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With the closure of numerous iconic hawker stalls and eateries, Mar 2024 seems to be a tough month for our local food scene. Joining the list is Bee Kee Hong Kong Thiam Sim, a 42-year-old dim sum stall in Bedok.
The nondescript dim sum stall at Block 632 Bedok Reservoir Road is currently helmed by 66-year-old Ye Mingrong and his wife alongside several part-time employees, all of whom are in their 60s and 70s.
According to an article by Shin Min Daily News, the Bee Kee Hong Kong Thiam Sim’s impending closure comes with Mr Ye’s inability to find a successor in view of his declining health. However, a recent review left on the stall’s Google profile alleges that the decision was fuelled in part by rental concerns, as divulged by a lady employee.
Regardless, the stall’s shutters are slated to be pulled down by end-Mar 2024 although no specific date has been fixed yet.
Prior to this, the stall had closed temporarily for 2 months in 2023 when Mr Ye experienced numbness and pains in his hands that impeded his ability to hand-make his dim sum.
His ailments come after many painstaking years dedicated to the craft. Mr Ye started out as an apprentice at a Chinatown Hong Kong-style dim sum stall 50 years ago, before he moved to Bee Kee in the 1970s and has remained ever since.
Bee Kee is well-known for its range of tasty yet exceptionally affordable dim sum. These include classics like Char Siew Pau (S$0.90), Big Pau (S$1.70), Dou Sha Pau (S$0.90) and even Shou Tao (S$0.80). A crowd favourite seems to be their Siew Mai (S$0.70), lauded for its size and juiciness.
The average price of their dim sum hovers under S$1, with the most expensive menu item, Fan Choy, priced at just S$1.70. The menu has seen just 2 price increases with just S$0.10 increases each time.
If you want a final taste of their delicious dim sum or if you’d like to purchase them frozen to keep and enjoy later, don’t wait any further to head down to the stall. We wish Mr Ye and his wife a happy retirement!
