believe our regular customers know that our noodles offer more than just a meal. They represent a nostalgic taste of the past and fond memories shared over generations.”

Ah Mui’s Beef Noodle Stall is located at Sing Wah Yuen Cafe, Jalan Nanas, and operates daily except Tuesdays from 6am to 11am. For enquiries, call 016-893 5566. — DayakDaily

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