Even in a city where new, trendy restaurants mushroom up every day and we are spoiled for choice when it comes to world cuisines, there are some places that will always hold a special place in our hearts—the nostalgic restaurants our parents brought us to as children to celebrate important family occasions, a grandparent’s birthday, Lunar New Year.
We meet the families behind three such restaurants whose reins and time-honoured recipes have been handed down from generation to generation, preserving the taste of local heritage cuisine.
The man behind Good Chance Popiah is larger-than-life 98-year-old Hor Chim Or who incidentally, published a memoir in March this year chronicling his life as a former Singapore national basketball player, pioneer Peking opera singer and restaurateur.
(Left Pic: Founder Hor Chim Or, 98, with his grandson Boon Kaichun)
Hor went into the restaurant business in 1977 when he and his wife started selling popiah using his mother's recipe. Today, there are two restaurants - one in Jalan Besar, the other in Jalan Bukit Merah - which are managed by his grandchildren.
Sprightly at 98, Hor is still an active figure in the business, even personally going down to run the restaurant’s booth at the Fiesta On A Great Street festival in April.
There is no secret to a good popiah, says third-generation owner and Hor’s grandson Boon Kaichun.
40 years and three generations later, the taste of Good Chance’s popiah has remained unchanged from the time that his great-grandmother made it in the Fujian province of China. “I learnt every step from my grandfather. Everyone knows what goes into popiah, but not many realize that every step of preparation is a skill unto itself, from frying the beancurd to getting the texture of the vegetables just right,” says Boon.
Not satisfied with mastering the basics, Boon has since then also introduced new ingredients that reflect the changing times and tastes of young people today like XO Chinese sausage, prawns and crab meat.
The story of Keng Eng Kee Seafood begins in the 1950s, when a young Hainanese couple Low Peck Yah and Koh Yok Jong arrived on the shores of post-war Singapore. Armed with nothing but their culinary skills and steely determination to carve out a new life together, they set up a stall on Old Havelock Road, dishing out authentic Hainanese chicken rice to the local community.
In the 1970s, they opened another stall on the same road selling zi char, and left the running of the new stall to their eldest daughter Koh Liang Hong and their employed chef, Liew Choy. As business grew, so did their affections for one another and eventually, they got married.
The second and third generation owners of Keng Eng Kee
Today, the kitchen is helmed by the couple’s younger son, Wayne Liew, 30, who began his foray into cooking at the age of 19. He says: “Although all the kids in our family grew up helping out in the kitchen, it was very challenging actually learning how to cook the restaurant’s dishes. I was also very young at that time and it was difficult to get the affirmation of the more senior cooks there.”
Images from Keng Eng Kee’s original stall at Havelock Road
Wayne was 26 when he took over as head chef and even as he preserves his family’s recipes, he is constantly looking to innovate and adapt to the tastes of the younger generation today. “People these days pay more attention to health so I have had to change some of my cooking techniques to reduce oil and salt. I also get inspired when I travel and created new dishes like the Coffee Pork Burger,” he says. And Wayne’s efforts have certainly paid off after being recommended in Singapore’s Michelin Guide for two years running.
Keng Eng Kee is still a family business through and through, and the front of house is currently run by eldest son and operations manager Paul Liew, 35 (top row far right) and their sister and manager Geraldine Liew, pictured here together with their parents.
Wayne says: “We are very fortunate to be able to run this restaurant as a third-generation family business, for this we are thankful to our regulars who have patronized us over the years.”
Mention Kim’s Place and anyone in their fifties would probably recall legendary “Hokkien Mee Master” Tan Kue Kim frying up his signature dish in a long sleeve shirt and Rolex watch. He in turn, learnt his skills from an older cousin in the 1960s before setting up his own stall at Changi Road in 1971.
In 1984, he expanded his business beyond Hokkien Mee, introducing dishes like Sambal Kang Kong, Black Pepper Crab and Spicy Bean Sauce Steamed Tilapia to his zi char stall. In 1988, his son Tan Hock Yong began helping out in the kitchen and learning the tools of the trade as business took off.
