‘I’m too famous already’: 12-year-old goes viral for promoting his mother’s mee hoon kueh stall
Royce Soh only wanted Pokemon card money when the 12-year-old agreed to promote his family’s handmade mee hoon kueh stall. He didn’t expect to become the star attraction.
Royce Soh is the 12-year-old son of Lyn Bong, the co-owner of the mee hoon kueh business that relocated from Far East Plaza to a coffeeshop in Ang Mo Kio. (Photo: Instagram/@greenviewcafe)
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“You need to pay me!”
That’s the first thing 12-year-old Royce Soh said when he appeared in a viral video promoting his family’s mee hoon kueh stall.
The cheeky youngster has since become an unlikely social media star for Greenview Handmade Mee Hoon Kueh, also known as Greenview Cafe. This long-running mee hoon kueh business relocated from Far East Plaza to a coffeeshop in Ang Mo Kio.
Greenview Cafe first opened at Far East Plaza in 1983. The eatery was known for its handmade mee hoon kueh, attracting a loyal following over the decades. It was later sold by the original owner to longtime customers Eve Bong, 45, and Lyn Bong, 40.
In April this year, Greenview Cafe made headlines when it announced it would leave its longtime home at Far East Plaza due to rising costs and manpower challenges. The business has since reopened as a smaller hawker stall where it continues to serve its signature handmade noodle dishes.
Among the stall’s biggest supporters is Soh, the son of co-owner Lyn Bong, who recently found himself becoming the face of the family business.
PROMOTING THE STALL FOR POKEMON CARD MONEY
Soh’s mother, Bong, told 8days.sg that the viral video came about entirely by chance.
“It was my idea, but very random,” she said. “He came to the stall with me on a day when he had home-based learning and I thought, why not let him help me out?”
Soh agreed only after negotiating a deal. He revealed that his mother promised him money to buy Pokemon cards in exchange for appearing on camera. The incentive was performance-based, too.
“I get $30 for 1,000 likes. If I get 10,000 likes, she’ll pay me $50,” Soh said, sounding every bit the savvy young businessman.
Bong admitted she never expected the video to take off.
“I was super surprised,” she said.
The clip has since crossed the 10,000-like mark (it’s currently at 11,500 and has 235,000 views), which means Soh successfully unlocked the higher payout.
“Yes, he makes sure he gets paid,” Bong laughed.
Soh is not shy about the reason he’s pleased the video performed so well.
8days.sg caught up with the young man over the phone and asked him how it feels to go viral. He giggled before replying, “Kinda happy. When I get a lot of likes, I get more money.”
The attention has followed him beyond social media. While he’s currently on school holiday, Soh said some classmates have told him they saw the video online.
The youngster is taking the attention in stride. Asked if going viral has made him more popular with girls at school, Soh doesn’t miss a beat.
“No, because I’m always popular. I’m too famous already. Paiseh, paiseh,” he said, expressing embarrassment.
A NATURAL IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA
Soh’s deadpan delivery quickly became the highlight of the video, including in a recent TikTok by 8days.sg.
When asked if he’s the boss of the stall, he replied: “No, I’m not the boss. My mother and auntie are my bosses.”
While many viewers assumed the youngster was simply being himself, Bong revealed that Soh had actually studied online marketing videos before filming.
“Royce is funny and cheerful by nature,” she said. “But in the video, it was intentional for him to (speak in a) monotone because he had watched a few versions of ‘marketing’ videos.”
That said, when 8days.sg spoke to Soh, he sounded much the same as he did on TikTok: Deadpan, mildly disinterested, but with a playful sense of humour that surfaced whenever the conversation turned to Pokemon cards or money.
His confidence on camera may also come from school, shared Bong.
The Primary 6 student, who attends a school in central Singapore, has become increasingly comfortable in front of the camera in recent years, something Bong attributed partly to his speech and drama classes.
ENJOYS HELPING OUT AT THE FAMILY BUSINESS “BECAUSE I GET MONEY”
Soh may not know how to make mee hoon kueh yet – he readily admitted that he only knows “how to eat” it – but he is no stranger to helping out at the stall.
When he accompanies his mother to work, he occasionally helps as a cashier. Bong said she rewards him with either extra gaming time or a small allowance depending on how long he helps out.
Asked if he enjoys helping out, he replied with an enthusiastic “Yes!”
The reason?
“Because I get money,” he said without hesitation, to which he doubled down: “Because I can spend it.”
His favourite dish at the stall is the Minced Meat Mee Hoon Kueh (S$4.90), which he described as “chewy and handmade”. Like all of Greenview Cafe’s noodle dishes, the mee hoon kueh is handmade, a hallmark of the business since its Far East Plaza days.
The dish is one of several variations on the menu. Besides the classic minced meat version, customers can also choose from options like Herbal Mee Hoon Kueh (S$5.80), Vegetarian Mee Hoon Kueh (S$3.80) and the stall’s Mala Stir-fry Mee Hoon Kueh (S$7.50), a spicy creation introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Soh also gave his own reviews of some dishes in the 8days.sg clip. He warned viewers that the mala mee hoon kueh is “very, very spicy until I cannot take it”.
The Chicken Cutlet Handmade Noodle (S$6.80), however, earns his approval. Soh described it as a “protein meal” for “very buff people” before quickly clarifying: “Not me, ah.”
CUSTOMERS SHOWING UP BECAUSE OF SOH
The family did not expect the video to have such a tangible impact on business. According to Bong, many customers turned up specifically because they had seen Soh online.
“The next day (after our video was posted) was a public holiday, and the response was overwhelming,” she recalled.
The sudden surge in customers resulted in longer-than-usual waiting times. “We apologise for that. Now we’ve learnt our lesson and will be better prepared, especially on public holidays,” she added.
While Soh wasn’t around to meet most of those customers, Bong said many told her they had come after seeing him on TikTok.
Despite his newfound internet fame, Soh still has more immediate priorities. The Primary 6 student will be sitting for his PSLE later this year.
When asked if he’s been studying hard during the June holidays, Soh initially said yes before his mother chimed in: “Must be truthful, you know!”
He burst out laughing and quickly clarified: “Okay, I study in school only.”
DREAMS OF BEING A NUCLEAR SCIENTIST
Soh isn’t planning a future as a food influencer. Instead, he has his sights set on a very different career path. The playful student said he hopes to become a nuclear scientist one day.
“I like science. I like to see chemical reactions,” he explained.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he added: “I want to protect Singapore.”
Exactly how a future career in nuclear science would help him achieve that goal remains unclear, but Soh appears convinced of the connection.
That doesn’t mean he’s giving up on the arts. Soh, who also enjoys drawing comics in his free time, said some of his earnings have gone towards buying art supplies, including a set of Ohuhu markers.
According to Bong, he spends much of his free time reading science books and drawing.
“I like both science and arts,” he declared.
As for Pokemon, Soh’s obsession goes beyond simply liking the characters.
“He thinks they’re very cute,” said Bong. “And he collects the cards because they fetch him value.” It seems the young negotiator has an eye for investment opportunities, too.
For now, however, his most profitable investment may have been starring in his mother’s TikTok video. After all, not many 12-year-olds can say they earned S$50 by helping promote a mee hoon kueh stall.
Greenview Handmade Mee Hoon Kueh is located at Blk 122 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, #01-1771 (Stall 3), Singapore 560122.
Open Mon to Fri 10.30am–2.30pm & 3.30pm–8.30pm, Sat 10am–2.30pm & 3.30pm–8.30pm, closed Sun.
This story was originally published in 8Days.
For more 8Days stories, visit https://www.8days.sg/
Source: 8 Days/iz
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