I will share the story of Janggut Laksa. Please correct me if this wrong.
It was situated at 49 East Coast Road in the 1980s and 1990s. It was run by 2 of Janggut's nephews. They were the only ones there. No competition. The bowl was small and naturally the serving was small and had few ingredients but the gravy was good and thick. As it was cut short thick bee hoon noodles which Janggut invented as his signature in the 1940s, you needed a small spoon. I remember it was called "Marine Parade Laksa" but everyone called it Janggut in memory of the old man. These nephews were real arseholes, no service, no smile, just scoop and thats it. I remember it was expensive and easy money.
To supplement the small servings, the big eaters would order 2 bowls. However most people would go next door to 47 and buy the Otak Otak which was good which they ate with the laksa. It then became fashionable to eat Janggut's Laksa with the next door Otak Otak
One day, a lady started a Laksa stall next door at No. 47. The surprise was that she got the gravy right, and it was twice the size and and had more ingredient. Soon the people abandoned the Jangguts and went next door. I remember crowd forming next door and No. 49 became quite empty. The arseholes then shut down the business as the landlord told them to move on. They however claim that the rental shot up.
True to form of JR from Dynasty and the Game of Thrones, the landlord at No. 47 saw the roaring trade that his new lady tenant had and decided to be greedy. He basically jacked her rental sky high that she had to give up. The Landlord then got his wife to run the stall but it was an utter disaster, no taste and no standard.
The lady who was kicked out moved across Ceylon Road to the opposite coffeeshop which is now has Laksa 328. I am not sure if it is same lady running it but over one year even the standard dropped and now really bad.
The 2 arsehole nephews built up courage and after 2 years got a small space at 57 East Coast Road and on their signboard had "Original Laksa" on it. But their attitudes and slightly bigger portion did not draw the crowd and they closed down again. The good news is that one of their daughter opened up at Queensway and restored the standard that Janggut made famous.
Roxy Laksa across the street was run by a different family from the early years and but they maintained their standard. I heard that they moved to East Coast Lagoon and now run by the son and his wife. Not sure how the standard is .
Janggut @ Roxy Sq, first floor