'It was my life for 2 years': Albanian hawker reluctantly shutters Bukit Timah stall to upgrade to restaurant

Sometimes, for good change to happen, we have to let go of the old. 

That's what Klevis Shima, who was originally from Albania, had to do after he upgraded from a small hawker stall at Beauty World Food Centre to an intimate restaurant near Ridgewood Condominium. 

Last Thursday (Nov 16) was the last day for his beloved hawker stall, Hapiha, which has been at Beauty World Food Centre since August 2021. 

Klevis announced the news in a heartfelt Instagram post on the same day. 

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"Today brings a mix of emotions as we say goodbye to Beauty World Centre. This chapter has been filled with laughter, shared meals, and cherished moments. We're immensely grateful for the support you've shown us here," he wrote. 

Over the years, as more people got to know about Hapiha, there have been requests for menu items that the hawker stall could not sell. 

"Many of our customers ask for different Mediterranean dishes or to have food with wine, which is not possible to do in a hawker setting as hawkers are not allowed wine licences," Klevis told AsiaOne in an interview.

He also noted that some of his customers would opt for takeaway to enjoy his food in an air-conditioned setting. 

And as he has always dreamt of opening a restaurant one day, the upgrade just made sense to him. 

He never intended to close his hawker stall 

Although he really wanted to open a restaurant, closing his hawker stall was not part of the plan. 

"We wanted to keep both," he said; however, the lack of manpower held him back from doing so.

Klevis shared that before he opened his restaurant, he had hired several chefs and was hoping they could rotate between the two locations. 

The chefs were fine with working at the restaurant — the issue came when they went over to the hawker stall. 

"Although it was agreed on before we confirmed their employment, almost every one who needed to take up the hawker chef role resigned the same day or after a week," revealed Klevis. 

"The thing is, at Beauty World Centre, there is no exhaust system and it gets very smokey once everyone starts cooking and most of the chefs we hired had that complaint, which we can't control." 

And as they had already pumped in money into the restaurant, they decided to close their hawker stall and focus on the restaurant to cut losses. 

"If not, we might not be able to do a good job and lose both," said Klevis. 

Though it was the right decision to make, it didn't mean that it was an easy one, and Klevis felt a whole range of emotions. 

"It hit me last night (Nov 21) as we moved out all the stuff from the shop and I saw it empty!" he told AsiaOne. 

"We put in so much effort and kept upgrading the place, procedures and menu. It was my life for two years — the community and the customers are amazing! Most of my neighbours were amazing!" 

In fact, Klevis was so affected that his wife, Ali Wong, suggested that he not be there when the stall was painted over. 

For some context, he had previously taken a week to draw bricks on his stall's gate and now that he had to return the space, it had to be removed. 

"Now the shop is empty and tonight, we have to paint over the stall, it hit me real bad," said an emotional Klevis. 

While Klevis is sad about shuttering the stall, it doesn't mean that his hawker dream is completely off the table. 

He told us that in the future, he would consider opening a hawker stall or even one at a food court. 

"I think it's a great concept. People can gather together to eat different cuisines, with reasonable prices and good food. Hope we can come back one day!" he said optimistically. 

Settling into their new home 

The spanking new restaurant opened in late October at Ridgewood. 

Klevis told us that he chose the location because he and his family live near Beauty World and are familiar with the area. 

It also was relatively near the hawker stall, which helped with the initial plan of them commuting to and from both locations. 

The location being gorgeous was also a huge plus. 

"Ridgewood Close is so beautiful, we were so impressed by the scenery when we first arrived," shared Klevis. 

Understandably, settling into the new place has been difficult, and there have been some hurdles such as issues with the air-conditioning and the exhaust. 

He also had to worry about other things like paying rent and the suppliers, as well as his new staff. 

However, Klevis and his family have been enjoying the journey. 

"It was indeed stressful, but it was also a beautiful life experience," he told AsiaOne.

New place, new visitors 

Business has been going well for Klevis, so much so that he even got a special guest the other day — the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani. 

Klevis shared the momentous occasion in an Instagram post on Nov 12. 

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"In bustling Singapore, renowned for its numerous fancy and convenient dining spots, we feel incredibly humbled that President Osmani and her team, Mrs Ulpiana Lama chose the warmth and flavours of Hapiha for this special luncheon," he wrote.

"Despite countless options, her decision to support our small taverna means the world to us. Thank you for gracing us with your presence and for choosing Hapiha as your dining destination." 

Planning on dining at his restaurant soon? Klevis shared shared some recommendations with us for first-time customers. 

For two pax and above, he suggested getting the meza platter, which has a mix of dips and vegetarian starters such as homemade falafel and halloumi cheese. 

"It's great for those who would like to try a bit of everything," he added. 

Other options include sardine fritters made from sardines from the Mediterranean sea, as well as meat souvlaki or whole grilled sea bream. 

Diners looking for a quick meal can get a kebab with a side of fries. 

ALSO READ: Chef leaves behind children in Ipoh to open charcoal-roasted meat stall at Jalan Berseh

melissateo@asiaone.com