After over 30 years of whipping up oyster omelette and fried kway teow, the elderly couple behind this popular hawker stall in Hougang will be hanging up their aprons soon.
Ong Lim Chong, 70, and his wife Lim Suan Eng will be retiring by the end of the year, but they’re on the lookout for a successor.
At Hougang Oyster Omelette & Fried Kway Teow, Lim Chong and Suan Eng specialise in preparing oyster omelette and char kway teow respectively, serving up 200 plates daily, 8world reported on Monday (Sept 28).
According to online reviews, their oyster omelette is fragrant, crispy and comes with plump oysters while their fried kway teow comes a tinge of wok hei and well-balanced flavours. Both dishes pair well with their homemade chilli sauce.
The couple also accommodate customers’ preferences on their orders.
Their stall has one of the highest ratings for oyster omelette on Google review, earning 4.3 out of 5 stars across over 1,000 reviews. Photos show long queues even before the stall opens for the day.
As their children are grown and have expressed no interest in taking the helm, the couple said that they’re looking for a successor to impart their culinary skills and secret recipe.
The self-taught couple got their start selling oyster omelette at night markets, later moving their stall to coffee shops in Hougang.
An oyster omelette fan himself, Lim Chong was patronising different stalls selling the dish even before the couple started their own business.
“When we started the stall, I was still learning. Just cook anyhow,” Suan Eng told Time Out Singapore in an 2018 interview.
Over the years, they refined their recipes through trial and error, as well as through taking in customer feedback.
When asked what made their dishes so tasty, Suan Eng revealed that mastering heat control is the key, while her husband quipped: “We also have secret ingredients”.
But age is catching up on Lim Chong who has sustained injuries from decades of cooking.
He has undergone surgery on his left hand and will be doing the same on his right hand soon, he told 8World.
“If I didn’t have to go for surgery, I’d continue cooking.”
While the couple started the business to earn a living, many customers have become the couple’s friends over the years.
“When the stall is closed, they’d ask after our health. They’re lovely people,” Suan Eng told 8world.
After slaving over the hot stove for half their lives, however, it’s time for them to pass on the mantle and retire.
“We haven’t been out of the country for the past 10 years, we’d like to travel the world.”
Address: 435A Hougang Ave 8, Singapore 531435
Opening hours: Wed-Sun, 11am to 5.30pm (or till sold out)
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