Nothing can stop this amputee from building a chicken rice empire
Madam Jass Lee, a 49-year-old wheelchair-bound amputee, has overcome immense personal tragedy and professional disputes to open Moh Swee Kee, a chicken rice stall in Chinatown's People's Park Food Centre.
Her goal? To revive the legacy of the famed Swee Kee Chicken Rice, a brand once hailed as one of Singapore's bests, and to pass down the traditional recipe she inherited from her family.
Madam Lee's story, as shared in a heartfelt TikTok video by bestfoodysg, is one of resilience and determination.
In 2009, a horrific car accident in Malaysia tragically claimed the life of her husband and resulted in the amputation of her left leg.
“After I woke up, I felt my feet, it was sawed off,” Madam Lee recounts.
This marked the beginning of a gruelling journey filled with physical and emotional challenges.
Madam Lee, a single mother of three, endured a long period of recovery and battled recurring cancer.
"Life is really tough," she confesses in the video.
@bestfoodysg 李小旻今年48岁了，她的生活之路在一场车祸后开始就注定了不平坦。残疾，癌症和老公在他最艰难的时刻离开了她。她必须面对的残酷现实继续活下去。 #新加坡美食 #foodietiktok #美食vlog #foodie #sgtiktok #singaporetiktokers🇸🇬 #chickenrice #hawkerfood #singapore #美食分享 ♬ original sound - Bestfoody
Despite these hardships, Madam Lee found solace in her culinary heritage. As the grandniece of Moh Lu Rui, the founder of the legendary Swee Kee Chicken Rice, she possessed the family's treasured recipe.
This culinary legacy, passed down from her granduncle to her mother and finally to her, became her beacon of hope.
In 2019, after a decade of rest and recovery, Madam Lee attempted to rebuild her life by selling chicken rice in Malaysia. Unfortunately, her health deteriorated, forcing her to return to Singapore for surgery and another year of hospitalisation.
A glimmer of hope appeared in last year when Madam Lee partnered with her half-brother, 58-year-old Joseph Tan, to open Traditional Rui Ji Chicken Rice.
The venture, using recipes linked to their Swee Kee heritage, initially provided Madam Lee with a sense of purpose.
She said she played an active role in the Toa Payoh eatery, even though she wasn't a shareholder and only drew a salary of $50 per day.
Despite having to navigate the kitchen and serve customers from her wheelchair, Madam Lee threw herself into the work, chopping chicken and taking orders with the help of a specially adjusted table.
As word of their family connection to Swee Kee spread, business at Rui Ji began to boom, with media coverage boosting sales considerably.
However, this partnership was short-lived. Madam Lee disagreed with Mr Tan's decision to deviate from their family's traditional recipes.
Madam Lee states in the video: "But now the customers can't taste the flavour of Swee Kee, they're going to leave."
Fueled by this disappointment and the desire to preserve her family's culinary legacy, Madam Lee struck out on her own.
In March, she opened Moh Swee Kee in, choosing a location near Swee Kee’s original storefront.
Madam Lee's menu focuses solely on steamed chicken rice, much like the original Swee Kee. She claimed that many of her customers are old Swee Kee regulars.
She is now seeking halal certification for her Chinatown stall, driven by her desire to make her food inclusive and accessible to all, particularly with her Muslim goddaughter, 31-year-old Madam Jovina Tan, who is helping at the stall.
She recently set up another Moh Swee Kee branch in City Hall, which features a more diverse menu, including a breakfast bread and egg set, hot and cold beverages, and snacks such as sotong balls and sweet potato fries.
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