Yet another hawker stall is calling it a day as Eva’s Pancake announced its closure after six years, with its last day slated for Feb 16.
“Thank you for walking this journey with us over the past six years, for your support, encouragement, and every pancake you chose to share with us,” the stall wrote in a Facebook post on Feb 3.
Located in Geylang East Market and Food Centre, Eva’s Pancake is known for selling affordable min jiang kueh with generous fillings at prices as low as $1.20.
Some popular flavours include peanut, red bean and coconut, all priced at $1.20. Pancakes with two fillings, such as peanut and peanut butter, or peanut and chocolate, are priced at $1.50.
Behind the stall is 33-year-old Eva Lee, a former accountant from Johor.
At 27, she started the business at a hawker kiosk in Toa Payoh after participating in the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) incubation stall programme in 2020. She moved to the stall’s current location after the lease was up.
Speaking to AsiaOne on Wednesday (Feb 11), Eva said that she decided to hang up the apron when she realised that running the stall was taking a toll on her health.
She started developing varicose veins, chronic numbness in her hands, as well as various back pains.
“The stall closure was not a sudden decision. Over a period of time, the physical strain, long working hours, coupled with returns that weren’t proportional to the effort I’ve put in, made me think hard about my health and future,” said the 33-year-old.
“I felt like it was time to stop and give myself the opportunity to go in a different direction.”
As some hawkers raised prices to cope with the rising business costs, Eva shared why she didn’t do so.
“There are a lot of senior citizens in the area, so $1.20 is very reasonable,” she said.
While her family had encouraged her to raise the prices of menu items that required more effort to make — such as the crispy pancake — she decided against it as she’d “feel guilty”.
Following the closure announcement, many customers have expressed their reluctance to part with the stall — a feeling that she shared.
“My regular customers were disappointed, and I can’t bear to part with them either. But they also hope that I can have a better life and future,” Eva told AsiaOne.
“These reactions made me realise that all the hard work I’ve put in over the years was meaningful.”
According to Eva, many regular customers returned to show their support, with some even making a special trip to the stall just to tell her “thank you” and “you can do it”.
One customer also sent her a message encouraging her to do whatever makes her happy.
“I’m very touched. They’re not just customers anymore, I feel like they’ve become a silent support system,” she said.
‘Not just a stall’
Eva shared that the most challenging part about running the stall was the physical exhaustion and time commitment — she barely had any time or space to rest on a working day. Over time, it became a burden on her physical and mental health.
Despite this, she has no regrets.
“Eva’s Pancake is not just a stall, it represents the most important period of my life,” she said.
Running the stall taught her resilience, responsibility, better communication skills, and gave her the chance to interact with people from all walks of life.
“I can’t bear to part with it, but I’m thankful that the journey, while difficult, shaped me into who I am today, and allowed me to have a clearer idea of what I want to do next,” she said.
Eva is currently taking a part-time course in early childhood education, and hopes to transition into the industry following Eva’s Pancake’s closure.
“I am fond of children, and wish to understand them better, as well as watch them grow and improve day by day,” she said.
“I hope I can achieve small accomplishments and a greater sense of fulfilment in the industry.”
Boom in popularity
Eva’s stall first drew attention in 2022 from a positive review on Facebook group Can Eat! Hawker Food, when a local foodie, who goes by Andrew Tang, chanced upon it while hunting for a specific noodle stall at Toa Payoh Lorong 4.
“Easily the best pancake I have ever come across!” he wrote.
What followed was a number of netizens heading down to Eva’s Pancake to try the min jiang kueh for themselves.
The young hawker then dropped Andrew a text, expressing her gratitude, attributing the stall’s fast business to the shoutout.
Address: 117 Aljunied Avenue 2, #01-61, Singapore 380117
Opening hours: 6.30am to 1.30pm daily, closed on Wednesdays
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carol.ong@asiaone.com
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