Veteran hawker Mr Ng Hock Chuan, the man behind Michelin-recognised Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Noodles at Chomp Chomp Food Centre, has died at the age of 79, according to a Facebook tribute shared by a long-time customer.
Best known for his old-school Hokkien mee, Mr Ng was also said to be part of one of the families that pioneered Singapore-style Hokkien mee.
The customer shared that they had visited Chomp Chomp Food Centre looking forward to a plate of his Hokkien mee, only to discover the stall closed and learn from a neighbouring hawker that Mr Ng had passed away.
“When I saw the stall closed, I asked the neighbouring hawker if Uncle was okay. They quietly told me he had passed away,” the customer wrote.
Customers remember a humble hawker
The customer, who said they had grown up eating Mr Ng’s Hokkien mee, remembered him as a humble and dedicated hawker.
“Uncle was never loud or showy. He always had a quiet smile for his customers, then turned back to his wok with complete focus,” they wrote.
8days.sg has reached out to Mr Ng’s family for comment but have not received a response at the time of publication.
Mr Ng was the fourth son of Ng Seng, one of two brothers who began frying what would become Singapore-style Hokkien mee along Rochor Road in the 1950s.
In 1966, Mr Ng ventured out on his own and started a Hokkien mee business around the Serangoon Gardens area. By the seventies, he had begun operating his stall at Chomp Chomp Food Centre.
Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Noodles was known for its take on the local favourite, serving yellow noodles and thin bee hoon with prawns, squid and slices of pork. With plates priced from $4, it drew loyal customers for decades and has been listed in the Michelin Guide Singapore since 2018.
Tributes pour in
The Facebook tribute prompted an outpouring of condolences from long-time customers, many of whom described Mr Ng’s Hokkien mee as irreplaceable.
“This HKM [Hokkien Mee] was unbeatable in its heyday,” one commenter wrote. “Till now I have not found one that matched its original taste.”
Another said: “I loved Ah Hock’s fried Hokkien mee! So sad that one of the best chef masters at fried Hokkien mee has passed on.”
According to an obituary shared in the comments of the post by Facebook user Calvin Li, Mr Ng died on July 16 at the age of 79.
It is unclear if or when Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Noodles will reopen. Customers, however, have expressed hope that Mr Ng’s sons, who have worked alongside him at the stall for years, will continue the family business.
Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Noodles is located at 20 Kensington Park Rd, #01-27 Chomp Chomp Food Centre, S557269. Open Tue-Fri 5.30pm-10pm; Sat 4.30pm-10pm & Sun 4.30pm-9pm. Closed on Mon. Tel: 9296 2192.
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