Toa Payoh yong tau foo hawker stall owner cries as stall closes after 4 generations: 'I can't bear to leave'

Hup Chong Yong Tau Fu, a beloved hawker stall in Toa Payoh, closed for good on Jan. 28 after four generations of owners helming the business.

Tang Mei Woon, one of its current owners, cried as she told Shin Min Daily News that she could not bear to leave.

But she reflected on the spare time she will have to explore Singapore, something that she did not have the luxury to do previously.

"For 24 hours from day to night, I never seemed to have the time," she said, adding, "Today is the last day. From tomorrow onwards, I will be able to walk around Singapore."

4 generations

Tang, a fourth-generation owner, also explained the stall's history.

Its name, when translated, means "to suit the people's taste", she said.

The stall was founded by her mother-in-law's paternal grandfather, who used to sell the yong tau fu out of a cart along Kallang Road.

The next generation then moved the business onto a trishaw, before Tang's mother-in-law took over the business and ran it for 40 years at its current location at Block 203 Toa Payoh North.

"She raised three generations with it," Tang said.

"For it to end in my generation, I am actually really sad about it."

She also expressed her hope that the coffee shop owner would buy over the stall and employ her as a worker instead.

Loyal customers

The stall has had its fair share of regular patrons.

Many have expressed their appreciation for the owners' dedication to their craft, which Tang said made her feel like their efforts had been worth it.

According to Shin Min, some patrons rushed down on the stall's last day to bid farewell.

One of them said he had deliberately made the trip on Jan. 28 and had been patronising the stall since "seven to eight years" ago, when he used to work in the area.

Another expressed her admiration for the authenticity of the stall's handmade ingredients that incorporated meat into the paste.

Many mourned the stall's closure, which joined more than 3,000 F&B businesses that ended that way in the past year, according to CNA.

"We will find a way to save it," one patron quipped.

The family behind the stall announced on Dec. 27, 2025 that they would shut in about a month's time in January 2026 due to rising operation costs and other financial pressures.

One of its owners, Tang Yong Da, said he was reluctant to call it a day, but made the difficult decision to cease operations in January 2026 after seeing fewer customers since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prices have also remained largely unchanged over the past 10 years, having only increased by 20 cents.

Stomp article

Hup Chong Yong Tau Foo found itself at the receiving end of a missive on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2025, after a Stomp article criticised its pricing and noting that "longevity alone does not guarantee value".

The article noted that the price of the ingredients increased from S$0.60 per piece to S$0.80 each, with "premium" pieces priced at S$1 each.

In response, the family said their matriarch and previous 80-year-old owner was "shocked and deeply saddened" after being shown the article.

A Facebook post by the stall said: "My mother is now 80 years old. She worked until her 70s before she could retire. She often told me that although she was tired and never became rich, she was proud that she could raise her children by continuing our family’s hawker legacy."

It added that the family regretted telling the elderly woman about the criticisms.

They asked rhetorically: "Is S$5 really so expensive that an editor at Stomp would publicly shame us?"

"Does rubbing salt on people’s wound makes you happy? Does tarnishing the reputation of one of the longest history serving Yong Tau Foo in Singapore makes you feel great?"

Tang later clarified in an interview with Shin Min that the stall had only increased prices by 20 cents over a decade, and that the writer of the article was even given a discount when she visited.

The overcharging accusations stung, Tang added, as she teared up in the interview.

Top images via Google Maps & Shin Min Daily News