Koung’s Wan Tan Mee, which was previously in Geylang, has reopened at the Block 121 Geylang East Central coffee shop.

The popular wanton mee stall's closure at the end of December 2023 was temporary as it was looking to relocate.

A mainstay in Geylang during its 57-year tenure, the stall was known for its old-school rendition of the hawker dish — with roasted char siew, springy egg noodles and handmade chilli.

Reopened on Feb. 14

Koung’s Wan Tan Mee had announced their Feb. 13, 2024 reopening date on Facebook.

But the opening day was pushed back to Feb. 14.

Its return was highly anticipated.

A long queue formed on the first day.

The stall has since put in place a number tag system for diners in line and is run by its 78-year-old owner, Koung, who first started out selling noodles in a pushcart along the streets of Geylang, before opening his own stall in 1964.

He previously told Mothership that the shophouse which houses the stall was sold, and the new owners were going to renovate the place.

Considered selling recipe

Koung had also considered retiring after closing the stall, given he and his staff are aged and facing health issues.

After the initial closing down announcement, many of his old-time customers flocked to the stall to convince him to reconsider his decision to retire, Koung also told Mothership.

He saw an upsurge of business as a result.

Alternatively, he had hoped to sell his recipes to a successor who could keep the brand alive.

He was also willing to teach new staff how to prepare the dishes.

Koung said he had rejected bids of between S$600,000 and S$800,000 for his recipe, and stated that he intends to "divide the money" among his staff if he sells it.

Koung's Wan Tan Mee was known for roasting its char siew the traditional way — in a charcoal oven on-site.

Customers also raved about the springy egg noodles, which were cooked to perfection.

Consequently, the stall has turned up on quite a number of "best wanton mee in Singapore" lists.

Top photos via Henry Tay