Authentic Mun Chee Kee King of Pig's Organ Soup in Jalan Besar to close on Feb. 28, sales fell 35% after moving

Authentic Mun Chee Kee King of Pig's Organ Soup will be closing on Feb. 28 due to an approximately 35 per cent dip in sales after it relocated in April 2024.

The eatery's founder and owner David Tan told Shin Min Daily News that he was unsure of the reason behind the sales plunge.

"Costs also kept rising, and so I gradually felt that it was probably time to let go, and use the time to do something else instead," the 60-year-old said.

Set up in 2011, the stall had grown its business for about 13 years in a shophouse at 207 Jalan Besar.

Then in 2024, Tan had to vacate the space after inspections by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) found that its foundation was damaged and needed repairs.

Although the new location at 65 Maude Road was just about a four minutes' walk away from the original space, Tan said business took a turn for the worse.

Made arrangements for staff

Noting that many of his staff have worked with him for over 10 years, Tan has made arrangements for their employment after the stall's closure.

He will hire some of them at other hawker stalls he runs, while a few of the foreign workers he employed will return home, he said.

He also expressed gratitude to the customers who have supported him, including taxi drivers who would drop by for a meal in the early hours of the day.

The store opens from 10:30am to 3:30am daily.

How it gained popularity

Looking back at the history of his eatery, Tan said he was also grateful to the renowned Hong Kong food critic Chua Lam for drawing public attention to it in 2014.

Back then, Chua sparked controversy by calling Singapore’s Teochew-style pig's organ soup not "authentic".

Tan responded by challenging him to visit his stall and try his take on the dish, and Chua agreed.

But after taking only two bites, Chua pronounced Tan's pig's organ soup not authentic as well, saying it lacked pig's blood and sufficient pig's organs to be the real deal.

Tan argued at the time that pig's blood was difficult to buy, while pig's organs did not appeal to many young people.

Despite not satisfying Chua, this incident put the store on the radar of more people.

"Although we did not earn his approval, [the incident] made more local diners aware about us and enjoy our food," Tan told Shin Min.

The future

After Authentic Mun Chee Kee King of Pig's Organ Soup closes, Ocean Curry Fish Head will be taking over its space.

Currently located in Toa Payoh, the stall will start operations at 65 Maude Road around the middle of March.

The boss, who is a friend of Tan's, made the decision after hearing that Tan was closing his stall two months before.

He felt that it was a good location because there were no other curry fish head eateries nearby.

The Feb. 28 closure might not be the end of Authentic Mun Chee Kee King of Pig's Organ Soup though.

Tan said that anyone who was interested in continue the legacy of his stall can contact him.

As for Tan himself, he shared plans to travel the world after leaving the stall, including a road trip around South America in July.

Top image via Shin Min Daily News