30 Notable Eateries & Hawker Stalls That Closed Down in 2022
Unless you are on a diet, the phrase “just eat whatever you want to eat now” applies to the fickle F&B industry in Singapore. One moment you are loading up at your favourite hawker stall, and the next day it could be gone forever.
As we take stock of yet another year that has passed, we look back at the popular eateries that had called it a day in 2022. Which makan spot will you miss the most?
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
Tiong Bahru Galicier Pastry
After operating for more than two decades in Tiong Bahru, the elderly couple who ran this well-loved bakery decided to retire for good. On its last day of operations on Jun 30, there was a snaking queue of sentimental customers looking to get one last bite of the shop’s popular putu ayu (steamed coconut pandan sponge cake), kueh dadar and ondeh ondeh. The putu ayu was so in demand it was sold out by 11am, with customers limited to a maximum of two boxes for Galicier’s most popular kuehs.
Clinton Street Baking Company
This popular all-day breakfast chain from New York opened a franchised Singapore outlet to much fanfare in 2015. In August this year, it announced that it was closing as the casual diner’s shophouse lease was up, and the landlord had wanted the unit back. Clinton St. Baking Company’s fans thronged the cafe for its famous pancakes and waffles until it closed on Aug 30, having held a “garage sale” to clear out its tableware and kitchen equipment.
Forty Hands
Another cafe brand that went defunct is Forty Hands. The Aussie-style chain quietly ended operations at both its Tiong Bahru and East Coast outlets in September after a 12-year run. The cafes’ closure announcement did not specify a reason, but urged customers to support its sister brand Common Man Coffee Roasters. Their parent company Spa Esprit Group also runs Tiong Bahru Bakery, Open Farm Community and Tippling Club.
Fosters Steakhouse
Holland Village fixture Fosters Steakhouse said goodbye on Oct 25, after operating there for 62 years since 1960. It was famous for its wallet-friendly high tea sets and hearty New Zealand steaks. No reason was given for its closure.
1-Altitude
Nightlife spot 1-Altitude was known for its superb city skyline view from the rooftop of One Raffles Place. It housed fine-diner Stellar Restaurant, Alt Cafe & Bar and Gallery & Bar. But after 12 years in business, the bar-lounge announced that it was closing on Mar 31, 2022. No reason was specified. The closure was followed by the launch of parent company 1-Group's new concept called 1-Arden, which also offers al-fresco rooftop dining in the CBD at nearby CapitaSpring building.
2280
Named after the international code used by abattoirs for a beef neck cut, this short-lived burger joint in the Henderson industrial estate offered gourmet beef burgers for just $9.50 nett. On Jan 2, 2023, it will “cease to exist as a standalone brand” and will merge with its sister brand BurgerLabo, run by the same boss behind seafood specialist restaurant Naked Finn. Meanwhile, BurgerLabo will move out of its Gillman Barracks digs and into 2280’s space.
Burgrill
After a year of hardship, which included months of “less than $1,000 take-home pay”, brothers Milton and Algin Tan decided to wind up their rosti hawker stall. They had started their own business in 2021 after Algin, a former finance professional, lost his savings in a cryptocurrency scam. Unfortunately, they could not earn a living from selling their made-from-scratch $8 rosti sets with silky scrambled eggs at Hong Lim Food Centre, citing a lack of crowds and rising food costs.
Asia Western Food
This tiny stall is well-known in its Toa Payoh neighbourhood for being a “one-man show”. It is manned by an elderly hawker, who presided over his business for 38 years before finally retiring. The uncle had a solid pool of regulars who enjoyed his lovingly-cooked, homely Western food like fried chicken wings and fish & chips, but sadly developed a hunchback over the years that affected his ability to work.
Babas Peranakan
Chinatown Complex’s popular Peranakan cai png hawker stall Babas Peranakan quietly closed this month, after its hawker-owner - a former hotel chef - decided to retire. Up till its closure, the stall had a constant queue.
Ampang Niang Tou Fu
Katong stalwart Ampang Niang Tou Fu closed in May this year when its owner retired. The yong tau foo eatery was most well-known for its delish fish paste-stuffed ingredients like tau pok and fishballs, which were served in a clear broth instead of the Hakka-style dark brown gravy.
543 Laksa
543 Laksa was started by young hawker Thian Le Yong, who ran a hipster stall inside Senja-Cashew Community Club. While the colourful former undertaker’s apprentice enjoyed a brief spike in business after his charmingly gritty stall went viral online, the footfall was ultimately unsustainable at the obscure location. “I ended up cooking and not selling — it’s very frustrating when people are not coming [to my stall],” said Le Yong, who closed his stall to hedge against losses after business fell by 50 per cent.
Ah Pui Tiong Bahru Satay
Satay connoisseurs would have heard of Ah Pui, a street hawker who is known for selling famously supersized, juicy satay that he grills on the spot on a roving wooden pushcart. He eventually opened his own dine-in restaurant at Chinatown with his disciple. But the restaurant closed just one year later, as it was announced that “Uncle Ah Pui’s health is not well and he needs a good rest.”
