Lim Seng Lee duck rice outlet to close
Eileen Tay | The Straits Times | Sun Mar 31 2013
The founder of Lim Seng Lee Eating House in Buona Vista wants to retire before his health turns bad.
Singapore, March 31, 2013
After 45 years in the business, Lim Seng Lee Duck Rice Eating House, which is famous for its boneless braised duck, will be closing.
The coffee shop in South Buona Vista Road is likely to close after June 20 but a definite date was not given.
Founder Lim Ah Too, 67, and his wife were reluctant to speak to Life!, saying that they feared a deluge of customers if news got out that they would be closing.
But he said that he wanted to retire because he has a bad back.
"Of course, we will feel sad that we are closing. But like my children say, if we don't close now, in two or three years when our health turns bad, we will still have to close anyway," he said. "We might as well close now before our health becomes bad."
The eating house, one of the first in Singapore to serve boneless duck in 1968, is well-known for its Teochew-style braised duck. It is served with a soy sauce-based gravy flavoured with cinnamon and other herbs and spices.
The price of a plate of duck rice starts at $4.
His wife, who wanted to be known only as Mrs Lim, added that their four children were not willing to take over the business.
Showing a plastic box of medication, she said her husband had visited the doctor the day before and that she herself also suffered from knee pain. "It's not about the money. Health is the most important. Some of our customers have eaten here since they were young, but we have no choice," she said.
She added that they do not plan to sell their recipe. "Even if we sell it, other people would not know how to chop the duck," she said. "The chopping is more important than the cooking."
Lim Seng Lee is not the only popular eatery that is closing. The owners of Mong Hing Teochew Restaurant in Beach Road said last week that they would also be packing up after 58 years.
When Life! visited Lim Seng Lee at dinner time on Monday, it was packed with customers and parking was scarce. Retiree Michael Wong, 60, said he has been patronising it for 20 years, once every fortnight. He said: "The duck is very nice and the gravy is good. I will miss them."
Information technology consultant Ben Tan, 29, said he has been eating there for about 10 years. "This is one of the more nostalgic places. It is a pity it is closing. I'll come back here before it closes."
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