SINGAPORE – Hawker Melvin Soh could not believe his eyes when an American man showed up one day at his stall with a Lego model of his old shop, replete with kaya toast and a figure of his late mum.
The models, made by engineer Matthew Hine, brought back waves of memories of Mr Soh’s mum, who helped him run their breakfast food stall in Old Airport Road Food Centre for 17 years.
Until his mother died of skin cancer, or melanoma, in 2024, she slogged day and night with him, taking turns to brew coffee and tea and toast sandwiches at their stall, Toast Hut.
Mother and son also had lunch together – minced meat noodles or duck rice – before heading home.
Speaking to The Straits Times on April 27, Mr Soh said: “I was touched because the figurines look just like us.
“My mum was usually the one helping me, and she passed away two years ago, so this symbolises her efforts setting up the stall with me and reminds me of her.”
Mr Soh, 42, was also touched that Mr Hine appreciated his food enough to create the diorama. He moved out of Old Airport Road Food Centre and reopened in Bukit Merah in 2025.
Mr Soh, 42, with the replica of his Toast Hut stall in Old Airport Road Food Centre on April 27. He ran the hawker stall selling breakfast items with his mother for over 15 years.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
Mr Hine’s model features miniature pieces, such as the stall’s drink blender, ice bucket and bottles of condiments, with a brick-by-brick recreation of his original stall’s layout.
He contacted Mr Soh on Instagram a week before giving him the model. Although Mr Soh felt a little apprehensive, not having met the man before, he was overcome with emotion when he saw the completed model.
It now takes pride of place on a cabinet in his living room, and he is reminded of his mother and the old hawker stall when he looks at it.
“My mum would definitely have loved this,” Mr Soh said.
