Beo Crescent curry rice stall denies closure rumours, says shutdown is temporary
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Beo Crescent No Name Hainanese Curry Rice is not shuttering for good, says its co-owner.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Follow topic:
- Beo Crescent Hainanese Curry Rice stall's co-owner clarifies that the closure after September 30 is temporary due to coffee shop renovations.
- Founder Pang Tao Chin confirmed the coffee shop's ownership change but is unsure of the details; stall's Facebook page cites "challenges".
- Despite request not to rush, long queues formed after rumours spread, with diners like Eugene Goh waiting hours for a taste.
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SINGAPORE – The co-owner of a popular Hainanese curry rice stall at Block 40 Beo Crescent has refuted claims that it will shutter for good after Sept 30.
Madam Mo, who declined to give her full name, told The Straits Times the stall’s closure is only temporary, as the coffee shop is changing hands and undergoing renovations.
“It is not true that our stall is closing permanently,” she said in Mandarin, declining to comment further.
The stall, which has been operating since 1988, has no official name on its signboard, but refers to itself on Facebook as Beo Crescent No Name Hainanese Curry Rice.
This is not the first time rumours have swirled about its demise. In 2022, speculation about its closure turned out to be false when the stall took a two-month break during coffee shop renovations.
Beo Crescent No Name Hainanese Curry Rice’s co-owner Madam Mo, serving up orders behind the glass display case, refutes rumours that the stall is closing for good.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
The latest stir began when Benny Se Teo, 65, former co-founder of halal-certified restaurant chain Eighteen Chefs, posted on Facebook that the stall would serve its “last plate” on Sept 30, claiming the coffee shop had been sold for $4 million and its tenants “evicted”.
Beo Crescent No Name Hainanese Curry Rice has been in operation since 1988.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Founder and co-owner Pang Tao Chin, 79, who started the stall, said his wife Madam Mo has overseen operations for the past three years.
Mr Pang, who injured his left arm in a fall in 2024, has stepped back from actively managing the stall, although he turns up daily to help out with chores such as the collecting of plates and utensils.
While confirming the change in coffee shop ownership, he said he was unclear about further details.
On the stall’s Facebook page and Instagram account, run by Mr Pang’s children, a post made two days ago noted the coffee shop’s change in ownership and that “with it came certain challenges to the business”.
It added that talks were ongoing with the new owners to continue operations at the same location. Followers were urged not to rush down.
Despite this, on Sept 23, the stall drew a queue of about 70 people braving the noontime sun, with many thinking it might be their last chance to eat there.
Beo Crescent No Name Hainanese Curry Rice saw a long line of customers at lunchtime who thought the stall was closing for good.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Though it usually closes at 2.30pm, it continued serving customers until 3.45pm, when food ran out. After switching off the signboard lights, Madam Mo emerged from the stall with a tray of freshly fried sunny-side-up eggs, giving them out for free to the remaining diners.
Madam Mo, co-owner of Beo Crescent No Name Hainanese Curry Rice, giving away a tray of sunny-side-ups eggs to customers.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Among those standing in line was financial consultant Eugene Goh, 39, who waited two hours and 45 minutes. He ordered $52 worth of food, including crispy pork chop, char siew, fried prawns and three plates of curry rice with sunny-side-ups. It was his first time at the stall.
“I wanted to try the food before the stall closes for good,” he said, adding that the taste reminded him of his maternal grandparents’ Hainanese cooking.
On learning that the closure was only temporary, he added: “I will probably visit when it reopens, but I am willing to queue for 30 minutes at most.”
Where: 01-10 Roxy Square Kopitiam, Block 40 Beo Crescent
Open: 7am to 2.30pm, Thursdays to Tuesdays; closed on Wednesdays
