With no successor, Old Lai Huat Seafood Restaurant shutters after 60 years
PHOTO: Google Maps
PUBLISHED ONNovember 28, 2023 3:03 AMByAmierul RashidExactly 60 years after it started, Old Lai Huat Seafood Restaurant has shut its doors.
The restaurant, formerly located at Ophir Road, was unable to find a suitable successor and the third-generation owner, Lim Poh Huat, made the decision that last Sunday (Nov 26) would be the restaurant's last day.
Old Lai Huat Seafood Restaurant made the announcement of the closure on its Facebook page on Nov 17.
"We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to all our customers," the post read.
The post also urged its customers to visit one final time to say goodbye to enjoy some good food.
As reported by Shin Min, retirement had been on the minds of Poh Huat and his wife about four to five years ago.
They chose to continue working as one of their two sons, who was 23 back then, was still studying.
But with all of them now choosing to pursue "their own dreams", taking over the restaurant wasn't something that appealed to them.
Prior to announcing the closure, Poh Huat had been on the lookout for potential tenants.
But after struggling to find a successor, he accepted that closing it down may be the best option.
"After working for more than 20 years, I also want to spend time with my wife. Now that I am retired, we can enjoy life," the 53-year-old told Shin Min.
Old Lai Huat Seafood Restaurant went through a number of phases over the decades, from selling seafood when it first opened in 1963 to selling Teochew rice porridge in the 1980s.
The restaurant moved to its latest location, at Rangoon Road, in 2001.
With a 4.0 rating from more than 200 Google reviews, it was a well-known establishment with fans aplenty.
Cooked with recipes that have been passed down from generations, its two standout speciality dishes are the sambal belachan fish and chilli crab.
Though other eateries in Singapore share near-identical names with Old Lai Huat Seafood Restaurant, the restaurant stated on its official website that it was neither a franchise nor was it related to other eateries bearing the name Lai Huat.
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