Family feud: Siblings behind Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff lock horns, younger brother opens rival stall in same hawker centre

Family feuds can be messy affairs, especially when business is involved. 

Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened between the Ng brothers, Peter Ng, 56, and Ray Ng, 50, who used to helm popular curry puff stall Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff at Hong Lim Market and Food Centre together.

Due to a dispute, the brothers have gone their separate ways business-wise, Peter told Shin Min Daily News in a recent interview. Ironically, physically, they aren't very far away from each other. As of April, the younger brother has set up a rival stall just one unit away from the old outlet, leaving customers confused over which one is the original. 

The similar names don't help either. The older stall at #02-36, which is operated by Peter, has been renamed to Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff Original, while the new stall at #02-34 by Ray is called Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff. 

Addressing the change, Peter said in a Facebook post on April 24, "There are so many rumours going around between the two stall who is good one and who is bad one [sic]. I started working with my dad first in Hong Lim Food Centre."

Peter had also previously explained that the name of the old store was changed due to "personal reasons". 

Meanwhile, Ray claimed that his 86-year-old father Ng Yong Cheong, the founder of the OG Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff, had moved his stall from the old unit to the new one at #02-34. 

As of now, the brothers are not on speaking terms, preferring to stay out of each other's way, Peter told the Chinese daily. 

Why the change in names? 

According to Peter, Ray had left the business to pursue a career elsewhere. The stall was then transferred to Peter's name. However, conflict arose when Ray returned to the stall and became unhappy with the profit distribution. 

In hopes of putting an end to the disputes, Yong Cheong proposed that the brothers split the businesses, Peter claimed. 

Yong Cheong then gave Ray a time frame of half a year to find another location to set up shop. 

"My younger brother wanted to open a stall elsewhere with the original name, and promised he wouldn't be at Hong Lim Market and Food Centre, so I agreed to let him use the name," said Peter. 

However, according to Ray, Peter was the one who suggested the split and refused to return the stall to their father. 

Yong Cheong "had no choice" but to open a new stall in the same location, said Ray, adding that he took over the reins of the new stall due to their father's poor health. 

As of now, Ray's business is doing significantly better, Peter admits. 

"Customers think that I started a new stall and that's why my brother's business is twice as good as mine," he lamented. 

He also points to his Yong Cheong's involvement with Ray's stall as another factor, claiming that Yong Cheong would sit at the stall and help attract customers over. 

The situation got so tense that eventually, their elder sister had to step in to mediate the situation. Since then, Yong Cheong and his wife have reportedly not made an appearance at either stall. 

The brand has been around for 70 years 

Yong Cheong founded Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff in 1952. 

Previously, there were two outlets — one at Block 20 Kitchener Road and one at Hong Lim Market and Food Centre. 

Unfortunately, the Kitchener Road outlet, which was helmed by Ray, has since shut down. 

melissateo@asiaone.com