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Ma Li Ya Virgin Chicken hawker in Chinatown retiring, selling recipe for S$138,000

She hopes to find a successor.

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February 03, 2025, 02:45 PM

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Ma Li Ya Virgin Chicken, a soy sauce chicken rice stall in Chinatown, is closing after 35 years, as its 75-year-old owner is planning on retiring.

Besides the search for a successor, she is willing to sell her recipe for S$138,000.

Recipe developed in 1926

Xiao Peiying (transliteration) told Lianhe Zaobao that she has run her stall at Chinatown Complex and Food Centre since 2011.

Xiao had initially set up the stall in the Chinatown area in 1989, selling soy sauce chicken cooked in three different ways.

She said the recipe was first developed in 1926 by her father at a teahouse in Singapore, adding that she learnt it from him when she was nine years old.

The name of the stall, Ma Li Ya, or "Maria", is Xiao's English name.

In 2001, after the government seized the land her stall was on, Xiao decided to take a break for 10 years.

She reopened in 2011.

Former customers flocked to the stall for its signature soy sauce chicken rice and braised tofu, said Xiao.

Owner retiring due to old age

In January, Xiao decided that she would be closing her stall, due to a decline in business and her old age.

"The work hours are long, and I can't do it any more. My children work as teachers, and aren't willing to take over the business. I just hope to find a suitable buyer for my recipe so I can retire in peace," she told Zaobao.

In 2018, Xiao had tried selling her recipe for S$680,000.

"This a traditional recipe painstakingly developed by my father and me, and has yet to be passed down. I hope to find a successor who will keep this skill alive," Xiao said.

But as there have been no takers, Xiao has reduced her asking price to S$138,000 over the years.

Hopes to find successor

Xiao revealed that a Chinese businessman previously made a S$500,000 bid for her recipe, but she declined his offer as he intended to hire someone else to run the stall.

She emphasised that she is looking for an interested buyer who will personally helm the business.

"They must have cooking experience, and I will personally train them for a month till they have mastered the recipe," said Xiao.

Xiao added that she has not ruled out selling the recipe to restaurant chains, as long as they send down a chef for training.

Xiao plans to retire after the Lunar New Year, and the stall's last day will be on Feb. 12.

She hopes to find a buyer for the recipe before then.

Top image from Lianhe Zaobao

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