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It’s sad enough that we hear popular food stalls that have been around for decades closing down due to the hawkers’ old age and sickness. But imagine topping that off with a sudden increase in rent amounting to more than S$4,000 (that’s even higher than my monthly salary)! That’s what contributed to the closure of Zhong Xing Foochow Fish Balls & Lor Mee on 25 Aug 2024 at 148 Silat Avenue— that’s pure madness, in my opinion.
The 2nd-gen owners of the 82-year-old family business were Madam Wang, 68, her husband and her elder brother. In 1942, Zhong Xing Foochow Fish Balls & Lor Mee rose from modest beginnings as a China Street roadside stall set up by her father. Then in 1995, it relocated to Zion Road Food Centre before moving to its Silat Avenue spot.
In the past, the stall also had a second branch at Maxwell Food Centre at #01-62, where Jiang Nan Wei Dao currently resides in. The menu offerings included Lor Mee, Sesame Dry Mee, Foochow Fish Balls Soup and Wanton Mee.
Madam Wang had already started her dedication to the business after completing secondary school. The trio aren’t exactly young, and they often experience aches and pains from long hours on their feet, hard labour, and the effects of ageing.
The coffeeshop that the stall was situated in is set to commence renovations in September, with the landlord indicating a considerable increase in rent, bringing the cost to over S$6,000 monthly. This further sparked the decision for them to retire and shut down the business for good.
Let us wish Madam Wang all the best in her golden years and enjoy her well-deserved retirement life to the fullest.
