Queensway Sec Western Stall Has Ice Blended Drinks & Salmon Chowder, Been Around For 23 Years

Queensway Sec Western Stall Serves Soup With 5 Types Of Mushrooms

Many of us who attended local schools probably have fond memories of the canteen stalls where we could get cheap yet tasty food.

On Saturday (5 Mar), Education Minister Chan Chun Sing took to Facebook to share about one such canteen stall at Queensway Secondary School (QSS).

Run by 73-year-old Uncle Tham, the stall serves affordable Western food like mushroom soup, salmon chowder, and ice-blended chocolate for a fraction of the typical costs at a restaurant.

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The stall has reportedly been around for 23 years, serving countless batches of Queenswayans who have enrolled and graduated from the school.

Chan Chun Sing gives shoutout to Queensway Sec western stall

Earlier in February, Mr Chan visited QSS to observe students as they took part in Sports for Life and Outdoor Education (SOE) activities.

It was likely then that he chanced upon Uncle Tham’s stall, which specialises in Western cuisine.

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Adorned with old-school café posters, one can already tell by its appearance that it’s not a conventional canteen stall.

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One of Uncle Tham’s signature dishes is his mushroom soup which costs only $1.80.

Though the soup looks pretty ordinary, it apparently contains 5 different types of mushrooms. We bet Mario himself would be stoked to give this a try.

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Another soup that caught Mr Chan’s attention was Uncle Tham’s salmon chowder ($2.80), which the latter makes using Norwegian salmon that has a smoky and intense aroma.

Serves kopi peng  with frozen coffee cubes

While there are no Starbucks outlets in our secondary schools, Uncle Tham’s lineup of interesting drinks more than makes up for it.

One drink that he’s particularly proud of is his ice-blended chocolate.

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Served with a generous dose of chocolate sauce, Mr Tham proudly told Our Grandfather Story (OGS) that that is his “signature drink”.

Another interesting drink Mr Tham serves is his rendition of the popular kopi peng. 

But instead of coffee poured over regular ice, Mr Tham’s ice cubes are made of frozen coffee.

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This way, the drink wouldn’t become diluted even when the ice cubes melt.

But the drink that perhaps has the most interesting name is the concoction called “Sir Howard”.

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As regal and complicated as it sounds, the drink is rather simple, comprising a mix of orange and pineapple juice.

According to Uncle Chan, he came up with the name as it’s the favourite drink of one of the teachers.

Wakes up at about 4.30am every weekday to prepare food

Uncle Tham has reportedly been running the stall for the last 23 years, waking up at about 4.30am every weekday to prepare food.

However, time has clearly not eroded his love and care for students, as he says,

I always give our students the best food. They are growing and they must get good nutrition 🙂.

A former hotelier, Uncle Tham shared with OGS that he aims to “bring the hotel concept into the school” through his offerings.

Apart from food, another passion of Mr Tham’s involves decorating his neighbourhood in Dover Crescent — he has been featured in the news countless times, especially during the festive seasons.

Mr Tham’s passion for his craft is inspiring

Current and past students of QSS are certainly lucky to have the opportunity to try Mr Tham’s gourmet creations.

While not all of us may be keen on opening a canteen stall, Mr Tham’s creativity and passion for his crafts are universally inspiring.

Are you one of the lucky individuals who have tried Mr Tham’s food? Let us know your favourite in the comments.

Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.

Featured image adapted from Queensway Secondary School and Chan Chun Sing on Facebook.