Well-loved Hong Kee Porridge stall owner to retire, hopes someone will continue his legacy

SINGAPORE: The owner of Hong Kee Porridge, a hawker stall serving customers for 40 years and famous for its traditional Cantonese porridge, sashimi porridge, fish head porridge, and pork porridge, has announced he will retire soon, with no one to continue the legacy he has built. 

His hawker stall is well-known not only for its delicious food, but also because Coordinating Minister for Public Service and Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing and Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu have dined there.

Background of the porridge business

The 80-year-old owner runs the porridge stall with his wife. Originally from China, he immigrated to Singapore when he was young. In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao, the owner shared that he starts preparing to open the stall at two in the morning daily, and he cooks the porridge for four hours. He stirs the porridge in a big pot to ensure that the rice grains do not stick together. 

Now, after more than 40 years of serving good food to people and selling 200 bowls a day, he considers himself too old and has been considering retirement since last year. He hopes to find a successor to continue making traditional Cantonese porridge. Unfortunately, his two sons have no interest in inheriting the family business. Without a successor, he might have to close down the business next year permanently. 

The man admitted that there are friends who are interested in buying the stall. He said that he is willing to teach what he knows about porridge making to anyone who would buy the business. But if no one comes forward, he will return the stall to the authorities after the Lunar New Year. 

How do Singaporeans eat porridge?

In Singapore, porridge is eaten with different side dishes depending on the meal time. For breakfast, Singaporeans pair it with salted duck egg, an omelette with pickled radish or small fish, pickled cucumber, and fermented beancurd. 

For lunch and dinner, some serve porridge with braised meats like goose, duck, or pork leg. They also include steamed seafood such as fish and squid, or raw marinated crab.