SINGAPORE, Nov 8 — Longtime pasar malam stall Teochew Meat Puff will be shuttering after 40 years in business, with its final night market appearance taking place in Sengkang this month.

In a Facebook post shared on Oct 30, Teochew Meat Puff Pte Ltd said that this might just be their last run as they are looking to retire.

It had resumed business after a one-month break and are currently operating in an open field located opposite Fernvale Primary School.

The store wrote: “For those who have yet to try our meat puff, please kindly grab one to try before we retire from pasar malam and we won’t be operating forever. So we hope to see you again soon.”

The stall also thanked customers for their continuous support the last 40 years.

Teochew Meat Puff is open from 12pm to 9.30pm daily and will be in operation till Nov 14, it said.

A family-run stall by He Ying, his wife and their son, the stall specialises in deep-fried snacks commonly known as oyster fritters.

He Qiangde (transliterated), the stall’s second-generation owner, told Shin Min Daily News on Nov 5 that the family had been contemplating the closure for the past year or two, attributing it to his parent’s age.

“My parents are getting old, my father is nearly 90 years old, and I want them to be able to rest properly. After all, they’ve been doing this for 40 years.”

He also noted that the rising costs of ingredients and rental fees also contributed to the decision, revealing that their current sales figures are more than 50 per cent lower than before the pandemic.

“Often, we barely break even. It’s not like before the pandemic, when we could actually make a profit,” he said.

With the increasing number of night markets, he shared that it’s “hard to maintain a unique appeal” and that most of the crowd already thins out by 8pm.

While he and his parents feel a deep sense of reluctance about the closure, he expressed his gratitude for the support that customers have shown over the years.

Qiangde plans to seek other employment moving forward and is also keen on selling the family recipe.

“If anyone is interested now, I am open to selling the recipe, with the condition that I must teach it personally to ensure the quality of the oyster fritters is maintained,” he told the daily. — AsiaOne