Just when I thought that artisan muah chee was going to disappear along with the last muah chee man, I caught wind of a next-generation lady. She is taking over the torch and keeping it burning. And by a sheer coincidence, her name happens to be Shiny.

Our protagonist today is Shiny Phua. She began her journey as a home-based business at just 22! She did it as a tribute to her grandmother and a way to preserve traditional Teochew kueh for modern audiences.

As a LASALLE design communications graduate, she transformed her final-year thesis on the fading appreciation of heritage food into a business concept. She now makes traditional treats like muah chee, ang ku kueh, and orh nee – using natural ingredients while blending age-old techniques with modern innovations.

It’s heartwarming to see how much affection the now 27-year-old has for her grandmother. She even dons her grandma’s old clothes to film a documentary for CNA! Her grandmother, God bless her soul, would surely have been proud when Shiny finally opened her cosy little eatery at Thomson V over a year ago!

Grandma’s Recipe but with Modern Innovation!

Following her grandma’s recipe, the muah chee is still made the artisan way. First, the glutinous rice flour is steamed, then pou...