Elderly couple who run Michelin Bib Gourmand-listed char kway teow stall in Ghim Moh retire

SINGAPORE – The couple behind the Michelin-recognised Guan Kee Fried Kway Teow stall at 20 Ghim Moh Road Market & Food Centre are retiring after over 50 years in the business.

They broke the news on their Facebook page on Nov 27 “with a heavy and grateful heart”, but did not say when their last day of operations would be.

The stall was shuttered when The Straits Times went down to Ghim Moh on the morning of Nov 28.

Neighbouring stallholders said it had been closed for a month.

Customers who came down for one last plate of char kway teow were left disappointed.

“Happy retirement to them, but I really wished they had handed the business down to someone else,” said businessman David Yeo, in his 60s, who had been hoping to try the famous dish for the first time.

Mr Tan Hock Guan and his wife Madam Chang Kha Noi founded the stall in 1969 on premises currently occupied by Thye Hong Centre in Redhill. It moved to its current location in 1978.

Famed for its snaking queues, the stall caught the attention of local food writers over the years and was featured in publications such as The Sunday Times and Lianhe Zaobao.

It also managed to grow its digital presence, amassing over a thousand followers on Facebook.

The stall’s crowning moment came in 2019 when it clinched a spot on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list.

Mr Tan, now in his 80s, was dedicated to his trade.

“I want to continue cooking,” the then-70-year-old told The Straits Times in 2013 when Ghim Moh underwent a revamp.

He said then that he would see if he was still healthy after the renovations.