A taste for innovation

From pink prawn crackers to rainbow floors, Julia Bryce samples the quirky flavour of a new Chinese takeaway

When it comes to doing things the traditional way, 21-year-old Rebecca Cheuk has other things in mind. The full-time second year nursing student who is based at the University of Dundee’s School of Health Sciences in Kirkcaldy isn’t just working to achieve a degree, but has also recently launched one of Tayside and Fife’s quirkiest Chinese takeaways.

Her shop on Commercial Street in Kirkcaldy isn’t hard to miss with its striking pink exterior. Not to mention the rainbow epoxy resin floor she has invested £5,000 in.

Opening Rebecca’s Chinese Takeaway on Sunday, the young entrepreneur is on a mission to bring takeaways into the 21st Century by offering something different to her customers.

“I wanted to modernise takeaways. I don’t feel like there has been a change in the way takeaways look so wanted to do something unique,” she said.

“I’ve always wanted to have my own business. My mum used to work in takeaways when I was younger and I always remember how busy they were, how fast paced it was and the different dishes they would make.

“When we were younger we didn’t have a lot of money so it has always been a thing for me. I got to know Chinese cuisine quite well as I’d end up hanging around where my mum was working.”

MULTI-COLOURED PRAWN CRACKERS AND MAGIC BOXES

Open seven days a week from noon to 10.30pm, the takeaway will focus on serving up Chinese dishes.

However, with pink prawn crackers, magic boxes and a range of milkshakes that could put any dessert bar to shame, Rebecca is mixing things up to keep her customers interested.

She added: “I can’t cook myself but I have a team of people who can so I’ll help with other things.

“Our offering is pretty typical Chinese cuisine. It is quite familiar to us and we’ve created the recipes ourselves.

“There are magic boxes which are similar to munchie boxes with a selection of items in them, and there’s Rebecca’s mystery box which is just a selection of things we choose for the customer so it is a surprise. We do ask if they have allergies though!

“It is your popular Chinese dishes as well as mozzarella sticks, ice slushies and milkshakes. We have a range of flavours including Hershey’s, Lotus Biscoff, white Kinder Bueno, peanut M&M’s and more, plus a pink one. I got the inspiration for them from TikTok.”

REBECCA’S CHINESE TAKEAWAY INTERIOR INSPIRATION

Investing a five-figure sum into the business, Rebecca, who lives in Buckhaven and works as a nursing auxiliary at Victoria Hospital, has transformed the former café unit into the “rainbow extravaganza”.

She said: “I like to be creative and do my own thing. I wanted to do something

different and make it stand out. Pink is my favourite colour and I wanted the

space to be inclusive so I have a rainbow floor. Rainbows relate to my work (the NHS) as they associate with us during the pandemic.

“I wanted inside to be attractive so it enticed people in. The floor looks like it has stars on it because of the light. If you put effort into your interior then that

effort is emulated in your food offering. If something looks nice you’d want to take a picture, so I am hoping people share lots of pictures of it.”

Operating as a takeaway, Rebecca will introduce tables and seating inside in the future.

Currently her mum, boyfriend and family all help out and she has employed a number of delivery drivers to service

the local community.

I LIKE TO BE CREATIVE AND DO MY OWN THING. I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND MAKE IT STAND OUT

NEW APPROACH: Rebecca Cheuk with mum Carol in the new takeaway which she has designed as a ‘rainbow extravaganza’.