The family behind a yong tau foo stall in Toa Payoh, which has been in business for four decades, have spoken out.
This was after an online article criticised the business and left the 80-year-old hawker, who established the stall, “shocked and deeply saddened”, just weeks before operations are set to cease.
Facebook post on Stomp article
In a post on Friday, Dec. 26, the family of Hup Chong Yong Tau Foo, located at Block 203 Toa Payoh North, said an article published by Stomp had turned what should have been a “Merry Christmas” into “the worst Christmas ever in our life”.
The stall is expected to shut in about a month’s time in January 2026 due to rising operating costs and other financial pressures, the family told Shin Min Daily News on Dec. 27.
The current owner, Tang Yong Da, said he was reluctant to call it a day, but made the difficult decision to cease operations in January 2026 after seeing fewer customers since the Covid-19 pandemic.
In another interview with Lu Meiwen (transliteration), one of the stall’s other owner, she said the stall has only increased prices by 20 cents over the past 10 years.
The business has also tried to keep things fresh by innovating, such as using homemade fish paste and meat in products.
One dish that was offered was cheese in luncheon meat, which was supposed to provide diners with something not offered elsewhere.
The overcharging accusations stung, Lu added, as she teared up in the interview.
Article criticised stall’s pricing
Screenshot via Stomp
The Stomp article, published on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24), took issue with the stall’s pricing, noting that ‘longevity alone does not guarantee value’.
The article noted that the price of the ingredients increased from S$0.60 per piece to S$0.80 each, with “premium” pieces priced at S$1 each.
Hup Chong Yong Tau Foo lists prices of its handmade Hakka yong tau foo at S$0.80 per piece, including its signature items priced at S$1 each.
By Shin Min Daily News
Customers are required to order a minimum of five pieces (S$4), with noodles costing an additional S$1, bringing the total to S$5 per serving.
Responding to the criticism, the family questioned whether the price justified what they described as public shaming.
They wrote:
“Is S$5 really so expensive that an editor at Stomp would publicly shame us?”
In the latest interview with Lu, she revealed that the eventual price paid was not even S$11 as the stall offered a 20 cents discount per item and the customer was charged S$9.20 eventually.
The article noted that the customer was “not shocked” by the price, even though her family and colleagues were.
“I regret telling her about the article”
The family said the article had caused particular distress to their hawker mother, who had devoted most of her life to running the stall.
“My mother is now 80 years old. She worked until her 70s before she could retire,” the post read.
“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 added.
They added that they regretted telling her about the Stomp article: “She was shocked and deeply saddened.”
Article crossed a line
While acknowledging that customers may have differing views and experiences, the family said the tone of the article crossed a line, especially for a hawker stall that is already about to close.
The post asked:
“Does rubbing salt on people’s wound makes you happy? Does tarnishing the reputation of one of the longest history serving Yong Tau Foo in Singapore makes you feel great?”
They added that the experience reflected the wider struggles faced by hawkers today.
“This is the reality many hawkers face,” the family said.
“We are not asking for sympathy. We are only hoping that the public can understand how difficult it is to survive during this environment,” it was added.
As the stall prepares to close at the end of January 2026, the family ended the post by thanking customers who have supported them over the decades.
“Your kindness has meant more to us than you may realise.”
F&B businesses struggling
The impending closure of Hup Chong Yong Tau Foo comes against the backdrop of a challenging environment for food and beverage businesses in Singapore.
More than 3,000 F&B businesses have shut down in the past year, averaging roughly 250 closures per month — the highest in nearly two decades, according to CNA.
Experts point to rising rents, increased labour costs, competition and changing consumer habits as key pressures.
Amid these pressures, commenters have also pointed out that while hawker centres are deeply woven into Singapore’s identity, they are not charities, and stallholders ultimately do not owe the public cheap meals at the expense of their own livelihoods.
Top images via Shin Min Daily News
