66-year-old owner closing 42-year-old dim sum shop for good as he can no longer cope

Mar 13, 2024
The New Paper

Bee Kee Hong Kong Thiam Sim, the dim sum shop at the void deck of Block 632 at Bedok Reservoir Road, will close for good at the end of this month.

"I planned to use up the ingredients before closing the stall, but we have been informing customers that we are about to close down. The word has spread," 66-year-old owner Ye Mingrong told Shin Min Daily News.

He said he can no longer cope with the business. There were occasions where he had to close the shop due to pains in his hands.

Mr Ye started off as an apprentice at a dim sum shop in Chinatown before working at Bee Kee in the 1970s.

"The shop was opened by my wife's aunt. They then switched to other businesses and leased the shop to me. I had other employees, two of them stopped working more than 10 years ago while the third died five years ago."

Mr Ye's health started to decline about two years ago. His limbs would ache and would at times feel numb. 

Encouraged by their four children to retire, Mr Ye and his wife will return the shop to their relative but Mr Ye is open to teaching anyone keen to learn to make dim sum.