Ex-Spring Court chef closes hawker dim sum stall less than a year after opening
Less than a year after opening his own restaurant-quality hawker dim sum stall, Hong Kong-born chef Poon Ka Nang is closing it at the end of this month (31 Aug). The Spring Court alum worked at the Chinatown restaurant for over four years before starting his own business.
He was well-received for his excellent char siew bao and other traditional Cantonese dim sum when he set up shop at a kopitiam beside Chinese Garden MRT station.
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
Reason for closure
Chef Poon tells 8days.sg that he had decided to cut his losses short after the coffeeshop persistently experienced an unexplained “sudden drop in traffic footfall.” The kopitiam also houses Michelin-approved hawker stall Joo Siah Bak Koot Teh. “All the tenants were affected, and the Western stall beside me closed too,” he says.
He tried looking for a better location, but concluded that it “seems like everywhere is facing the same issue.” Chef Poon, who had been drawing a token “allowance” from his business so far to sustain his own livelihood, decided that “it was better for me to go out and work [for someone], considering the [profit] we are getting for the effort of making dim sum by hand.” 
Found another job at a restaurant
Meanwhile, chef Poon has found another job “at a restaurant in City Hall”, which he declines to reveal as he has yet to start work there. Before Spring Court, he had also worked at Crystal Jade and Tung Lok.
“I am not ruling out returning [with my own stall] next time, and I’ll be keeping my stall’s Facebook page. It has been a good exploration, and I thank all our supporters,” he says.
Mama Dim Sum will be open till 31 Aug. #01-1215 Kai Xiang Food Centre (near Chinese Garden MRT station), Blk 349 Jurong East Ave 1, S600349. Open daily except Tues, 8am-2.30pm or until sold out. More updates via Facebook.
Photos: Kelvin Chia
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
8days.sg is now on #tiktok! Follow us on www.tiktok.com/@8dayseat
