Lim Tua Tow Market

This is the page for the month of June
from the ATC calendar 2009...Our Heritage, Our Home.

That is a photo of the old LIM TUA TOW market, definitely one of the most famous of its time...especially in the 60's where there were up to 500 stalls!
There were also many foodstalls ranging from the famous Chye Tow Kueh and the equally famous "original" Hokkien Mee. They were doing so well they sell right into the late night. My family and I ate there often. I still remember that there was a special feature story in the S Times about the "Original" Hokkien Mee...that appeared in the 80's. If I can recollect the main story..it went like this: Sometime in the 1930's, a Hokkien man started frying his special style of mee ( Hokkien mee) and it tasted so good it became an instant hit. He had only one stall located at Upper Bukit Timah area, near Beauty World. After the War, he continued his thriving business with his young stall assistants. However, before he passed away, he had passed on his original Hokkien mee secrets to his faithful assistants. There were 3 of them, plus his own family who knew how to fry it the right way. All the original 3 young Hokkien mee disciples soon started their very own stalls...preparing the the mee the same way their "sifu"(master) had taught them. All 3 continued selling even to the 90's. Where were they located? Those of you who are genuine,die hard Hokkien mee lovers and around my age may know at least 2 of the original disciple:-
1. Used to be located along Serangoon Road, just before Balestier Road/ Lavender Street junction. This "apek" has polio in one leg, and his son assisting him strangely also suffered from
the same problem. I was his long-time customer...since the 60's and gave him the nickname "OPIUM" which stuck. When "apek" died, his son took over. He used charcoal for fire and the "umpeh" leaf for wrapping. There was always a very long queue of luxury cars and an even longer queue of people waiting for his heavenly fare.
2. The 2nd disciple was our very own Lim Tua Tow Hokkien Mee! Some of you may still recall the 'apek"frying in similar style as "Opium", using the same "umpeh" leaf.
3. The 3rd was at Beauty World area.
Why was their Hokkien mee so, so, mouth-watering good?
The secret was in the special stock they prepared and the way they used the wooden cover over
the "kuali". They took their time too despite many customers waiting. And they were very generous with the ingredients...prawn, sotong, pork, garlic, egg, fresh chilli, sambal....
Today's Hokkien mee ...NONE have come close to those original masters!
Where are they today? They seem to have vanished unless someone can tell me differently.

The locals also call this Lim Tua Tow area " 5th Milestone ".

unk Dicko