Kueh Pulau Pinang
Min jiang kueh hawker Teo Ah Bee, 73, has been selling his signature pancakes since he was 13. In September this year, he gave up his Buangkok hawker stall as it was downsized by the coffeeshop management. Ah Bee and his wife started a home-based business to sell min jiang kueh out of their one-room flat, but decided to call it a day after two months. “There have been no customers. I’m earning less than $30 a day,” he revealed.It was hard to sustain sales, as his flat is located in an ulu part of Buangkok, which deterred some customers from doing a pickup run. It was also difficult for Ah Bee to offer delivery, as he mainly communicates via phone calls, and his min jiang kuehs are best enjoyed freshly-made. “I can’t do delivery because my pancakes are too inexpensive to justify the delivery costs,” he added.
Cheong Kee Wanton Mee
SBS Transit train controller Alex Leong saved money from his longtime job to open his own wonton mee stall, which was inspired by his family’s wonton mee eatery back home in Malaysia. After just three months at his Ang Mo Kio kopitiam location, the coffeeshop was sold to a new owner.Seeing as he had to sign another lease with the new management, Alex decided to close his stall as he expected his rent to go up after the coffeeshop’s revamp. But he has no regrets quitting while he’s ahead, having earned a modest profit from his short hawking stint. “The outcome of investing in a business is always uncertain. I appreciate the experience as I have regular customers and made a lot of friends,” he said.
Wei Nan Wang Hock Kian Lor Mee
Wei Nan Wang Hock Kian Lor Mee in Market Street Hawker Centre, within the new CapitaSpring building in Raffles Place, announced its abrupt closure in October. Run by an elderly couple, the stall’s charming Chinese name translates to “unforgettable taste”. The hawkers had a strong following for their Hokkien-style lor mee.
Their only son Joshua Lee, 52, told 8days.sg over the phone that the stall's sudden closure was spurred by a fall his mum suffered, which resulted in a hairline fracture. "She has already recovered and is out of the hospital. She’s able to walk by herself again, but that was what caused [them to decide to close their stall]," he said.
Can’s Classic Pao Fan
The closure of Can’s Classic Pao Fan after a brief seven-month run at Golden Mile Food Centre came as a bit of a surprise. After all, pao fan is a relatively popular hawker dish. And its Malaysian-born towkay, Kenny Chong, has more than a decade of experience cooking at various Seafood Paradise outlets including its Marina Bay Sands flagship, having worked his way up from waiter to assistant chef.
The chef-turned-hawker – who is married with an infant daughter – cited middling footfall and rising costs that led to his decision. “I really can’t bear to let go [of my stall]. But after thinking about it, it’s not worth it. I really don’t have a choice but to close it,” he told 8days.sg.
Tian Tian Porridge
Tian Tian Porridge at Chinatown Complex was founded in the 1950s, and was run by second-gen owners - five siblings - who worked at the stall up till its closure in October this year. Due to their old age, they struggled with health issues and ultimately decided to stop working. Other than their porridge joint, they also shuttered their wonton mee stall Tian Tian Noodle House.
Yang Zhou Fried Hokkien Mee
This beloved stall — also known as Famous Beo Crescent Hokkien Sotong Mee — served its last plate on Jul 30. Also fondly known as Famous Beo Crescent Hokkien Sotong Mee to its fans, it’s a stall that was first established in a kopitiam in Beo Crescent in 1986 by husband-and-wife team Lim Bo Si, 71, and Huang Bao Dong, 70. There, they earned a following for whipping up Hokkien mee over a charcoal stove.
The hawkers announced – on a simple note pasted outside the stall – that they will be retiring and shuttering their biz permanently. They toyed with the idea of selling their recipe for continuity, but could not find a suitable buyer. Bo Si said: “The [potential buyers] that we interviewed — one couldn’t even fry an egg. Another one was scared to pick up a prawn. If you really have the interest to be in this hawker business, you should at least be able to do these basic things.”
San Hu Minced Meat Noodle
Ah Girls Go Army actor Jasper Choong and his mum opened San Hu Minced Meat Noodle, a bak chor mee stall near Tiong Bahru MRT station. The Penang natives turned Singapore residents offered “Malaysian-style” minced meat noodles slicked with a sultry dark sauce. Jasper apprenticed at a noodle stall in Tampines before setting up San Hu in tribute to his late father, whose dream was to set up a hawker stall.
Just three months after opening, San Hu announced its closure on social media. “While we’ve learned so much from running this little shop, we’ve also been struggling with issues such as rising costs and a lack of manpower behind the scenes. It’s with a heavy heart that we’ve decided to bid farewell for now,” the notice stated.
