Ex-diving guide from Bali and lawyer wife to shutter Lau Pa Sat hawker stall after less than a year

When corporate lawyer Juliana Widjaja and diving guide Wayan Suka opened The Warung in June last year selling Balinese food, it was a refreshing addition to the bustling Lau Pa Sat hawker centre. 

Sadly, the stall will soon be no more despite opening just nine months ago. 

The couple broke the news in an Instagram post on Monday (Feb 26).

"It's now confirmed that our last day of operation is Friday, March 22," read the post. 

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"Thank you so much for everything guys! We'll share what’s next soon, but until then, we hope to see you at the stall before we say farewell"

Speaking with AsiaOne, Juliana, 42, who's Indonesian-Chinese, shared that the reason for the business closure can't be disclosed yet but hinted that it was due to "personal work commitments". 

For now, plans for a future stall or new venture are up in the air. 

The stall's closure has nothing to do with poor business either.

In fact, the stall has been doing so well that the couple have had to adjust their opening hours. They had also started taking pre-orders for dinner. 

"Business has been great actually," Juliana told us. 

"We always have queues at lunch time. We used to open until 10pm, but we couldn't to do that [anymore] because we are always sold out pretty early." 

In the meantime, what will her Balinese husband, Suka, 30, be up to? 

Juliana shared that while Suka is currently still unsure of what he wants to do, one thing he's considering is going back to diving. 

Naturally, the couple feel a mix of emotions about shuttering the business. 

"Of course I feel sad about the closure, because it's doing well and we like it," Juliana told us, adding that it had also allowed them to meet lots of people from different walks of life. 

A diving trip that changed their lives

While Juliana and Suka hail from different countries, their love for diving allowed them to meet. 

The pair first met at a diving resort in 2019 and after Covid-19, they reconnected. 

By then, Juliana, who had been living in London, relocated to Singapore and worked at an international law firm. 

After they got married, Suka moved to Singapore as well to live with Juliana, and they decided to start The Warung together. 

While Suka is the main person in the kitchen, Juliana comes down to help him during lunch, dinner and Saturdays if she doesn't have work meetings. 

ALSO READ: Celebrated pastry brand Le Matin Patisserie to close end of February

melissateo@asiaone.com