Tip Top Curry Puff founder dies at age 80 after suffering a heart attack

Tip Top Curry Puff founder Looi San Cheng dies, family says it was ‘very sudden’

The founder of one of Singapore’s most famous brands of curry puffs has died at the age of 80.

Tip Top Curry Puff founder Looi San Cheng suffered a heart attack at home on Monday (28 Oct), reported Shin Min Daily News.

Tip Top founder dies after suffering from ‘three highs’

Mr Looi’s 48-year-old daughter Liang Huiping (transliterated from Mandarin) told Shin Min on Wednesday (30 Oct) that her father had suffered from the “three highs” of high blood sugar, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

But he didn’t like to trouble people, so he didn’t tell his family he was sick.

Thus, his death was “very sudden” to them, she added.

His wake is being held at the Singapore Funeral Parlour in Tampines and he will be cremated in Mandai on Saturday (2 Nov).

Tip Top founder opened first stall in Ang Mo Kio in 1979

Mr Looi, who was the third of eight siblings, had lived on Indonesia’s Karimun Island before moving to Singapore.

He worked as an electrician and a contractor before going into the food and beverage industry by opening a bakery in Marine Parade, maybe because he “liked to eat”, Ms Liang said.

He later started selling curry puffs in 1976 at his bakery. He was quoted by Shin Min as saying in 2006 that curry puffs were not common at the time, but he thought the business would be viable.

Three years later, he opened his first stall in Block 722 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8, which is near Ang Mo Kio’s Jubilee Square.

His filling is made up of special Indonesian curry powder, fresh Dutch potatoes and a blend of 18 herbs and spices.

Tip Top was praised by Lee Hsien Loong

So popular was Tip Top that the company was even cited by then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his 2006 National Day Rally speech.

At the time, Mr Lee said that Tip Top was “successful” in his constituency of Ang Mo Kio.

Mr Looi’s son had ventured to China to sell curry puffs and was “very successful”, Mr Lee added, having opened five shops in Shenyang and expanding to Harbin.

Tip Top has six outlets across S’pore

In 2011, Tip Top became a joint venture, Ms Liang said.

It then opened outlets across Singapore.

Though it shuttered its original premises in Ang Mo Kio, according to its website, it now has six branches in Changi Airport Terminal 1, One Raffles Place, Bugis Junction, Compass One, Tampines Century Square and E!Hub@Downtown East.

Its famous curry puffs have been featured in the media several times. At the height of its popularity, the company sold about 5,000 puffs in a day.

According to media reports, the company’s net profit over six years was at one time more than S$1 million.

Also read: Founder of ‘Ah Pui Satay’ dies aged 66, stall closed till 28 July

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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News and Google Maps.