After Joseph Schooling left, Madam Quek Bee Gek, who owns Bee Bee Carrot Cake, promptly ended business for the day.

It was only after 11am on a Thursday. It seemed like the crowd had taken a toll on her when they descended upon the open space in front of 50A Marine Terrace.

Young and old, they were dressed in red and carried handheld flags while standing in front of a curved banner with bold red words, "ONE TEAM SINGAPORE".

Joseph had made it known before he came back to Singapore that he wanted to eat chai tow kway. And the crowd was there to watch him eat his favourite chai tow kway.

When Joseph finally descended on the crowd of waiting supporters, quite literally, as he arrived by the open-top bus, pandemonium ensued.

Inside the hawker centre, a growing crowd grew even larger. Jostling and rushing, the crowd moved as Joseph moved, escorted by five bodyguards.

And when Joseph stopped by Bee Bee Carrot Cake, dozens of cameras were trained on him, as supporters cramped into the narrow aisle of the hawker center.

The first stop of Joseph Schooling’s victory parade, this open space was right in front of Marine Parade Hawker’s Centre, a stone’s throw away from Joseph’s home.

“He has been eating (her chai tow kway) since young,” said Quek. “He was very handsome.”

Quek, who is 65 this year, presented Joseph with a garland when he arrived at her stall.

He had, as expected, brought along hundreds of people along with him.

“I was so happy when I saw him (swim during the finals). Yes, he was bringing glory to the country, how could I not have been happy? I was so happy.

When he came over, he hugged me and caressed my face," she said with a smile.

Quek remembers the family well. Off the top of her head, she knows exactly how each member of Joseph's family likes their chai tow kway.

"(For Joseph), it's black. It has to be blacker. He has the biggest plate, the $3.50 one. His father likes to eat the white one, with extra chilli. His mother likes it black too, just like her son," she added.

Although Joseph only took one big bite of chai tow kway, Quek prepared extras for him to bring home to his mum.

"I'm very happy (that Joseph likes it)," she said.

But if you want to have a taste of the chai tow kway the Olympic champion grew up eating, you might have to come down early -- the stall is a popular one among Marine Terrace residents.

"If you come at 5am, we might have it," Quek said jokingly.

It seems like Bee Bee Carrot Cake..... has been awarded one Schooling star. #whynot

The best is yet to Bee.

Top photo by Yeo Tsiu Wen

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