3-fold increase in rent and old age prompt retirement for Bukit Merah hawkers behind noodle stall with 82-year history

Faced with crippling rent and poor health due to old age, Bukit Merah lor mee and fishball noodle hawkers Wang Xueying (transliteration) and her family have hung up their aprons for good.

The stall, which has an 82-year history, was open for the last time on Sunday (Aug 25).

Xueying, 68, the second-generation owner of Zhong Xing Foochow Fish Balls & Lor Mee at Silat Avenue, told Shin Min Daily News that the stall was first started by her father, who came to Singapore from China when he was in his 20s.

He'd set up a roadside stall at China Street selling noodles in 1942. Over the years, the stall relocated twice, first to Tiong Bahru, before moving into the Bukit Merah neighbourhood in 2010.

The business did well over the years, and Xueying was roped in to work at the stall since graduating from secondary school.

After her father died in 1982, Xueying's older brother returned to help manage the stall. Together with Xueying's husband, the three of them operated the family business for decades, with work beginning every day at the crack of dawn, reported the Chinese daily.

Xueying and her husband were in charge of prepping the ingredients and noodles, while her brother made the fishballs from scratch.

"During those days, there was always a long queue and I had to kill 100kg of fish daily," said Xueying.

Looking at the hunched posture of her 70-year-old brother from years of back-breaking work, Xueying couldn't help but exclaim during the interview with Shin Min: "It's not easy to be a hawker. We've been doing this since we were young till now, and our bodies are riddled with aches and pains. My brother used to be very handsome!"

On the reason for winding up the business, Xueying pointed out that the coffeeshop they were in would be undergoing renovation in September.

Thereafter, the landlord had indicated that their rent would increase nearly three-fold, from more than $2,000 a month to more than $6,000.

Xueying told Shin Min that as long-time patrons and the elderly form a bulk of their customer base, she was unwilling to raise prices.

"We are also old and it's time to retire, even if we can't bear to close the stall," said Xueying, who expressed her gratitude to customers for their support over the years.

She also told Shin Min that they have yet to think about what they wish to do in their retirement but were focused on delivering customers' orders of hundreds of fishballs, as well as selling off or giving away their kitchen equipment.

Shin Min reported that at around 9am on Sunday, the last day of operation, there was already a queue of about six or seven customers, as others milled around in wait.

One customer shared that her two children are fans of noodles, and both she and her son have eaten at the stall for the last two consecutive days.

"We wish the bosses a happy retirement," said the 47-year-old manager.

Another long-time customer surnamed Zheng, 70, told the Chinese evening daily that he'd been patronising the stall for decades and would make the 45-minute drive to the stall every weekend to support the business.

"Their fishballs are all handmade and definitely taste different from factory-made ones. Although I'll miss their lor mee, but they've worked all the way till now and it is time that they retire," said Zheng.

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candicecai@asiaone.com