S'pore man, 45, who publicly sought help to buy Hokkien mee for him, passes away from terminal cancer

In January 2025, an unusual post appeared in the Hokkien Mee Hunting Facebook group.

Unlike the typical stall review or recommendation, this post was a plea from a man for someone to buy and deliver to his doorstep two packets of Hokkien mee, from one of Singapore's more popular stalls.

The man, Anthony Lee, had been diagnosed with terminal cancer three years prior.

But more recently, his condition had worsened, he said.

"If I do not try the famous HKMs (Hokkien mee) then perhaps there will be not many opportunities left going ahead..." he wrote.

"I need 2 big packets, 1 with extra thin slice pork belly, the other with extra prawn. More pork lard please."

His request hit home for many.

The community of Hokkien mee lovers rallied around him, with dozens of people offering to dabao (takeaway) his favourite dish for him.

Two months later, on Mar. 26, he succumbed to his illness.

He was 45, according to Shin Min Daily News.

A community

Lee, a fan of the popular local dish, joined the Facebook group in December 2024.

In his initial posts, he lamented the lack of good Hokkien mee options available for purchase on food delivery apps.

He hoped to check off a bucket list of famous Hokkien mee options, but was limited by his condition, which would cause him "awful" pain and prevent him from leaving the house.

"I suddenly want to try over time the famous ones before I pass on," he said, matter-of-factly.

"Are there any good ones near Clementi?"

In response, members of the community offered to help buy and deliver packs of Hokkien mee from the stalls he hoped to patronise.

He replied by thanking the people who'd offered to dabao for him, and promised that he would pay for the orders.

"I will pay for both my other half and my HKM as it already great kindness and favour to help me get HKM. It is also hard for everyone to make a living," he wrote.

Lee leaves behind a wife and 11-year-old daughter, according to Shin Min.

On one occasion, he paid S$50 for the Hokkien mee delivered to his door, which was much more than the actual cost of his order, the Chinese media reported.

More requests

Over the next year or so, he would occasionally post a request for Hokkien mee in the group.

The request would be accompanied by an update on his condition.

"I apologise for this last minute HKM help request but I had a rough time since yesterday evening and bad overnight rest. I have been barely eating & I nearly could not get home after trying to celebrate my mother's birthday yesterday," he wrote in one.

"Good news is I am finally reunited with my daughter after 3 weeks despite delays, so I have a little rare appetite."

Owners of famous Hokkien mee stalls, such as 618 Hokkien Mee in Yishun, as well as Original Simon Road Hokkien Mee, also reached out to him to deliver packets of Hokkien mee.

On one occasion, an aspiring chef contacted him, asking him to try his own rendition of home-cooked Hokkien mee and refusing payment.

Warmth and kindness

The January post was his final one in the group.

It was also what sparked my curiosity about his story, as a fellow Hokkien mee fan.

Wondering if he'd managed to obtain his beloved Hokkien mee, I reached out to him.

"Hi Ilyda, yes I have collected previously and today I was fortunate enough again to experience their warmth and kindness," he replied.

But when I asked him if he'd be free for a call that day to share more about his experience with the community, he politely declined.

"Apologies but I am currently not doing well and just barely napped in days. Can we please revisit this again?"

I agreed to contact him when he felt better.

The next time I heard about him, it was in a Facebook post about his wake details.

Tributes

After his passing, several members of the community posted tributes to Lee in the group.

"This is a post to remember and celebrate the life of our fellow HKM lover Anthony who have crossed over to the other side yesterday to help us source for Great HKM," one user said.

He recalled how he got to know Lee after responding to a call for Hokkien mee, and quipped that he'd look forward to Lee's recommendations "on the other side when we meet again one fine day".

"Though I didn't get to know him long enough, I admire and salute his strength to fight on for his wife and daughter, and enjoying good food was something that kept him going."

Others also shared their condolences.

"Hope he gets to eat his fav HKM on the other side of the rainbow bridge, with gusto," one remarked.

Top image from Anthony Lee/Facebook & Google Maps