'End game' as Chinatown 'cai fan' stall Babas Peranakan closes, owner retires because 'old already'

All good things must come to an end. Even your favourite hawker stall. 

It's official, Babas Peranakan has shuttered for good after much speculation.

A photo of the popular Peranakan cai fan store and a handwritten sign with the word "retirement" was shared by Nthl Chen to Facebook group Can Eat! Hawker Food.

The Dec 2 post, aptly captioned "End game", has confirmed Babas Peranakan boss Edwin Tan's retirement.

However, the news of the Chinatown Complex Food Centre hawker stall closure was not unexpected.

ALSO READ: 5 Peranakan dishes you die-die must try

Previously, Facebook user Joanne Lim-Tang spoke to Edwin in early November and shared that he had made known his intention "to retire" because he is "old already". 

But her Nov 4 post on the Facebook group Hawkers United – Dabao 2020 didn't list a specific date, with Edwin reportedly touting the closure to be "maybe around Christmas". 

Nonetheless, customers will no doubt miss Babas Peranakan's signature dishes such as its curry chicken, sayur lemak (curry vegetables) and beef rendang to name a few.

The "homely and comforting" food is a testament to Edwin, who honed his skills as a chef working for big name hotels like Raffles Hotel and Shangri-La. 

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CJYlPsSHoKm/[/embed]

And like most good things in Singapore, there was typically a long queue even before lunchtime with the stall selling out its food by 1pm on most days. 

Netizens were understandably sadden by Babas Peranakan's closure, with one commenting that it's the "end of an era" and bemoaning the lack of young hawkers "to learn the trade from these masters and carry on the legacy". 

Others were scrambling in the comments section trying to source recommendations for "affordable and authentic Nyonya food" as the closure of Babas Peranakan follows that of another Peranakan hawker stall Popo & Nana’s Delights. 

Regardless, most comments did wish for Babas Peranakan boss Edwin to have a "happy retirement" and thank him for his "nice food over the years".

timothywee@asiaone.com

No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.