‘Sudden Heart Attack’: Rolex-Wearing Hokkien Mee Hawker Dies At 78, Fate Of Stall Unknown
His Hokkien mee is just as well-known, with regulars praising his lard-slicked noodles’ superb wok hei and generous portions, all served by Kue Kim with a friendly smile. News of his passing was first announced by hawker Melvin Chew on his Facebook group Hawkers United.
His eldest son, Tan Hock Yong, told The Straits Times that his father had died of a sudden heart attack, though he was feeling “uncomfortable” since the Chinese New Year weekend four days earlier and had been suffering from poor appetite and a bloated stomach.
Hock Yong, 52, also shared with the national newspaper: “The sudden loss of my dad is very sad. We were quite close, and I’m not quite used to it. I learnt a lot from him. He is hardworking and very humble, and very good at customer service. People remember him because of his smile. No matter how busy he was, his smile never faltered.”
Father had searched for successor via newspaper ad
When contacted by 8days.sg, Hock Yong declined to be interviewed as he was busy with his father’s wake. Father-and-son made headlines last September, when the elder Mr Tan unexpectedly paid for ads in Shin Min Daily News and Lianhe Zaobao to sell his business and “secret prawn mee recipe”.
This was despite Hock Yong having apparently helped his father run his business since graduating from polytechnic in the ’90s, after Kue Kim bought a four-storey building in Geylang to sell his famous Hokkien mee and seafood zi char dishes.
The venture fizzled out by 1996, and Kue Kim went back to hawking prawn mee from a coffeeshop stall in Ang Mo Kio before relocating to a two-storey kopitiam at 62B Jalan Eunos, where the stall is operating till now as a seafood restaurant. Previously called Kim’s Place Seafood, it was recently renamed to Prince of Hokkien Mee - Seafood & BBQ by Kim’s Place Seafood.
Kue Kim also revealed that he had stopped working with his son because he “did not help pay our utility bills and manage our restaurant properly”.
On his end, Hock Yong responded to Shin Min Daily News that he was financially strapped after his coffeeshop went through a revamp last February, and fell behind in his payments for rent and utilities.
“Initially I had hoped that my father could help me, but we have very different views on how to run our business and that created some conflict. He drove me out in August [2023],” he revealed back then, though it is unknown if father-and-son made up before Kue Kim’s passing.
In The Straits Times’ report dated yesterday (Feb 15), Hock Yong said his father’s search for a successor outside of their family was ultimately unsuccessful “due to his strict terms”, which were not elaborated on.
As for who will be taking over Kue Kim’s business, Hock Yong shared that his family will discuss the matter after his father’s funeral on Feb 19. The cortège will depart from Blk 411, Eunos Road 5, Singapore 400411, at 11.25am.
As a hawker, Kue Kim had also broken the glass ceiling for his profession by wearing long-sleeved shirts, polished leather shoes and nice watches to work in a kitchen.
While his attire attracted attention for being out of place, he explained to Shin Min Daily News last September that he started donning office workwear as white-collar workers were regarded more highly by people than blue-collar workers like hawkers.
He averred: “As long as you are dedicated to making delicious food, you will not feel hot even if you are wearing a long-sleeved shirt and cooking noodles in the kitchen.”
Kim's Famous Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee is at 62B Jalan Eunos, S419510. Tel: 6742-1119. Open daily 11am-12am. www.kimsplaceseafood.com
Photos: Kim’s Place Seafood/ Melvin Chew
