Large lunch crowd bids Longhouse farewell

Large lunch crowd bids Longhouse farewell

SINGAPORE - Longhouse welcomed its last lunch crowd of the year today. Many diners expressed their support for the hawkers when they move to their new locations.

The popular food centre on Upper Thomson Road was sold in January for $45.2 million to listed developer TEE Land.

April 20 is the last day of operations and nine hawker stalls will be moving to two locations: Balestier Market and a coffee shop near Jalan Besar Stadium.

When a Lianhe Wanbao reporter visited this afternoon, the place was packed and there was a row of cars waiting to enter the small parking lot.

Owner of Bugis Street Chuen Chuen Chicken Rice Madam Yong Fong, 64, prepared flyers to inform customers that they will be opening at Balestier Market on April 28.

Madam Yong told the Chinese evening daily that they have been busy since their stall opened at 9am. She also estimated that the crowded was about 30 per cent more than usual.

Madam Lee Soo Lian from Lucy Pang Yong Tau Foo also agreed that the crowd had increased by 30 per cent, and said that many customers took photos as momentos.

Bishan resident Mr Li was disappointed that Longhouse would be moving, but said he would continue to support the hawkers. "I have been eating at Longhouse for 10 years... my son grew up on eating the chicken rice from here," said Mr Li in Mandarin.

Choa Chu Kang resident Ms Hong said that she occasionally visits the food centre with her husband and daughter, and specially came down on the last day of operations.

"Our favourite duck rice, prawn mee and goreng pisang (fried banana fritters) stalls have moved to two different locations. Looks like my husband will have to make an extra trip for us to eat these dishes," she said with a smile.

This article was translated from a Lianhe Wanbao article published on April 20, 2014.

 

 

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