British teen who loves chicken rice lands dream job at Nam Kee eatery

A British schoolboy with a love for chicken rice made his dream come true by landing a part-time job at one of Singapore's most popular chicken rice restaurants.

From the middle of July to August, Joshua Alexander Jun Wei Gilby, 14, put on a uniform and started his first part-time job at Nam Kee Chicken Rice in Upper Thomson, working every Tuesday and Thursday from 5pm to 8pm for a month.

He learnt how to speak to customers, take orders, clean the tables, help with takeaway orders and pick taugeh or bean sprout roots.

Speaking to The Straits Times, Joshua said: "I've been going to this restaurant since I was five and I've always wanted to know their secret recipe.

"My parents joked that I needed to work there to find out. We kept joking and it became a reality."

Chicken rice, he said, is his ultimate comfort food, and tucking into Singapore's national dish is a weekly ritual and source of joy for him, especially on tough days.

Joshua, who is studying at United World College South East Asia and is a Singapore permanent resident, first approached Nam Kee for a job about a year ago, when he was 13.

Nam Kee owner Dave Chew turned him away, but asked him to try again when he turned 14. He was worried that Joshua, at 13, was a little too young to work in his restaurant under Singapore's labour laws.

Children in Singapore aged 13 to under 15 are allowed to work in a non-industrial setting but must be given "light duties only", according to rules laid out on the Manpower Ministry's website.

Mr Chew, whose family has been running Nam Kee since 1968, said Joshua's motivation was simple: a love for the dish.

He said: "I've seen him coming here almost every week with his grandmother since he was a kid. When he was 13, he asked if he could work here during his month-long summer break.

"I was surprised. Most kids that age just want to hang out with friends or play video games. But Josh said he wanted to experience what it's like to work in the shop. I thought, 'Wow, this kid is different.'"

Nam Kee put up a video clip of Joshua going about his chores in the restaurant, with part of the segment focusing on how the teen was also brushing up on his Mandarin at work.

Since it went online on Sept 6, the video has chalked up nearly 180,000 views on TikTok and another 160,000 views on Instagram.

In a caption accompanying one of the videos, Nam Kee wrote: "The thought of an 'ang moh' working at a chicken rice shop might raise some eyebrows, but we're all about inclusivity here - and trust us, Josh really wants to be here!"

"Ang moh" is a Singapore colloquialism that means white person.

For his part, Mr Chew said he encouraged Joshua to build up his confidence and speak Mandarin, and taught him the Chinese names of the dishes.

He said: "My customers were all surprised. Some of them asked, 'How did you find a Caucasian that wants to work in a traditional restaurant?'

"Some of the older customers even approached Joshua and asked him who forced him to work here."

Joshua's mum, Ms Jeanette Ling, who is in her 50s, said: "It was his first work experience ever, so we were wondering if he'd spill food over customers and how his Mandarin would hold up.

"But he was super enthusiastic, very open-minded and eager to learn, and was looking forward to each day of his work experience."

Joshua's father, Mr Robert Gilby, took to Instagram to express his pride. "Well done, Josh for embracing the opportunity to get stuck in. I think it helps that Nam Kee Chicken Rice is your absolute favourite!"

When Joshua's friends visited him at work, they affectionately called him 'Mr Chicken Rice'.

Joshua said: "The nickname is really growing on me and my friends have seen the TikTok video. A lot of them told me they want to work there, too."

He added that he would love to work at Nam Kee again in the future.

The experience, he said, left him tired but proud. Although he loved interacting with customers, speaking and understanding Mandarin was a challenge, especially when customers spoke quickly.

He said: "My dream has always been to open a chicken rice shop as good as Nam Kee. But after working there, I know that I cannot compete with it."

For Joshua, the experience was rewarding in many ways. He got a token sum of a few hundred dollars for the work that he did.

And more importantly, he was able to start each shift with a plate of his beloved chicken rice - and extra portions to take home to his mother and grandmother.