‘My Heart Aches’: Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh Owner To Close Longtime Shop
Unfortunately for its fans, the charming old-school eatery is set to close on 30 July this month after over three decades in business. “I can’t bear to leave this place, my heart aches. All of my time was spent here,” owner Judy Tay, 67, tells 8days.sg.
She made the difficult decision to close a few months back. “After the Covid-19 pandemic I had some personal matters to settle and there is no one to take over, so I’m stepping away from this for a while,” she shares, adding that she considers this a retirement as she plans to “rest for a while” after closing her restaurant.
It was only last week that she started informing her regulars about the impending closure. “I’m not very tech-savvy and I don’t use Facebook, so I was very surprised that the news spread so fast,” she says. Arrangements have been made to return her rented shop unit to the landlord.
Other than a pool of die-hard local regulars, Judy’s bak kut teh joint also has famous customers. According to her, this includes former politician George Yeo, who brought ex-Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou there for a meal.
Well-known chefs like Waku Ghin’s Tetsuya Wakuda and Chinoiserie’s Justin Quek also frequent the shop, as well as local celebs such as Fann Wong, Christopher Lee and Chen Shucheng.
“I don’t take photos with them. I told my staff not to request photos with them too, so we don’t disrupt their dining experience. I let them eat happily and only dropped by occasionally to chat with them,” says Judy.
She has been running her business at Tiong Bahru “for so long” that she does not remember exactly when she opened her eatery. She reflects: “We went through SARS, 9/11, swine flu and Covid-19 here. It has always been our longtime customers, friends, staff and suppliers who have been supporting us, so I am thankful to them.”
Teochew muay roots
Judy opened Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh after helping her parents run their roadside Teochew muay stall at Eu Tong Sen Street over 30 years ago. “They sold bak kut teh too, because the same ingredients are also used to cook dishes for Teochew muay,” she explains.
She later expanded her parents’ bak kut teh offerings by setting up a dine-in space in Tiong Bahru, where she also serves popular Teochew side dishes. But it was no easy task to find successors, which led to the restaurant’s eventual closure. “Our bak kut teh is traditional. Everything is made by hand, so it’s hard to find manpower,” shares Judy.
She has already helped her team of longtime staff to find new jobs. “We have some friends working in F&B, and they came by to enquire,” she says.
But this may not be the end of Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh, as Judy is open to the possibility of reviving her eatery in the future. While she has not considered selling her recipes, she says: “I will just take it one step at a time, and see if there is any fateful person who can take over my business.”
Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh will operate till 30 July, 2023 at 58 Seng Poh Rd, #01-31, S160058. Open Tues-Sun, 7am-9pm. www.facebook.com/OldtiongbahruBakKutTeh.
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