With no successor, 42-year-old dim sum shop in Bedok set to close end March

No-frills dim sum shop Bee Kee Hong Kong Thiam Sim is in its final month of operations this March.

This isn't the first time the 42-year-old stall has called for a break, having closed for two months in 2023 because of owner Ye Mingrong's health issues, according to Shin Min Daily News.

But this time around, the closure is likely to be for good.

As reported by the Chinese daily, Mingrong has been on the lookout for a successor for the business.

However, the 66-year-old's inability to find one has spurred his decision to not only close the business, but retire entirely.

The stall's final date of operation is yet to be confirmed.

"We have been informing customers of our imminent closure and word has spread fast," he told Shin Min.

Mingrong's culinary journey with dim sum began 50 years ago in Chinatown before settling in to where he is now at Bedok from the 1970s onwards.

According to Shin Min, Bee Kee Hong Kong Thiam Sim was actually founded by his wife's aunt, but nowadays, the store is mainly run by Mingrong and his wife.

Their daily routine starts pre-dawn at four in the morning, two hours before other stall employees clock in for work.

The couple would put in their shift until 9am, returning home to rest while the stall is manned by others.

Bang for the buck

Mingrong shared with Shin Min that Bee Kee Hong Kong Thiam Sim has only raised prices twice over the years—once a decade ago and again, at the start of 2023.

The stall has a commendable rating on Google reviews of 4.8 out of five, with customers loving the quality and value of their dim sums.

"Could hardly find fairly good dim sum with these pricing nowadays. We loved what we bought," one customer reviewed.

Another diner rated their siew mai as "the best" they've ever had and found it to be a "real pity" that the owner has chosen to call it a day.

Bee Kee Hong Kong Thiam Sim has even gotten the stamp of approval from Pritam Singh, who once commented that their dim sum is "very good".

ALSO READ: Nasi lemak hawker The CoCo Rice to shutter both Tiong Bahru and Punggol stalls after 3 years

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