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Corporate Singapore has embraced Tan\u2019s artistry enthusiastically. Collaborations with discerning brands \u2014 Leica, Pokka, the Singapore Airshow, GastroBeats \u2014 showcase her inventive spirit. She recalled with wry affection the exhaustion of preparing ondeh-ondeh for a Japanese corporation\u2019s event, bowing repeatedly as hundreds of guests collected their desserts. The memory persists: fatigue, certainly, but more profoundly, the satisfaction of bridging cultures through humble confection.<\/span><\/p>\n Beneath the success, however, runs the perennial challenge of hawker culture. Punishing hours, tropical conditions, and the unglamorous realities of stall operations make staff retention perpetually challenging. \u201cI was born in 1965, 10th in a family of seven girls and four boys. We grew up dirt poor, and sometimes I believe those born in the 1960s are quite hardworking and resilient. They can \u2018tahan\u2019 (bear) stress,\u201d Tan reflected with characteristic stoicism. Air-conditioned food courts offering comparable compensation inevitably lure workers away. Sandy navigates these challenges with equanimity, perpetually adapting, unfailingly resilient.<\/span><\/p>\n Her kueh themselves represent cultural confluence, and are halal-certified. The puteri and salat varieties acknowledge Peranakan tradition, though Tan favours the more encompassing term \u2018Nanyang delicacy\u2019 \u2014 an honest recognition of the Teochew, Hokkien, Peranakan, Malay, and myriad influences informing her craft. The bestsellers \u2014 Lotus Biscoff, D24 durian, and Haebeehiam sweet potato varieties \u2014 appeal to palates appreciating both nostalgia and innovation, while the mugwort and mung bean blend remains a refined favourite.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n