Another long-running Toa Payoh institution will be shuttering its doors.
After 32 years of serving up petite handmade Teochew-style buns and dim sum, Teochew Handmade Buns at Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre will stop operations on December 31 “until further notice.”
Rising costs and no successor
The stall broke the news on Facebook on Dec 16, writing: “It is with deep gratitude and great reluctance that we announce the closure of our pau business.”
Like many F&B businesses today, they’ve been hit by the perfect storm: rising ingredient prices, higher operating costs, and a persistent manpower crunch. With no successor to take over the reins, the family made the tough call to pause operations.
“Despite our best efforts to adapt, these challenges have made it unsustainable for us to continue at this time. After careful and responsible consideration, we have made the difficult decision to pause operations,” the post said.
They also expressed their gratitude to customers who have supported them over the decades.
A rare Teochew-style bun legacy
While most bun stalls in Singapore lean Cantonese or Fuzhou, Teochew-style buns are fare less common.
The stall built a loyal following with its thin pau skin, generous filling, and petite size, all made fresh by hand every morning. Their steamed buns and dim sum like siew mai and glutinous rice are priced from $1 to $2.
Their recipes reflect a health-conscious approach. The kong bak pau uses pork belly with excess fat trimmed off, and big pork pau swaps lard for pork belly to keep it lighter.
Although slightly pricier than the average hawker paus, their dedication to quality kept regulars coming back.
The familiar face behind the Toa Payoh favourite
The stall is run by 75-year-old Uncle Yeoh, who began learning to make buns at the age of 14. The business began with his father, who started selling min jiang kueh in 1969. Uncle Yeoh took over after his father retired.
According to Zaobao, after the passing of his wife in 1993, Uncle Yeoh made a promise to honour her memory and started the business under the name “Teochew Handmade Pau.”
For decades, he woke up at 4am to prepare the day’s paus, all while raising their three children, now aged 51, 49, and 47. His wife’s photo still hangs on the stall wall.
Teochew Handmade Pau is at #02-02, Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre, Blk 127 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, S310127. Open Tue to Sun, 6am to 2pm. More info on Facebook.
Photos: Teochew Handmade Pau/Facebook
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