SINGAPORE, Nov 1 — Looi San Cheng, the beloved founder of the iconic Tip Top Curry Puff, has died from a heart attack at the age of 80 after a long battle with chronic health issues.
In a report today in The Straits Times, which quoted Shin Min Daily News, Looi suffered the heart attack at home on October 28.
His daughter, Liang Huiping, 48, shared during his wake on October 30 that her father had long battled chronic health issues, including high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
“He didn’t like to trouble other people, so he didn’t tell us he was unwell,” she was quoted as saying.
“His death was very sudden for us.”
Originally from Tanjung Balai on Indonesia’s Karimun Island, Looi was the third of eight siblings.
Before entering the food and beverage industry, he worked as an electrician and contractor.
“Maybe this was influenced by my grandfather, as we are Hainanese and my grandfather used to run a coffee shop,” Liang explained. “My father liked to eat and was very good at cooking Western food.”
In 1976, Looi launched his curry puff venture from a bakery in Marine Parade.
Just three years later, due to the overwhelming popularity of his pastries, he opened a stall in Ang Mo Kio at Block 722.
“Curry puffs were not common at that time, with customers mistaking doughnuts for curry puffs,” he recounted in a 2006 interview.
“I felt this business should be viable, so I started selling curry puffs.”
His unique recipe, which combined fresh Dutch potatoes with a blend of 18 herbs and spices, and special Indonesian curry powder, distinguished his curry puffs in the local market, according to a 2004 report in The Straits Times.
The success of Tip Top Curry Puff gained national recognition when then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong cited the brand in his 2006 National Day Rally speech, highlighting its efforts to expand internationally with outlets in Harbin and Shenyang in China.
Looi’s wake is being held at the Singapore Funeral Parlour in Tampines, with the funeral scheduled for November 2.
