{"id":93010,"date":"2026-10-15T02:03:01","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T18:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=93010"},"modified":"2026-10-15T02:03:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T18:03:01","slug":"elderly-hawker-90-finds-joy-in-his-singapore-stall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=93010","title":{"rendered":"Elderly hawker, 90, finds joy in his Singapore stall"},"content":{"rendered":"


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At 90 years old, Lee Song Kun happily spends his days running his noodle stall solo in Toa Payoh \u2014 even after suffering from a fall<\/a> that left him with a permanent deformity.<\/p>\n

Though he is relatively new to the coffee shop at Block 183 Toa Payoh Central, his daily routine is hard-earned, coming just months after a devastating fall at an MRT station.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Stomp, Lee held his hand up to show how the pinky finger of his right hand had bent unnaturally as a result of the accident<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He shared that he only made a full recovery after seven months, yet persevered to set up his hawker stall. He now often sees regular customers returning to enjoy his affordably-priced noodles.<\/p>\n

Started hawker life at just 17<\/h2>\n

Lee shared that growing up, he was raised without formal education<\/a>. \u201cI didn\u2019t go to school. Very early on, I dropped out,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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He began to work as a hawker at 17, selling various different kinds of dishes like mixed vegetable rice, pork ribs and prawn noodles.<\/p>\n

When asked about his previous stall, Lee said he \u201cdoesn\u2019t remember\u201d when he stopped running it as it was a \u201clong time ago\u201d.<\/p>\n

Despite the hiatus, Lee\u2019s passion for cooking never waned.<\/p>\n

With his daughter\u2019s help, he restarted his hawker business and rented the stall in Toa Payoh.<\/p>\n

Since its opening just three months ago, business has been brisk for Lee\u2019s Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle stall. Customers cite the affordability as one of the reasons for their continued support, with many of the dishes priced from just $4.<\/p>\n

Now, he insists on opening every day, starting at 7am each morning. He serves customers until 2.30pm, takes a break, then reopens from 5pm to 7pm.<\/p>\n

Lee personally prepares the ingredients and cooks every dish himself, running the stall as a one-man show with no additional help.<\/p>\n

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PHOTOS: WILBUR CHONG<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Though he moves slowly and with a slight hunch, he skillfully manages multiple orders for dishes like laksa, fishball noodles and fishball soup even during peak periods.<\/p>\n

\"Halloween<\/a><\/div>\n

He smiles cheerfully through it all, showing off decades of experience through every task.<\/p>\n

Wife\u2019s passing sparked his drive<\/h2>\n

Explaining his decision to get back to the gruelling hawker life after a long break, Lee said it was better than staying at home alone all day.<\/p>\n

He admitted to feeling listless after his wife\u2019s passing, stating that he grew increasingly lonely after the loss.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m on my own. My wife died…staying at home is gloomy,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

Instead of having a restful retirement, Lee returned to running a hawker stall to cheer himself up and give himself \u201csomething to do\u201d.<\/p>\n

Concerned about his advanced age, his daughter was not supportive of the decision at first. She was hesitant to let her elderly father run a stall on his own, worrying about his physical condition.<\/p>\n

After explaining to her that he simply didn\u2019t want to \u201cstay idle\u201d at home, she understood and ultimately agreed to support him and help rent the stall.<\/p>\n

Values happiness above all else<\/h2>\n

When asked about the current condition of his right hand, he confidently replied that it had already healed and does not affect him, despite the visible deformity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI fell down, it wasn\u2019t anything big,\u201d he said, dismissing the incident. \u201cThe injury has been around for a while. It\u2019s been over half a year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking about the state of his new hawker stall business and recent rising costs, he said that whether or not he has money does not matter to him, as he values happiness the most.<\/p>\n

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Happiness is enough. Got money, no money, all okay.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cLosing money doesn\u2019t matter. When I was younger, I lost a fortune to horse gambling,\u201d he joked.<\/p>\n

Although he has entered his 90s, he does not feel that the work is too hard or tiring \u2014 reiterating that if he did, he would have \u201cnever done it to begin with\u201d.<\/p>\n

He says he will continue running his hawker stall as long as he feels happy doing so.<\/p>\n

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\"Stomp<\/p>\n

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