Siam Road Char Koay Teow Uncle Has Retired
Noooo...!
By John Lim — 31 May 2018, 04:42 PM
UPDATE: Kwong Wah Yit Poh has released an updated report stating that Uncle Tan will be resuming his business in mid-June
A relative revealed to the Chinese daily that Uncle Tan is temporarily taking a break as his new shop is currently undergoing renovations.
He will be shifting away from his usual stall outside a coffee shop into a shop of his own.
31 MAY: It's a sad day for Penangites and char koay teow enthusiasts nationwide.
The uncle behind Penang's famous Siam Road Char Koay Teow has decided to hang up his wok, possibly for good.
According to Kwong Wah Yit Poh, the stall's 77-year-old owner, Tan Chooi Hong, had been absent from his usual location for the past four months after falling ill in early February
The Chinese daily reported that Tan decided to hang up his wok upon considering his own health and physical condition.
Last year, the uncle elected to take a 10-day break following a massive influx of customers when his stall was ranked #14 in the Top 50 list at the 2017 World Street Food Congress.
One of few char koay teow stalls that are still using charcoal to fire up the wok, customers from all over Malaysia have been known to queue for hours for a plate of the world-famous dish
The line can get pretty long even on normal days, with the wait going up to two hours (or more) on crowded weekends and public holidays. The stall - operated by Tan and his son Kean Huat, 53 - is open for business from Tuesday to Sunday from 3pm to 11pm.
At the time of writing, it is unclear if Tan's son will be taking over the business in the near future
Until then, we hope the uncle is taking good care of himself!