Millennial gives up tax accountant job to sell min jiang kueh, is happy despite lower pay & ‘torturous’ work

These days, Li Jiali wakes up at around 4.30am for work. Still groggy, she makes her way to her hawker stall“In the morning it takes a lot for me to wake up. My energy level is low, so I have to pace myself,” the 36-year-old tells

Jiali’s doctor recommended her to take up a “less stressful job”, which prompted her to pursue her passion of working in F&B. She joined homegrown coffee chain Dutch Colony Coffee Co. as a barista, and was later promoted to the head barista position.In 2020, she left the company to become a hawker. “I decided I wanted to do something for myself instead of being an employee,” she explains.

“My mentor advised me to open at a less busy location due to my condition. I like this location ’cos it’s not very busy or ‘happening’, but it’s a good place to start,” she says.Jiali explains that she recently increased her prices from $1.20 to $1.50 per piece due to rising costs, her second price hike after raising it from 90 cents. “Initially when I increased my prices there were people who said my min jiang kueh was expensive.

She gets her red bean paste from traditional Geylang shop Kwong Cheong Thye, and mixes her own grated peanuts with sesame seeds for the peanut flavour. Her peanut butter is also loaded with a “secret” ingredient. “To make it taste more dimensional,” Jiali quips.Jiali admits that working in a food stall is “mentally demanding”, with its early hours and physical labour. “You’re stuck in a small space and it’s very hot. Your hands are in pain, but you still have to beat the batter.

But still, being a hawker is a “happy choice” for her. She muses: “Making pancakes is very therapeutic. You get to use your hands and make something for people to eat. I find it more meaningful. There’s a huge sense of satisfaction when customers buy and enjoy my pancakes. Since it’s my passion, I tell myself every day that I want to be good at this and preserve the culture.

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