The former owner of 163 Ikan Bakar BBQ, Chua Leong Quay, also fondly known as Uncle Chua, has died aged 70 on Aug 23.
His passing was announced in a Facebook post by the now-shuttered stall on Monday (Aug 24).
“Following our stall’s closure on May 10, 2026, we wanted to take a moment to update our community and share that Uncle Chua has passed away peacefully,” it wrote while thanking customers.
“Serving this community and cooking for you over the years brought Uncle Chua immense pride and joy.”
Uncle Chua’s wake took place from Aug 24 to Aug 27 at Senja Road.
While he had been on medication since suffering from heart problems decades ago, the former hawker’s health condition had generally been stable over the years, his wife told Shin Min Daily News at the wake on Wednesday.
Following the closure of 163 Ikan Bakar BBQ in May, Uncle Chua had begun helping out at a pasar malam stall in Sembawang selling chicken cutlets.
He had intended to work there only until the end of August — something that he told his wife just a day before his passing.
On Aug 23, he was supposed to head to work but had yet to wake up by 10am. His wife did not think much of it and switched off the air-conditioning in the room.
It was only when she returned to ask him what he wanted for lunch in the afternoon when she realise that his body had went cold, she told the Chinese daily.
Just a week before his death, Uncle Chua had asked about the ikan bakar (grilled fish) stall, saying that he “missed it very much”, his wife shared.
“Many people called to ask about it too, and we did want to reopen the stall, it’s a pity the opportunity is gone,” she told Shin Min Daily News.
163 Ikan Bakar BBQ’s story first started in Clementi in 1989, after Uncle Chua picked up skills for the trade from relatives in the 1980s.
In 2004, they moved the stall to its current location at Gangsa Road, where it operated until its closure in May due to rising costs.
“Today marks the end of our 22-year journey,” the stall wrote in a Facebook post on May 10, while thanking customers for their support and patronage over the years.
“What started as a humble food stall became a big part of our lives because of all of you.”
The closure announcement quickly drew reactions from fans, with several taking to the comments section to express their disappointment.
“It was my must-go place. So sad that it has closed,” one netizen wrote, while another said: “The best ikan bakar in Bukit Panjang. What a pity.”
According to Uncle Chua’s wife, the couple had looked for coffee shops in the Clementi area in hopes of reopening the stall where they first started the business, but there were no vacancies at the time.
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carol.ong@asiaone.com
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