Running a business is no easy feat these days, especially at a time where operational and food costs are soaring exponentially.
A yong tau foo stall in Toa Payoh, Singapore, recently expressed sadness and outrage over an article which gave a scathing review of its offerings, where the owners felt they were unfairly criticised over their pricings.
What the article wrote
The aforementioned article, which was published on the news website Stomp on Dec 24, began on a rather sharp note, with the author noting that “longevity alone does not guarantee value — and perhaps not every closure deserves nostalgia.”
The author then went on to note that the four-decades-old stall, Hup Chong Yong Tau Foo, had increased its ingredients’ price from S$0.60 (approx. RM1.90) per piece to S$0.80 (approx. RM2.50) each, with “premium” pieces priced at S$1 (approx. RM3.15) each.
In addition, customers must order a minimum of five pieces amounting to S$4 (approx. RM12.60), with noodles costing an additional S$1, bringing the total to S$5 (approx. RM1.80) per serving.
Throughout the Stomp article, the author went all blazing in slamming Hup Chong, saying that it sold cheap vegetables which can be bought at the supermarket, processed items, and “fried food soaked in oil”.
The author also said she used to be a regular in 2023 but stopped patronising after experiencing “a bill shock”.
She revealed that she paid a total of S$9.20 (approx. RM29) for her meal — a figure that came as no surprise to her.
Stall clarifies order
In response to the article, Hup Chong shared on its Facebook page that the Stomp author had actually ordered 10 items, including kuey teow and bean sprouts.
After adding up eight items priced at S$0.80 each, two items priced at S$1 each, and the S$1 kuey teow, the meal cost S$9.40 (approx. RM29.60) in total.
However, S$0.20 was waived off and the author was given free bean sprouts, with the stall sarcastically noting it was done “as a gesture of appreciation for writing such a long article.”
‘Worst Christmas ever’
Unfortunately, the scathing article left a bitter taste in the stall’s owners’ mouth, with one of them breaking down in tears over it.
In an interview with Shin Min Daily News, one of the owners Lu Meiwen (transliteration) said many of her stall’s items are handmade.
She added that the stall often got creative with its ingredients in order to give customers a “unique experience”, such as adding cheese to luncheon meat.
Lu tearfully said that although she spent 10 years of her life running the stall and providing good food and service, the article made her feel that her past efforts had gone down the drain.
The stall also expressed similar sentiments in a separate post, where it called out the Stomp author for unfairly painting it in a negative light.
Our family was deeply hurt by an article published on Stomp. It turned what should have been a Merry Christmas to the worst Christmas ever in our life.
“For generations, my family has made an honest living serving the community through handmade Hakka Yong Tau Foo. My mother is now 80 years old. She worked until her 70s before she could retire.
“She often told me that although she was tired and never became rich, she was proud that she could raise her children by continuing our family’s hawker legacy,” the post read.
It also said that the family regretted letting their mother know about the article as it left her “shocked and deeply saddened.”
Urged for sympathy towards hawkers
The stall also accused the article author of public shaming, saying that it was akin to rubbing salt to one’s wounds.
“Is $5 really so expensive that an editor at Stomp would publicly shame us? Does tarnishing the reputation of one of the longest history serving Yong Tau Foo in Singapore makes you feel great?”
While acknowledging a difference in views and opinions, the stall called upon the public to be understanding of the struggles faced by hawkers.
“We are not asking for sympathy. We are only hoping that the public can understand how difficult it is to survive during this environment.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years. Your kindness has meant more to us than you may realise,” it wrote.
Hup Chong will be closing for good in January 2026.
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