STREET VIEW

Makan place from dawn till dark

Affordable food and convenient location draw regular patrons to Long House

Mrs Rose Boon, 35, owner of Boon Pisang Goreng, says she will miss the place. Her shop is one of four from the original Long House in Jalan Besar that remain. -- ST PHOTOS: NEO XIAOBIN
Mrs Rose Boon, 35, owner of Boon Pisang Goreng, says she will miss the place. Her shop is one of four from the original Long House in Jalan Besar that remain. -- ST PHOTOS: NEO XIAOBIN
(From right) Madam Goh Siew Choo, 69, Mr Yap Sowi Tee, 71, Mr Raymond Yap, 42, and Mr K.T. Yap, 46, enjoying a late dinner at Long House. Patrons say that they will miss the food when the stalls move out. -- ST PHOTOS: NEO XIAOBIN
The Long House site in Upper Thomson Road was sold to TEE Land for $45.2 million earlier this week. The popular food centre moved here from Jalan Besar Stadium about 13 years ago. -- ST PHOTOS: NEO XIAOBIN

A meeting place for cyclists at dawn. A stopover after school. A place for dinner on the way home from work or after jogging at MacRitchie Reservoir.

Long House food centre in Upper Thomson Road has held a special place in the hearts of patrons for the past 13 years.

But this week a deal was closed to sell the site - formerly a Shell station and garage, a fast-food outlet and a Kopitiam - to a developer for more than $45 million.

"It's such a pity," said Yio Chu Kang resident and sales manager Jerry Tan, 32, as he sat down for his weekly meal at Ah Hui Big Prawn Noodle, which draws more than 300 customers a day. "It's one of the few places along Upper Thomson Road with a variety of good hawker food at affordable prices."

The popular food stretch still houses a few coffee shops, like Hwa Nam Restaurant and The Roti Prata House, but there is nothing nearby in the same league as Long House, which has about 15 stalls offering a variety of dishes from duck rice to Western food. Most of its stalls open till about 10pm.

"The closest I can think of is Shunfu market," said Thomson resident and jogger Eve Teo, 27. But that is located far from the main road and opens mostly for breakfast and lunch. "I will miss the convenience of Long House. It's open until late and the chicken rice is worth the calories."

Long House was originally a row of shops in Jalan Besar stadium and was popular with footballers and fans. The food centre moved to Upper Thomson about 13 years ago after the stadium was renovated.

Retired lawyer Ng Choon Gim, 62, oversees Long House on behalf of his family's business, Sin Hin Lee Investment, which owns the Upper Thomson site.

It used to house a Shell petrol station with a car workshop in the 1960s and 70s. Mr Ng's father, the late Mr Ng Aun Khim, ran it as a local dealer for more than 20 years. But when Shell downsized operations in 1979, the late Mr Ng bought the property for $678,000 the following year.

The family has now sold the 1,575.6 sq m site to developer TEE Land for $45.2 million.

"I thought the property market is close to its peak and it's time to let go," said Mr Ng. "It's a good profit but all thanks to the acumen of my late father."

TEE plans to redevelop the place - near Marymount MRT and the upcoming Upper Thomson stations - into residential and commercial units.

After the Ng family bought the land in 1980, they leased it to American fast-food chain A&W for eight years and food-court operator Kopitiam for two.

It was vacant for some time before Long House moved in around 2000, bringing some stalls from the original Jalan Besar eatery, including the barbecue stingray, mee pok and char kway teow stalls.

Today, only four hawkers from the Jalan Besar Long House remain: Ah Hui Big Prawn Noodle, Bugis Street Chuen Chuen Chicken Rice, Boon Pisang Goreng and the popular Soon Kee (Boneless) Lor Duck Rice.

"The duck is tender, the rice is loose and fragrant and the chilli is flavoursome" said public servant Jimmy Tan, 30, who first visited the stall about a decade ago.

He remembers Long House fondly for 5am cycling meet-ups with his kakis when the floors were "still wet as they had just been cleaned".

Mr Ng is searching for a new home for Long House's 15 stalls. He estimates the move will take place in four to six months after he receives money from the sale.

He will leave it up to individual stall owners to decide whether the stalls move en masse.

Ah Hui Big Prawn Noodle boss Tan Ah Hui, 68, is already considering relocating to Block 280, Bishan Street 24.

"We knew of the sale only this week," said Mr Ong Tan Heng, 60, owner of Soon Kee (Boneless) Lor Duck Rice. "We expect other coffee-shop owners to approach us in the next few days."

Madam Yong Fong, 64, owner of Bugis Street Chuen Chuen Chicken Rice, said: "Hopefully the four stalls from the original Jalan Besar site can move together. We have been friends for so many years and work well together. We want to keep our branding too."

Soon Kee's Mr Ong added: "When we moved from Jalan Besar, our regulars came with us. Moving shouldn't be a problem."

For Boon Pisang Goreng owner Rose Boon, Long House at Upper Thomson holds special memories. It is the place where she spent most time with her late husband, Mr Boon Fong Juan, selling fried bananas. He died three years ago and she inherited the business.

"Of course, I will miss this place," the 35-year-old said tearfully. "I spend more time here than at home. My regulars have become friends. But when we close down, I hope to rest one or two months and take my children on a well-deserved holiday."

Echoing the sentiments of many Upper Thomson residents, Mr Dan Lee, 23, said: "Wherever they go, I hope the stallholders remember to tell us. I'll miss having one of the best food centres at my doorstep."

kashc@sph.com.sg

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