PUBLISHED ONJuly 17, 2026 7:07 AMBYCarol OngSad about Tan Xiang Sliced Fish Soup's closure?
While all outlets of the fish soup stall have shuttered, the original concept that it spun off from — Charcoal Fish Head Steamboat — remains open for business.
Speaking to AsiaOne on Friday (July 17), local TV personality and owner Ben Yeo said the last Tan Xiang Sliced Fish Soup stalls closed "about a month ago" after almost three years in business.
It had six outlets at its peak.
Tan Xiang Sliced Fish Soup was first launched in 2023 as a spin-off of Charcoal Fish Head Steamboat, which opened a year prior. The latter is unaffected by the closures and continues to operate all three outlets at Kallang, Marsiling and Chai Chee.
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According to the 47-year-old, the decision to close the stalls was simply because it fell short of expectations.
"Some [outlets] were making money and some were not, but overall, it was not what we thought it would be," he told us, adding that after months of reviewing the business, he eventually realised that the business was "not really doing well" and decided to close it down.
The venture recorded a five-figure loss, Ben added.
Despite the setback, the entrepreneur appears unfazed and is already moving forward with new concepts.
"Doing business is all about resilience. As a businessman, you have to keep trying out new things. If this is not working, then we have to move on. Just let it go and move on," he said, emphasising that there are "no feelings involved when it comes to business".
"It's only about dollars and cents, whether it makes money, whether it does good to the company. If not, we will just cut down and cut losses," he added.
Ben said this pragmatic approach was something he had learned over the years being an entrepreneur, as well as from business friends and mentors.
However, he admitted that he did feel emotional and pity for losses and obstacles "a very long time ago".
"You can't let too many feelings get involved because it becomes very hard to make decisions. You may even make the wrong decisions," he explained.
True to his words, Ben has already moved on to his next F&B concept — 20 Dishes Only — which opened earlier this month.
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Located humbly within a coffeeshop in Yishun, it is a zi char stall offering affordable home-style dishes to diners.
As its name suggests, the stall offers exactly 20 dishes — including items such as Hand-pulled Sweet and Sour Pork ($9.80), Grandma Fried Egg ($6.80) and ABC Soup ($12.90).
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Speaking more about the new launch, Ben told us 20 Dishes Only's concept was designed around wallet-friendly, familiar dishes that diners can enjoy regularly, rather than something reserved only for special occasions.
"It's like an economic movement. We value our customers and we try our best to give them the best in terms of flavours, friendly prices and something they can consume every day," he said.
As for whether the new concept would expand, Ben said it was still too early to tell.
"Yet to know, because we just started, so we'll have to look at the response," he said.
Looking beyond the new stall, Ben said that there is a possibility of venturing further into new F&B concepts, though he is "not sure yet".
The entrepreneur added that adaptability would be crucial not only for running concepts such as 20 Dishes Only, but also for any future F&B ventures, as diners today have far more options than in the past.
"It's very difficult to say for now, especially when it comes to F&B in Singapore. It's very, very challenging," he said, adding that the industry is constantly evolving.
For Ben, that means business owners like himself should also be willing to respond to the change.
"Everything keeps changing, so the only thing you can change is yourself to suit the whole situation," he said.
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carol.ong@asiaone.com