LUKUT, Jan 6 (Sin Chew Daily) — Mr and Mrs Lee, who have been running the canteen at SJK (C) Chung Hua in Lukut, have been conscientiously serving mouth-watering food for the students and teachers for the past 28 years.

Unfortunately, with the duo now going into retirement, the school canteen will have to close for the time being.

For the past 28 years, the husband and wife team has been starting work at the school canteen long before daybreak at three, preparing breakfast such as noodle soup, fried vermicelli, fried rice, fried koay teow, laksa and nasi lemak for students who will start streaming in around 6.30 in the morning. And when the students finish their class, they can look forward to goodies like rojak, wat tan hor, chicken rice and prawn noodle, among others.

Many schools now outsource their canteen operation with mostly migrant workers manning the kitchen, but Lee and his wife insist to do everything personally, from purchasing down to food preparation.

Affectionately nicknamed “Doraemon” by the students, Lee is always seen greeting the students and teachers with a smiling face ion front of the counter, as if they are all a part of his family.

Meanwhile, his wife boasts an exceptional cooking skill and is known to be particularly meticulous when it comes to sourcing the ingredients. For example, she insists to use Japanese cucumber for nasi lemak despite the higher cost, and her signature chicken rice is particularly tasty, with special chilli sauce to go with it.

On some special occasions, she will offer her own unique recipe delicacies such as black pork ribs, vinegar pork trotter, braised mushroom, etc.

She told Sin Chew Daily all she wanted was to share with the teachers and students what she believed was the best food, including home recipe soups. Even parents dropping and picking up their children are attracted by her delicious offerings.

As if that is not enough, the couple have also contributed generously whenever the school holds a fund raising campaign, and this has made them highly respected by the teachers of the school.

The school recently held a simple yet meaningful farewell party for them.