SUSS lecturer opens Hao Lai Wei at Fortune Centre, with Cantonese-style congee, fish soup and curry rice

Read that again — It’s Hao Lai Wei, not Hao Lai Ke or Hao Wei Lai. 

Got you there, didn’t we?

Tucked away on the fourth level of Fortune Centre — so quiet that it feels almost forgotten — Hao Lai Wei is a humble eatery serving up no-frills, comforting Chinese food that hits the spot.

It’s run by 46-year-old Steven Yee, a long-time university lecturer at Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). Besides his 15-year tenure teaching Digital Photography, he also runs two photography-related businesses.

Unlike most stall owners out there, Steven admits that he doesn’t have any F&B experience. “I simply love to cook,” this self-proclaimed foodie says. 

But, this wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision for him. It traces back to when he was pursuing his Masters of Arts in Photography degree during the Covid-19 pandemic Circuit Breaker.

Spanning nearly three years from February 2020 to November 2022, Steven’s final year project, titled “Fighting for a Birthright – Hawkers”, captured the tenacity and quiet adaptability of hawkers amid changing times.

By shadowing these vendors — at Bendemeer Market and Food Centre and Maxwell Food Centre, to name a few — he witnessed firsthand the sweat and spirit that goes on behind the scenes. 

It was during this time that Steven recalls talking with a hawker about his F&B aspirations. In response, he was told that “it’s tough” and that he didn’t seem like the type to hustle in a hot kitchen.

“But I told myself to bite the bullet for the first few months and just do it,” Steven says.

He took a leap of faith to follow his culinary dreams and after a year of R&D, Hao Lai Wei became a reality on December 26, 2024.

Trying out the food at Hao Lai Wei

Of Hao Lai Wei’s offerings, our favourite has to be the fish soup (S$7.50) — an all-time classic — that features 120g of fresh Batang fish. 

The fish meat is sliced to a thickness of 3mm, which Steven says gives you the best texture — just right and not too tough.

The broth also sees a decent handful of healthy veggies and greens, such as white cabbage, tomatoes, and lettuce, such that every spoonful was oh-so-comforting and very cheng (clean). 

For an additional S$1, you can upsize it to a meal (S$8.50) that’s paired with fried cabbage and a bowl of rice, too.

For those looking for a fuss-free lunch, the tender sesame chicken rice and fried cabbage (S$5.90) came highly recommended. 

All of the rice dishes come with slightly sweet-and-tangy achar (nyonya-style pickled vegetables), coupled with a dash of furikake, atop Japanese short-grain rice. 

Served on a sectioned plastic plate, it reminds us of a simple, but no less delicious, home-cooked meal from our childhoods — and it lived up to its look. 

While some may have a penchant for long-grain rice, we enjoyed the switch to short-grain rice — its sticky texture soaked up the sesame oil zhup pretty well.

Another option is the curry pork rice and fried cabbage (S$5.90). 

At first glance, the curry lacks the bold hue of the classic Hainanese curry. But Hao Lai Wei’s rendition felt like a gentle crossover with Japanese curry — mildly sweet and spicy.

Still, the gravy nailed the ideal consistency: Rich, but not too jelak (overly rich) zhup that coated the rice with just the right dose of umami. 

Porridge lovers shouldn’t miss out on the signature congee (S$8.50) with pork slices, pork balls, century egg, and cuttlefish.

In a nod to Steven’s Cantonese background, the congee boasts a much thicker, yet smooth, texture than the Teochew porridge that we often see at economical rice stalls.

It was unfortunately sold out when we swung by, but we hear that Steven cooks ten servings daily, give or take, so it’s up for grabs in limited quantities!

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