Kim's Place has more than 40 years of history
Then only 17 years old, Hock Yong recalls how physically tough the work was in the kitchen. He would be frying up about 7 kilogrammes of noodles at any one time. “The worst part is that you were frying the noodles right in front of the customers. I was always afraid of making mistakes, or being compared to my father. It was a steep learning curve but the practice was so intense, I picked up the skill in a very short time,” he says. “My father was also very encouraging, and this gave me more confidence.”
Kim’s Place founder Tan Kue Kim (left) and his son Tan Hock Yong.
Because of his experience, when his own son Bryan Tan wanted to step up to the plate, Hock Yong decided to let him start at the front of house rather than the kitchen. “I didn’t want to scare him away,” he jokes. The real reason though, was that he felt that his son would understand the cooking better after getting to know the customers.
The three generations of Kim’s Place
With Hock Yong at the helm, the business grew rapidly and in 2003, the restaurant moved to a larger premise at Joo Chiat Place and he further opened another five branches in the heartlands including Tampines and Serangoon, with plans for expansion to the west of Singapore.
This article was written by Tang Jie and translated by Rachel Tan. Click here to read the original version of this story.
Fragrant rice, tender chicken, and bold dipping sauce—Thai chicken rice is a must-try classic. We take you through its origins and MICHELIN-approved spots for this iconic dish.
Claypot cooking in Malaysia and Singapore is a soulful, slow-burn art, where earthy claypots cradle fragrant rice, tender meats, and rich broths, allowing flavours to meld into something deeply comforting. The gentle heat from the clay intensifies the ingredients, creating a meal that's both humble and extraordinary, steeped in tradition and warmth.
Six new restaurants join the MICHELIN Guide Singapore selection this November 2024, featuring a mix of dining formats and cuisine types — a vegetarian omakase, upscale casual eateries, fuss-free joints, and the ever-reliable hawker fare. Check them out.
Aside from championing imaginative, vegetable-forward desserts, the chef-owner of two-MICHELIN-Starred Cloudstreet pushes for more than just one kind of sustainability in the kitchen.
In a world where conscious eating is becoming the norm, Singapore's vibrant food scene is embracing the “eat less meat” mantra, offering an array of innovative vegetable-forward dishes. From Bib Gourmand-rated restaurants to beloved hawker stalls, diners can enjoy a rich tapestry of flavours that not only cater to health and environmental concerns but also celebrate the joy of eating well.
‘Tis the season for Chinese mitten crabs, better known as hairy crabs. For flesh sweet and succulent and roe most luscious, head to these MICHELIN restaurants in Singapore.
Singapore’s ever-evolving drinking scene is packed with new spots, but the city's iconic hotel bars still reign supreme, offering both polished charm and rich history. Here are the MICHELIN Guide's must-visit hotel bars in the Lion City.
Yong Tau Foo is a popular dish in Singapore and Malaysia, where diners select an array of tofu, vegetables, and meat or seafood items, which are then boiled or fried and served in a light broth or with a savoury sauce. It's a customisable, comforting meal that reflects the region's Chinese Hakka roots and love for fresh, balanced flavours.
Nasi Padang is the much-loved contribution of the Minangkabau, or Minang, people of West Sumatra, Indonesia, to the Malay culinary world. An irresistible mini-banquet of rice served alongside a mouthwatering spread of richly spiced dishes, a Nasi Padang meal is a veritable smorgasbord of differing flavours and textures, and a feast for the senses.
For authentic hawker food at a prime location in the heart of town, these two hawker centres can’t be beaten — and they’ve got the crowds of office workers and tourists alike to prove it.
Zi char is a popular Singaporean and Malaysian dining style, where casual, family-run eateries serve a wide variety of home-style Chinese dishes, often cooked to order and meant for sharing. We delve deeper into this cooking style, trace its roots, and observe its evolution.
Char Koay Teow, a beloved street food staple in both Malaysia and Singapore, is a dish that speaks of heritage and heart. Stir-fried over intense heat, it marries silky flat rice noodles with an intoxicating blend of ingredients and sauces that differ where you go. Today, we break down Char Koay Teow in Malaysia and in Singapore.
