Earlier this month, MS News reported on the sad news of the Maxwell Market Teochew Rice & Porridge stall closing permanently.
It has now been confirmed that the 86-year-old hawker helming the stall is retiring over health issues after nearly 40 years.
The stall remains closed currently, but her son plans to take over and run it with his friends.
Many looked back fondly on the ‘Teochew Aunt’ and her long tenure, where she would always pack excess food for the cleaning staff to eat.
Teochew Rice & Porridge at Maxwell Market & Food Centre is a much-beloved stall started by a woman fondly known as ‘Ah Mah’ and ‘Teochew Aunt’.
Source: Teochew Rice & Porridge 新加坡河畔潮州饭粥 – Maxwell Market on Facebook
Despite being hunchbacked due to spinal degeneration, Madam Seah has been toiling hard, with the stall open every day but Sunday.
One of her sons, Mr She (name transliterated from Mandarin), comes to the stall to help her almost daily.
After around 40 years of operation, however, the stall closed temporarily due to Ah Mah’s “current health conditions”.
Source: Teochew Rice & Porridge 新加坡河畔潮州饭粥 – Maxwell Market on Facebook
Just a month later on 4 Dec, the admin of the Hawkers United – Dabao 2020 Facebook group, Melvin Chew, shared some sad news.
He revealed that he received news of Ah Mah’s retirement and the stall’s permanent closure.
Source: Melvin Chew on Facebook
Recently, Shin Min Daily News confirmed that Ah Mah’s retirement is indeed permanent. As for the stall’s operations, they reached out to her son Mr She for more details.
The 64-year-old man replied through a Maxwell Market & Food Centre representative and explained that his mother suffered a fall recently and has become increasingly frail.
Moreover, Ah Mah is getting older and is unable to speak clearly.
Even before the closure, the Teochew Porridge stall had apparently closed temporarily numerous times so Ah Mah could rest.
Many people encouraged her to retire, but she stubbornly refused to until her health issues stopped her.
The Maxwell spokesperson, Mr Huang (name transliterated from Mandarin), said that the stall’s traditional taste and affordability were a rarity nowadays.
Therefore, Ah Mah’s retirement saddened many patrons, who lamented the closure but wished her a happy retirement.
Source: Facebook
The spokesperson related that her son often urged his mother to close for the day after selling out.
However, she always continued to cook as long as a customer arrived and often ended up with excess.
She would then pack the food for the cleaning staff and other hawkers to eat.
“I suspect she always purposely cooked a little extra,” Mr Huang said, “so she could let the cleaners take some food home.”
While Ah Mah’s retirement is permanent, the stall’s closure might not be.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Mr She reportedly has plans to operate it with his friends for the time being, but the details are still unclear.
If the plans go through, perhaps Ah Mah’s regular patrons can still enjoy their traditional Teochew cuisine in the future.
MS News wishes her a happy retirement and a smooth recovery from her health issues.
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Featured image adapted from Teochew Rice & Porridge 新加坡河畔潮州饭粥 – Maxwell Market on Facebook and Alvin Ho on Google Maps.
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