Serving up good food: Koh frying up a plate of char kway teow at his stall along Jalan Sungai Abong in Muar, Johor.
MUAR: Imagine selling a product at the same price for 15 years, only raising it for the first time four months ago by a mere 50sen.
That’s how it is for cost-conscious Koh Tang Huang, whose char kway teow is now priced at just RM3 at a time when food prices are soaring.
“I aim to follow in my grandfather and father’s footsteps and serve affordable food,” he said.
Decades ago, his grandfather used to sell char kway teow on a mobile stall at three sen a plate.
When Koh was a young boy, he would watch his father fry up plates after plates of char kway teow at his humble stall for 30sen.
Now aged 71, Koh is continuing his family’s business by selling the popular wok-fried noodles at a coffee shop stall along Jalan Sungai Abong here.
“I want to keep it affordable, especially for the patients and their family members going to the specialist hospital nearby. They already have enough to worry about,” he said.
In an interview, he recalled his younger days working as a meter reader for Tenaga Nasional Bhd.
“On weekends and public holidays, I would help my father. That was where I learned the ropes. I took over the business full-time after retiring 15 years ago, making me the third generation in my family to sell char kway teow,” he said.
Koh said he had kept the price of the noodles at RM2.50 for the past 15 years, only raising it this year to cope with the rising costs.
“The price increase was inevitable as cockles that once cost 80sen per kilo are now RM15 to RM16,” he said.
“Beansprouts and noodles have also more than tripled in price over the years.”
Despite the price hike to RM3 per plate, Koh continues to serve reasonable portions, with cockles available as an optional add-on, as not all customers want them.
Assisted by his wife, the couple start work from 6am and operate the stall until noon daily without hired hands to keep expenses low.
With their three children having their own careers, Koh said he has no financial burdens and no desire to reap big profits.
“I am not aiming to get rich. I just want to serve good food at a price people can afford,” he added.
