One of S'pore's oldest curry fish head places closed last week as it can't get enough Singaporean workers to fill MOM quota.
Singapore, November 5, 2012
The last curry fish head had been served and the last customer had paid and left.
At 1.45pm on Wednesday, Soon Heng Restaurant at Kinta Road - one of the oldest curry fish head restaurants in Singapore - pulled down its shutters for good, after 36 years.
Its owners, Mr Hoong Khai Chew, 49, and his wife, Madam Ong, said they can no longer find the manpower to serve their trademark curry fish head.
Madam Ong told The New Paper that the restaurant had a problem finding enough Singaporeans to fill the required Singaporean-to-foreigner quota: "Singaporeans tend to stay away from the F&B industry.
They don't like to work on Sundays and public holidays, and do not like to be put on probation.
"We have placed advertisements as well as contacted job fairs, and the Yellow Ribbon Project, but few would approach us directly."
Their three children, aged 17, 18 and 19, would help out as much as they could but none of them has expressed interest in taking over the business.
In June, the couple closed their Prinsep Street branch, Soon Heng @ Hyde Park Cafe.
When The New Paper visited the Kinta Road outlet at lunch-time yesterday, the place was abuzz with customers, mostly office workers.
Mr W P Lee, an accounts department clerk, had been a customer of Soon Heng for more than 10 years, and likes it for a practical reason - it is near his workplace.
"After today, no more. No more curry fish head. Nowhere else to go," he jokingly said. He dined there about once a week with his colleagues.
Soon Heng was set up at Kinta Road by Mr Hoong's father, Mr Hoong Ah Kong, in the 1970s.
Starting out at the bottom under his father's guidance, Mr Hoong then learnt the trade and took over the business in 1986.
13-hour shifts
As the main cook, he would be the first to arrive at his shop and usually the last one to leave, pulling 13-hour shifts.
Mr Hoong would also usually leave home by 6am to get ingredients from a market in Bedok.
Following his father's instructions, he insisted on using only fresh fish heads daily.
For now, Mr Hoong and his wife Madam Ong plan to take a break.
But they may consider re-opening their restaurant as a partnership in the future, if there are interested parties.
If someone or company can provide a solution to the issue of manpower, Mr Hoong and his wife said they are willing to chip in with the recipe.
The couple is also open to the idea of publishing a Soon Heng cookbook.
Mr Prem Sharma, a manager at a printing company, said that he had known Mr Hoong for about 36 years, since 1976, when the senior Mr Hoong's first stall was still operating at Selegie Road.
"The unique thing about Soon Heng is that they have items that cannot be found in Indian curry fish head restaurants, such as the chap chye (mixed vegetables)and the sambal prawns."
His daughter Anita, who was dining with him at the restaurant on Wednesday, said her father had told her of the impending closure. She then decided to visit it one last time as she had just returned from a overseas trip.
She said: "As a manager at a company, I can understand the problems they are facing, as it is hard to get a hold of dedicated and good workers."
As The New Paper chatted with Mr Hoong and Madam Ong yesterday afternoon, workers went in and out, removing various kitchen equipment such as the storage cooler used for the drinks, as those were rented.
They had an early end to the day, as Mr Hoong had cooked all the fish heads that he had at the shop. Some customers went away disappointed.
Mr KF Seetoh of Makansutra said the closure was regrettable.
"They are one of the few decently respectable Chinese curry fish head places around. It's too bad there's no instituted continuity in this field (referring to the news that Mr Hoong's children had no interest in inheriting the business)."
Well-known food blogger Dr Leslie Tay, 43, of ieatishootipost.sg, expressed surprise when told about the closure.
"I called them a couple of months ago, when they closed their Prinsep street outlet. They said everything was fine."
HISTORY
Founder Hoong Ah Kong was born in a Fujian village in 1927. He emigrated to Singapore in 1936.
Became an assistant at a coffee shop in Selegie Road, run by a Hainanese man selling chapati and curry.
Took over the coffee shop in 1951 when the man retired. Named the coffee shop Chin Wah Heng.
Decided to start experimenting how to cook fish head curry in 1962.
1970s: Gained popularity.
1975: Mr Hoong's son, Khai Chew, began learning the skills from his father.
1975: Kinta Road's Soon Heng Restaurant set up.
1980s: Soon Heng Cafe at Prinsep Street opened.
Khai Chew officially takes over the running of the business at Kinta Road in 1986. His father stayed on to keep an eye on things.
June 2012: Prinsep Street outlet closed.
Oct 31, 2012: Soon Heng outlet at Kinta Road closed.
