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Recently, there’s been news of old eateries like Ah Seah Teochew Porridge closing their doors for good. And now, I’ve been dealt with a fatal blow when finding out that Ka-Soh‘s flagship outlet at Outram (which seats 100) will become a thing of the past from 26 June 2022.
The news of Ka-Soh Outram closing down arrives about a year after 26-year-old sister eatery Swee Kee Eating House announced its closure at Amoy Street on 30 May 2021. Their Outram outlet had faced a fair share of obstacles in the beginning, and it took two decades to turn everything around. They started earning the Michelin Bib Gourmand consistently since 2016.
I’ve been visiting their sister outlet Swee Kee Eating House with my Godmother ever since I was a teenager. My Godmother is a little eccentric and superstitious, and she refused to dine at the Outram outlet just because it was in close proximity to Blk 9 of Singapore General Hospital, which happens to be the mortuary. Similar to Ka-Soh, Swee Kee would religiously place their signature dishes of achar and fried pork lard on the table before the food arrived. Mouthful after mouthful, my chopsticks would pick up the crispy morsels of lard and I’d balance the oiliness out with the tangy achar.
Ka-Soh is well-known for serving one of the best fish bone broths you can find on the island. Flavourful and very ‘gao‘, the thick milky colour of the broth is not derived from milk, in case you were wondering. It’s the result of boiling the fish bones for hours. This is the ultimate comforting soup to have on a cold rainy day.
Ka-Soh’s other outlet seats 60 and is located at Greenwood Ave. It’s their newest at only two years old. With the manpower situation that food and beverage establishments are facing everywhere, the bosses at Ka-Soh were being forced to work at both the restaurants themselves instead of spending time planning on how to improve the business.
Moreover, they did not want to spend a huge sum of money renovating the current Outram outlet, which faces a lot of problems with the equipment due to the wear and tear over the years.
Let’s hope that Ka-Soh’s business will continue to flourish at the Greenwood Ave outlet even after their flagship Outram outlet disappears into thin air.
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