As the oldest son I naturally wanted to help. I had heard from neighbours that Holland was meant to be a good place to find work and earn money. So I left for Amsterdam, where I went into catering. It was the first time I had left Singapore. I was really quite happy to be starting something new - it seemed like a big adventure at the time.
Catering is one way of putting it.
Chief dish and bottle washer was probably nearer the mark. Working his way around the Chinese restaurants of Amsterdam, Lee soon found himself thrown in at the deep end, being called upon to make rice and other dishes as and when other employees failed to turn up or took time off on sick leave. But in the event it would take him eighteen years of sweating over other peoples hot stoves before being able to realize his ambition. And when, finally, in 1986, he did open his own premises they would be in the French capital rather than the Dutch. All of this to be washed down by imported Singapore Tiger Beer - of course.