Mei Jie Porridge in Clementi to close end-May; couple had left 9-to-5 jobs to keep family's legacy going

After nearly two decades of serving up traditional Cantonese-style congee, Mei Jie Porridge will be closing down on May 31. 

The hawker stall, which is run by a married couple, announced the news in a Facebook post today (April 29).

According to the post, the couple, known to customers as Ivan and Yunita, was told by their landlord to leave as the coffeeshop will undergo renovations in June. Their stall will supposedly be taken over by another tenant.

The couple mentioned that while they are "currently in the midst of finding a new place", they might also resort to closing for good.

Known for its silky smooth consistency, the congee at Mei Jie Porridge is made according to the traditional recipe passed down from Ivan's aunt, whom the stall is named after. 

When she decided to retire after selling porridge for over 20 years, the couple decided to take over her stall and keep the legacy going. 

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/meijieporridgesg/posts/318981943089035[/embed]

Since then, the couple has been waking up at 3am to prepare ingredients and hand-stir their porridge for at least two hours.

Fans of the beloved porridge remain hopeful that the couple will relocate their stall, with some leaving comments wishing them luck. Others also highlighted rising rentals and "unforgiving" landlords as issues faced by hawkers today. 

Address: 722 Clementi West Street 2, #01-150, Singapore 120722

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 6:30am to 2pm

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