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Goh Chiew Huat, 67, who ran the famous Soon Li Yong Tau Foo at Bukit Merah View Market & Hawker Centre, passed away suddenly on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

Details of his passing were scant initially, but more has since been revealed.

Just returned from holiday

According to Shin Min Daily News, Goh's wife revealed that she and her husband left for Batam on Monday.

They took a short holiday and on their way back to Singapore by boat on Tuesday, Goh suddenly suffered from intestinal cramps.

Back in Singapore, the port staff called for an ambulance to send him to the hospital.

Goh's wife said her husband then underwent an operation.

But she received news of his death from the hospital at 4am on Wednesday, Feb. 22, after she returned home.

No other details about the cause of death was mentioned in the report.

Fellow hawkers and neighbours were reported as remembering Goh for being a handyman, who would help repair electrical items for them.

Background

According to Shin Min, the yong tau foo stall had only just reopened for slightly more than a month on Jan. 10.

It had remained closed for nearly three years before that due to the pandemic.

The stall's reopening brought back the long queues to the hawker centre in the dead of night.

Goh's stall is usually the only food stall operating at that hour, giving his customers full use of the hawker centre's tables and seats.

Goh has been a yong tau foo hawker for more than 40 years.

He started the business in 1981, The Sunday Times previously reported.

He used to open his stall in the morning just like other hawkers, but found it hard to wake up the next day, which led to the stall opening later and later.

He eventually started operating during the graveyard shift, with his stall famously referred to as "Midnight Yong Tau Foo" among supper-goers and foodies.

Shin Min also reported that Goh and his wife were responsible for food preparation on days the stall was open.

Goh was credited for experimenting with the food items and creating his own menu.

The soup base is made from scratch using meat and fish products, as well as yellow soy beans.

Goh and his wife took four hours a day before the stall's opening just to prepare the wide selection of food from scratch.

The stall remains open for only about three hours after midnight before the food gets sold out.

The stall was known for its pork items, such as pig skin, slabs of fatty meat, and small and large intestines, which Goh prepared by himself.

His wake is held at Block 118 Bukit Merah View.

Top photos via Shin Min Daily News & Google Maps