One afternoon this week, 8days received an unexpected phone call from hawker Koh Lim Chye. “I’m reopening. Havelock! Havelock! Block 22A, okay ah,” he boomed before hanging up rather abruptly.
Here's the context: Affectionately known as ‘Ah Chye’, the bak chor mee seller, 77, had closed his popular Tiong Bahru stall last April, but promised to update us should he ever reopen. Whether he had jotted down a reminder or set an iPhone alarm we will never know, but Uncle faithfully kept his promise. His new location at Havelock Road Food Centre opened on May 2.
Back then, his shop in Tiong Bahru had no signboard, but was generally known as Sixties Chaozhou Traditional Bak Chor Mee. Ah Chye was famous in Tiong Bahru for serving something hard to find these days: Nostalgic, old-school bowls of lard-loaded minced meat noodles that he has been selling since almost 60 years ago, when it was 20 cents a bowl (now priced at S$5, S$6 and S$7).
Ah Chye's bak chor mee. (Photo: 8days/Alvin Teo)
TIONG BAHRU COFFEESHOP CLOSED, FORCING HIM OUT
Ah Chye operated his stall at Seng Poh Road for several decades, having shifted his business there from Sago Lane in Chinatown.
He was forced to move out of Tiong Bahru after the coffeeshop operator decided to give up the kopitiam. Along with his stall neighbour Mr & Mrs Nasi Lemak and Zai Heng Vegetarian, Ah Chye faced the issue of having to find another stall space.
“It’s a pity, everyone knows me here. I have been here since I was unmarried and now my son is 40 years old. I want to work for a few more years; my daughter-in-law has asked me to reopen elsewhere and she will help me (with the operations),” he told 8days in 2023.
45-MINUTE WAIT TIME AT NEW STALL
It took Ah Chye a year, but he finally found another nearby hawker centre to restart his business. “Menu still the same, prices still the same,” he chirped.
His signature Mushroom Minced Meat Noodles is priced at S$5/S$6/S$7 a bowl. He also offers Fishball Noodles (S$4), Dumpling Noodles (S$5), Dumpling Soup (S$5) and Abalone Noodles (S$12).
And it looks like his regulars have found him quickly, along with his spanking new signboard emblazoned with a new, lengthy official name: Authentic Teochew Tradition Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle.
Authentic Teochew Tradition Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle. (Photo: Facebook/Daryl Lim)
Netizen Daryl Lim, who dropped by for bak chor mee, wrote on Facebook foodie group Food We Eat N Share in SG: “ Today raining cats and dogs… but the queue is long and move slowly… my wait time… 45 mins…”
He also opined that noodles had a “nice bite” and the ingredients were “tender and juicy, cooked just nice”. But he noted that the noodles’ sauce tasted “lighter than before, maybe will take some time to restore and tune back”, though conceding that his order still came with “very nice intense broth”. So for those who have dearly missed Uncle Ah Chye’s bak chor mee, be prepared to wait.
Authentic Teochew Tradition Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle is at #01-21 Havelock Road Food Centre, Blk 22A Havelock Road, Singapore 161022. Open daily 6.30am-2pm.
This story was originally published in 8days.
For more 8Days stories, visit https://www.8days.sg/
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Here's the context: Affectionately known as ‘Ah Chye’, the bak chor mee seller, 77, had closed his popular Tiong Bahru stall last April, but promised to update us should he ever reopen. Whether he had jotted down a reminder or set an iPhone alarm we will never know, but Uncle faithfully kept his promise. His new location at Havelock Road Food Centre opened on May 2.
Back then, his shop in Tiong Bahru had no signboard, but was generally known as Sixties Chaozhou Traditional Bak Chor Mee. Ah Chye was famous in Tiong Bahru for serving something hard to find these days: Nostalgic, old-school bowls of lard-loaded minced meat noodles that he has been selling since almost 60 years ago, when it was 20 cents a bowl (now priced at S$5, S$6 and S$7).
Ah Chye's bak chor mee. (Photo: 8days/Alvin Teo)
TIONG BAHRU COFFEESHOP CLOSED, FORCING HIM OUT
Ah Chye operated his stall at Seng Poh Road for several decades, having shifted his business there from Sago Lane in Chinatown.
He was forced to move out of Tiong Bahru after the coffeeshop operator decided to give up the kopitiam. Along with his stall neighbour Mr & Mrs Nasi Lemak and Zai Heng Vegetarian, Ah Chye faced the issue of having to find another stall space.
“It’s a pity, everyone knows me here. I have been here since I was unmarried and now my son is 40 years old. I want to work for a few more years; my daughter-in-law has asked me to reopen elsewhere and she will help me (with the operations),” he told 8days in 2023.
45-MINUTE WAIT TIME AT NEW STALL
It took Ah Chye a year, but he finally found another nearby hawker centre to restart his business. “Menu still the same, prices still the same,” he chirped.
His signature Mushroom Minced Meat Noodles is priced at S$5/S$6/S$7 a bowl. He also offers Fishball Noodles (S$4), Dumpling Noodles (S$5), Dumpling Soup (S$5) and Abalone Noodles (S$12).
And it looks like his regulars have found him quickly, along with his spanking new signboard emblazoned with a new, lengthy official name: Authentic Teochew Tradition Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle.
Authentic Teochew Tradition Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle. (Photo: Facebook/Daryl Lim)
Netizen Daryl Lim, who dropped by for bak chor mee, wrote on Facebook foodie group Food We Eat N Share in SG: “ Today raining cats and dogs… but the queue is long and move slowly… my wait time… 45 mins…”
He also opined that noodles had a “nice bite” and the ingredients were “tender and juicy, cooked just nice”. But he noted that the noodles’ sauce tasted “lighter than before, maybe will take some time to restore and tune back”, though conceding that his order still came with “very nice intense broth”. So for those who have dearly missed Uncle Ah Chye’s bak chor mee, be prepared to wait.
Authentic Teochew Tradition Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle is at #01-21 Havelock Road Food Centre, Blk 22A Havelock Road, Singapore 161022. Open daily 6.30am-2pm.
This story was originally published in 8days.
For more 8Days stories, visit https://www.8days.sg/
Continue reading...