Famous pig's organ soup store in Jalan Besar ordered to move out as kitchen wall is at risk of collapsing

The famous Authentic Mun Chee Kee King of Pig's Organ Soup has been ordered to vacate their premises - all because a kitchen wall is at risk of collapsing. 

The owner of the eatery, Chen Renyao (transliteration) told Shin Min Daily News that he received notice of the closure order two weeks ago informing them they had to move out of their unit at 207 Jalan Besar by Jan 26. 

Authentic Mun Chee Kee King of Pig's Organ Soup has been operating at their present location for the past 12 years, and is a popular supper spot in the area. 

Chen said he received a call from the building owner's agent, informing him that the foundation of the unit next door, which directly connects to his kitchen wall, had sunk. Because of this, Chen's kitchen wall was at risk of collapsing. 

"I received a letter from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) asking us to move, but I appealed and they gave us a grace period until Feb 6." 

According to the closure order, the entire first floor of the building at 207 Jalan Besar was ordered to close. 

Copies of the closure order were also pasted at every entrance of the building, reported Shin Min. 

When a reporter from Shin Min spoke to the other tenants in the same building, some of them said that they did not receive such news, and were unaware that the pig's organ soup store was asked to move. 

Would have preferred 2 months' notice 

Although he's willing to vacate the space for the safety of his employees, Chen griped about the short notice given to him. 

Chen said that his store had just undergone an building inspection last September, and was puzzled why he was given such a short notice. 

"If I were given two months' notice, I would have definitely been able to find a new location, and I wouldn't have to rush. Seeing as Chinese New Year is just around the corner and we have to close the shop, my employees and I won't have a good new year," lamented the eatery owner.

He added that he's looking for a new shop, but will only be able to open for business at the end of March at the earliest as he'll have to renovate the new space. 

"By then I'll lose at least $50,000," he estimated. 

Besides the loss in revenue, Chen is also worried about having to pay more for rent. "The current monthly rental [for this shop] is about $10,000. The rent for the new place might be 40 per cent higher." 

If given a choice, he'd still choose to continue running his business at the same location, Chen said. 

As for his 30-odd employees, Chen said that he intends to let his foreign employees return to China for the time being, but will ask them to return when he finds a new location. 

"I'll also give them some money," he said. 

Some of his employees will also be transferred to work at his coffee shop. 

"I'll try my best to keep everyone, so that if I manage to open the [pig's organ soup] shop again, they can come back to help and I don't have to hire new workers." 

Cracks and dents in wall due to ground settlement: BCA

In response to Shin Min's queries, the BCA said that structural inspections of the units at 203, 205 and 207 Jalan Besar showed that cracks and dents had formed on the partition wall due to ground settlement. 

Ground settlement is the a term used to describe the vertical movement of the ground, generally caused by changes in the stresses within the earth.

They also said that the closure order was to allow the personnel hired by the building owner to fix the cracks in the wall. 

The authority added that the units on the second floor are only minimally affected as they are supported by pillars which have been reinforced. 

BCA told AsiaOne on Thursday that the remaining ground floor space at 207 Jalan Besar remains accessible, as the damaged partition wall is non-load bearing and does not affect the safety and stability of the building.

READ ALSO: End of an era: Singapore's first-ever Jollibee at Lucky Plaza to move out after 10 years

claudiatan@asiaone.com