Lan Xing Delight
Redhill Food Centre cai png stall Lan Xing Delight served one of the cheapest cai png meals in Singapore, at $2.50 for one meat and two veg dishes plus rice. Each order also came with a complimentary bowl of soup. Hawker Koh Joo Mai, 69, had decided to close her stall and retire after “over 30 years” of running her business. “I couldn’t bear to tell my customers that I was closing [shop]. I was scared that they would all scold me,” she joked. “After the [closure announcement on Facebook] went up, two or three of them actually called me up to scold me. I shouldn’t have given them my phone number (laughs).”
Original Tiong Bahru Golden Pig & Roasted
This extremely popular whole roast pig and roast meat stall at Tiong Bahru Market & Food Centre had been around for a whopping 70 years before its second-gen owners - an elderly couple - closed shop in January to retire. But another famous hawker brand took over the space; Loo's Hainanese Curry Rice, which shifted over from the kopitiam across the road and reopened on Mar 18.
Poh Ho Restaurant
Despite its name, Poh Ho is actually a 40-year-old coffeeshop at Crane Road with well-loved stall tenants like Hock Thye Noodle House, Mei Wei Economic Bee Hoon and Famous Crispy Prata Indian Muslim Food (opened by a former employee of the late famed prata hawker Mr Mohgan). Poh Ho officially closed on Sept 1, as there were no successors willing to take over the family-run business.
Choon Seng Hng
Chinese restaurant Choon Seng Hng has been around for some 60 years, and was well-loved for its catered and dine-in zi char dishes. It moved from Bukit Panjang to ITE College West in Choa Chu Kang in 2010, but eventually closed after struggling to stay afloat during the Covid-19 pandemic. Other than a drastic drop in customers, the restaurant also reportedly faced manpower woes that made its business unsustainable.
Ice Edge Cafe
Kovan cafe Ice Edge closed after 13 years in September. It served Western-style nosh. While no reason was given for its closure, the cafe posted on Facebook that “we loved hearing you guys reminisce [about] the special moments that Ice Edge celebrated with you -- from being the place of your first date with your spouse, or the place where you went to for ice cream when exams were over. We are so glad that our humble ice cream store and cafe has seen you guys through so many milestones in your life.” Customers were urged to visit Ice Edge’s sister cafe Chapter 55 at Tiong Bahru Road.
Miao Yi Vegetarian Restaurant
Miao Yi Vegetarian Restaurant, a popular spot for vegetarian diners looking for a banquet-style feast, closed right before Jan 1 this year. The restaurant’s Dec 31, 2021 closure post shocked its regulars, most of whom expressed their hope for Miao Yi to make a comeback. Netizen Josephine Tan, who called the restaurant to confirm its closure, learnt from a staff member that “their tenancy ends soon, secondly, shortage of manpower is a serious issue. She told me her boss will definitely make a comeback!” One year on, the restaurant has yet to find a new location, but fans of Miao Yi can only hope.
Beng Who Cooks
The memorably-named Beng Who Cooks was helmed by two young hawkers who sold grain bowls out of their Hong Lim Food Centre stall and offered free food to the needy. They later upgraded to a restaurant space at Neil Road in 2020. Sadly, the duo had to close their eatery in October this year as their landlord increased their rental by 60 per cent to a five-digit sum, reported Shin Min Daily News.
Sushi Kou
After shifting to the Holiday Inn Orchard City Centre from Tanjong Pagar, popular omakase restaurant Sushi Kou closed for good on Mar 31. The Business Times reported that the closure was due to “a spate of resignations”. Most of the restaurant staff, together with Sushi Kou’s head chef, apparently left to open another restaurant with “a different investor”.
Kara Cafe & Dessert Bar
Kara Cafe & Dessert Bar was the dine-in yogurt bar for Sogurt, widely considered to be one of Singapore’s earliest froyo brands. The self-serve joint allowed customers to dispense their own froyo and choose toppings. But after “12 years and three months” at its Bukit Timah space, Kara Cafe’s founder Lee Li Ping closed her shop. “Me and my family have made peace with our decision over the past weeks of discussions, and agree this is best for us moving forward,” she explained in an Instagram post, though she did not elaborate on the reason for the closure.
Captain K Seafood Tower
After six years in operation, Korean seafood restaurant Captain K closed in April without a specified reason. It had moved from Prinsep Street to Middle Road, and was well-known for its seafood towers which were stacked nine layers-high. “This is a heart-breaking moment for the 6-year-old restaurant filled with so many happy memories [sic]. Words can’t describe how difficult this decision is for us to make,” the restaurant mourned in a Facebook post.
Cat Cafe Neko No Niwa
It’s not just the human employees who retire when cafes close. The numerous feline staff at “the first cat cafe in Singapore'' took a severance pawkage when Cafe Neko no Niwa called it a day on May 1 after almost nine years. Other than a lack of business caused by the pandemic, the cafe’s owners were also devastated by the passing of a senior cat there named Baloo. “We will be bringing our cats home for a well-deserved retirement after 8.5 years. Thank you for the amazing journey!” they posted on Facebook.
8days.sg is now on #tiktok! Follow us on www.tiktok.com/@8dayseat
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
Watch Now
Related Stories
Shopping
