Ex-Soccer Player still Scoring Goals in Life

Meet Mohammad and his unique take on the Chinese classic, Chee Cheong Fun

Halal Chee Cheong Fun stall at 138 Tampines Street 11, Kim San Leng Coffeeshop. PHOTO: Tee Yun Wei

A gush of steam rises from the pot as Mohammad scoops bars of white gold into a bowl. He then picks up a ladle, coating it in a generous serving of homemade sauce before finishing it off with a shower of sesame seeds and some chopped chilli padi. Full of pride, Mohammad presents his special dish: Halal Chee Cheong Fun!

Ever since the COVID-19 period, 30-year-old Mohammad has been running his own stall at the Kim San Leng coffee shop in Tampines. His store is known for its halal rendition of the familiar Chinese dish, Chee Cheong Fun, alongside a variety of Muslim side dishes. Mohammad hopes to share his unique Chinese-Muslim fusion cuisine with the whole of Singapore.

CAREER SWITCH

However, Mohammad was not always a hawker. Signing on with clubs such as Balestier Khalsa FC and Geylang International FC, Mohammad spent most of his years earlier as a professional soccer player, taking part in competitions such as the Singapore Premier League.

25-year-old Mohammad when he scored his maiden professional goal. PHOTO: Singapore Premier League

Unfortunately, like many others, the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic curbed his hours on the field. Training sessions moved online, and Mohammad found himself with spare time on his hands. As such, he decided to start learning more about Chee Cheong Fun recipes from his Mother-in-law. "It (Chee Cheong Fun) is usually Chinese style, but the way my mother-in-law made it was more of a Malay style," said Mohammad. Chee Cheong Fun is usually a thin roll made from a wide strip of rice noodles, filled with shrimp, beef, vegetables, or other ingredients. Seasoned soy sauce – sometimes with siu mei drippings – is poured over the dish upon serving.

From there on out, Mohammad, his wife and his mother-in-law decided to start up a home-based halal Chee Cheong Fun store, where customers could place orders online and have them delivered to their houses. "My wife and mother-in-law were the ones who cooked the (homemade) sauce, while I took orders and prepared them together with my wife." The couple would open up their online store for orders two to three times a week.

While waiting for the Chee Cheong Fun to steam, Mohammad cuts fresh chilli padi that elevates the spice of his unique recipe. PHOTO: Tee Yun Wei

OPENING THE STORE

As time passed, Mohammad opted not to renew his football club contract. He had received positive customer feedback and instead opened a physical store at Kaki Bukit for his first two months. Eventually, he shifted over to his current store at Tampines' Kim San Leng coffee shop due to better exposure.

Originally, Mohammad had zero knowledge about running a business. "From (ages) 19-28, I’ve never worked outside before," he said. "My full-time job was playing soccer, and I had no part time job.” He also joked that his business structure was 'like rojak', where everything was disorganised and unplanned. This made it difficult for him to earn a profit. At times, he was even at a monthly deficit.

Thankfully, he met a mentor who guided him on the means to better operate his small business. From financial planning to resource management, Mohammad credits much of his success and knowledge to this mentor. With his help, Mohammad was better able to piece together a more coherent business structure and slowly started to see an improvement in his finances. Now, the stall sells 50 to 75 boxes of Chee Cheong Fun on the average weekday.

Introducing his special homemade sauce with a balance of sweet and savoury, topping it off with a generous amount of sesame seeds and chilli padi. PHOTO: Kung Mathias

Not everyone can be pleased, and that is also true for the Chee Cheong Fun that Mohammad serves. They sell at $4.50 for a plain portion and $6 for a portion with prawns. This higher cost is because he purchases a quality grade of Chee Cheong Fun roll that is also halal-catered, from a manufacturer. "90 per cent of my customers are Malay, while the other 10 per cent is mixed," says Mohammad. "To a Chinese person, maybe my Chee Cheong Fun is (considered) expensive." He mentioned that there have also been occasions where customers refuse to pay for the ready-made portion after finding out about its price.

Additionally, Mohammad has to source for his own deliveries through third-party apps such as Lalamove and Telegram. This causes his delivery fees to be on the pricier side, ranging from $10 to $12 depending on the location. According to him, customers have also expressed dismay at said fees. But to him, the customers' satisfaction takes priority, even if it costs him. "Sometimes we vendors fork out extra money to pay for the delivery fee," says Mohammad.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Mohammad believes in placing his family first. Starting up this business allowed him to be flexible with his timing and business while also being able to spend quality time with his family. With both his children still in the toddler stage, Mohammad wants to be present to raise them. Hence, his store is usually open only from the afternoon onwards to ensure ample time spent with his family.

Left: Mohammad’s hand-drawn sign regarding his stall’s month-long closure for the birth of his first child. Right: Mohammad and his family dressed up for the Hari Raya festivities. PHOTO: @publicnoticesg & @halalcheecheongfun on Instagram

Nonetheless, there are also times when unforeseen situations happen. When both his children were tested positive for COVID-19, he wanted to be there for them, as well as his wife, who was the only one taking care of them both. “When my child is sick, I don't go to work because I don’t feel at ease," said Mohammad. "When they (children) both got COVID, I (didn't) go to work for one week.”

As the saying goes “Money can’t buy happiness”, Mohammad treasures the time he gets to spend with his wife and children as he feels that these are the crucial moments in time he wants to experience as a father.

INCLUSIVITY THROUGH FOOD

Living in a multicultural society, food is one of the ways we can forge bonds and learn about each other's culture. According to Food and Beverage (FHA) Insights on Halal Food Sector 2023, the halal food scene is growing in Singapore with over 5000 Halal-certified establishments and it is one of the top Muslim travel destinations. Since Chee Cheong Fun is a Cantonese dish, it is typically non-halal. Mohammad decided to pursue the idea as he could infuse the Malay cuisine concept into it so that our Muslim friends could also indulge in this interesting dish. He maintained most of the recipe for authenticity while adding a combination of sweet and spicy sauce and chilli padi for an extra kick of spice.

Although making food halal is not the entire representation of inclusivity in Singapore, it is a step toward maintaining harmony and appreciating one another's culture. In the speech by President Halimah Yacob at the opening of the second session of the fourteenth parliament, she said, "We want a society that values and supports families; where we care for and help one another, and pitch in to make a difference to our community." It is important for every individual to show their efforts in progressing Singapore while putting no limits to inclusivity.

Mohammad wants to continue to spread his business and have more people try his concept on Chee Cheong Fun. A future milestone that he wants to achieve is to start up a cafe, as he feels that the current stall has limited space to expand on new concepts. He hopes to open a small cafe with four to five tables where people can dine in and also enjoy the experience.

“Sometimes you must try, don’t just sit down and stay home. Don’t have (an educational) certificate, also can. But never (not try),” Mohammad said.