The clock is ticking, and the fate of this heritage eatery in Geylang remains uncertain.
Earlier this month, Taiwanese eatery Yong He Eating House announced it will close on Nov 30 if no one is willing to fork out $300,000 to either take over or invest in the business.
Specialising in Taiwanese fare such as soya bean milk, you tiao (fried doughsticks) as well as lu rou fan (braised meat rice) and omelettes, the 24-hour eatery is helmed by third-generation owner Dong Han Zhong.
The brand was brought to Singapore in 1986 by his father, after his grandfather took over the business from its founder in Taiwan in 1955.
Nearly 40 years and two relocations later, business at Yong He Eating House is a far cry from its heyday.
In fact, this supper spot may soon become a thing of the past.
When AsiaOne visited on Thursday (Nov 27) morning, the shabby unit was mostly empty with only two staff members manning the eatery.
By evening, business started to pick up as customers streamed in, occupying the majority of the seats and enlivening the atmosphere.
After hearing that the eatery might close soon, some of them dropped by the eatery to taste the dishes for what may be the last time.
Lawrence Lee, 45, told AsiaOne that he used to be a regular customer when Yong He Eating House was at its former location but he hasn’t visited since they relocated to 458 Geylang Road 10 years ago.
“They’re going to close for good, so I came,” said the car dealer. “It’s a bit sad, but no choice. With the economy, they can’t sustain (the business).”
‘Standard dropped so much’
In the early days when Han Zhong’s father was head chef, the eatery serving freshly made food enjoyed brisk business.
Years down the road, however, many customers started to complain about the drop in food quality and how the items were overpriced.
“Mee sua tastes weird. Beancurd not silky. Only the tea egg is decent and the soya bean drink. Sad to see this old-school soya bean place standard drop so much,” one wrote in a Google review.
Another said on Facebook: “Ever since their standards dropped and items became over-priced, I stopped patronising them.”
When asked about customer feedback, Han Zhong, 46, told AsiaOne that he is aware of these sentiments. Surprisingly, he agrees with them.
