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It’s always the underdogs that leave silently. Cheng Fa Fried Kway Tiao at 630 Bedok Reservoir Market and Food Centre is one of the low-key stalls that closed recently.
Mr. Lim, the chef, has been cooking char kway teow for 40 years or more. Albeit not as famed as Hill Street Fried Kway Teow, Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee, or any of the famous char kway teow stalls, they’ve been identified as one of the “best char kway teow” stall as well. They’re just not as widely publicised, despite the long queues that form in front of the store. Even Pritam Singh tried it out!
On 25 Mar 2023, a Facebook post of Cheng Fa Fried Kway Tiao’s vacant stall probed the question of whether they relocated or closed. We found out that the owner had settled on a permanent closure on 7 Mar 2023.
Many comments in the post mentioned that Uncle Lim suffered a fall and chose retirement afterwards, while some mentioned that the duo that was manning the stall looked too young for retirement. In fact, he had to undergo surgery, which explained the sudden decision.
Even so, I bet this retirement plan was thought of for quite a while by the owner himself, so it might not be that surprising after all.
In Aug 2022, a loyal customer of the stall publicised the owner’s intention on selling the store. In his post, it stated, “Mr Lim of Cheng Fa Fried Kway Tiao wants to sell away his business and retire”. However, without any updates of the handover, perhaps Mr. Lim didn’t find a suitable owner and thus continued manning his stall.
Unfortunately, those that are fans of Cheng Fa Fried Kway Tiao will no longer be able to enjoy them at their convenience. Uncle Lim fries a wet type of traditional Char Kway Teow (S$4), with a strong wok hei flavour that keeps customers running back for more. The addition of lup cheong and hums inside each plate makes the overall dish sweeter and delectable.
See you never, Cheng Fa Fried Kway Tiao, and happy retirement, Uncle Lim!
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