Singapore, September 9, 2012
View attachment 6422
If you have at least $200,000 to spare, you can consider buying the recipe for the famous Meng Kee Satay Bee Hoon stall at East Coast Park.
After 30 years of business there, the owners are calling it quits due to ill health.
Mr Ng Hiok Meng, 60, was paralysed from a fall, while older brother Mr Ng Siaw Meng, 63, has stomach cancer.
Older brother Mr Ng explained that their children have their own interests and do not wish to inherit the business, hence he wishes to sell it to someone who is sincere in suceeding it.
Shin Min Daily News reported that more than 10, including a local food group, have expressed interest in the secret recipe that has made the stall popular for so many years.
"I wasn't sure how much the recipe would be worth, but at a minimum sum of $200,000, it will be able to help me and my brother with medical fees", said Mr Ng Siaw Meng.
He told Shin Min Daily News that he once rejected a food group because they wanted him to be a 'live signboard'.
"One of their conditions was to have me appear in front of customers at various stores to let them know that this is my satay bee hoon."
He also rejected potential buyers who did not want to reveal what they intend to do with the recipe.
Mr Ng stressed that money is not as important as expanding the satay bee hoon business and bringing it overseas so that other people around the world can get a taste of local food.
"The recipe is not important - it can only tell you the type of ingredients to use and in what quantity.
"What's important is the secret behind making an effort to cook good food and promoting it," said Mr Ng.
Meng Kee Satay Bee Hoon stall won the Makansutra Hawker Legend in 2005.
This 'hawker legend' was even promoted by the Singapore Tourism Board at tourist information centres and international airports around the world.
Read full article
http://soshiok.com/article/20471
