PUBLISHED ONOctober 24, 2024 8:46 AMByCandice CaiAfter 54 long years of frying up plates of char kway teow, Loh Kwee Leng, owner of Hai Kee Teochew Cha Kuay Teow at Telok Blangah Crescent Market & Food Centre, is finally calling it a day.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Oct 23), his son, Alvin Low, announced that his father will be retiring. The stall is currently closed.
In a show of appreciation for supporters "who have stood by him throughout this incredible journey", Alvin wrote that they would be organising a "final meet-up" on Nov 22 at his stall, from 7pm to 9pm.
"We hope to see you there to celebrate his legacy, share stories, and enjoy one last gathering together. Your support over the years has meant the world to us," noted Alvin.
Seemingly aware of the question on people's minds, he added that no char kway teow will be sold that day.
The announcement of Kwee Leng's retirement was met with an outpouring of well-wishes from customers, with Alvin's post garnering over 100 comments as of writing.
It is evident from the messages online that many of them will sorely miss the hawker's wok-kissed noodles that are fried individually, plate by plate.
Despite their disappointment, many of them congratulated Kwee Leng, who's believed to be in his mid-70s, on the "well-deserved" retirement.
One patron, Marcus Chen, recalled queuing for 2.5 hours last month with Kwee Leng "working overtime" so as not to disappoint those waiting in line.
"Grateful that uncle worked OT extra hard to accommodate everyone tonight. 10pm and he finally cleared his last customer," wrote Marcus.
Hai Kee Teochew Cha Kuay Teow got its start at Margaret Drive Hawker Centre before moving to its present location in 2010.
According to previous posts by Alvin, his father had taken a break due to a hand injury, following the market's closure from May 2 to June 30.
The stall reopened in early September, but on Oct 9, Alvin posted that the stall would be closed till "further notice".
While he insisted the next day that Kwee Leng was "not closing his doors", this was followed by the announcement of his dad's retirement a week later.
On Google Reviews, the stall has a solid 4.6-star rating, with many praising the flavourful noodles. Kwee Leng was also one of 10 winners for Most Outstanding Hawker at the 2022 World Gourmet Summit's inaugural Hawker Awards.
Loyal fans who'd like to chit-chat with Kwee Leng can do so at the upcoming meet-up where, much like a K-pop star fanmeet, supporters can "talk and take photographs" with him.
AsiaOne has reached out to Alvin for more information.
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candicecai@asiaone.com
