With no successors, famed hawker stall China Street Fritters to shutter after 81 years

The curtain falls on another legendary eatery in Singapore.

China Street Fritters at Maxwell Food Centre is set to end its operations after 81 years — for real this time.

Brothers Ng Kok Hua, 66, and Ng Kok Rong, 67, were looking to hang up their aprons by March last year and sell their brand and recipe for $1 million, but deals fell through. The asking price was eventually reduced to $500,000.

8days reported on Tuesday (May 23) that China Street Fritters, which has been around since 1942, is planning to "quietly" end operations on July 2, with Kok Hua afraid that the stall would get thronged by crowds if the public caught wind of the closure.

He mentioned that he has already been "scolded" by some of his loyal customers who have been patronising the ngoh hiang (meat and vegetable roll wrapped in beancurd skin) stall for generations.

Despite their steady supporters, food blog Seth Lui attributes a lack of appreciation of traditional food items from younger generations as one of the reasons stalls like China Street Fritters are going out of business, along with rising rental prices, a lack of successors and the physical ailments of ageing owners.

Kok Hua told 8days that their food was "not for everyone," as youth may not appreciate handmade ngoh hiang and older people may not be willing to "fork out a lot" for it. He said potential buyers also had a change of mind as they felt paying for the recipe wasn't "worth it" because of the number of steps needed to make the fritters.

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Since last year, China Street Fritters has also shifted to a four-day work week and shorter hours because of the owners' age and deteriorating health.

It was previously reported by Lianhe Zaobao that Kok Hua suffers from varicose veins, which makes standing up for long gruelling hours difficult for the second-generation stall owner.

"I underwent an operation for the condition seven years ago and while it is not a serious problem now, I have been sleeping less than six hours a day for many years and I'm exhausted," he shared last March.

He also told Shin Min Daily News that doctors had discovered a "black spot" in his eye that could spread and lead to blindness without surgery.

The Ng brothers' older sister, 80, also retired two years ago because of her advanced age and failing health.

Quitting banking to sell chicken rice

It's a much happier ending for Nam Kee Chicken Rice at Upper Thomson Road. 

Second-generation owner Chew Tee Heang, 62, made the decision to sell his 55-year-old restaurant during the Covid-19 pandemic. He even had a potential buyer pay a cheque deposit.

But his sons, Lincoln, 34; Dave, 32; and Ken, 28, stepped in, quitting their high-paying jobs in January 2021 to take over their dad's restaurant.

When all three brothers, who worked at the sales department of the same bank, told their boss they were quitting to sell chicken rice, their boss thought it was a joke.

Ken told local media: "Our boss thought we were being poached by another bank but didn't want to admit it, so we had to use that as an excuse."

Despite having to take a 70 per cent pay cut, it was a no-brainer for the brothers.

"This restaurant harbours all the memories of our childhood," Dave added.

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drimac@asiaone.com