Famous Nyonya Eatery At Katong Closing Down This Saturday Due To Manpower Issues

Glory Catering, a Singapore-based Peranakan restaurant with a deep history, is closing down this coming Saturday (31 August 2019).

After close to 60 years in the business, the second-generation owner of Glory Catering, Mr Chin Der Ann, 73, has decided that his restaurant’s time is up.

Mr Chin runs Glory Catering along with his older sister, 74, his two younger brothers, 71 and 69, as well as their spouses.

Despite the need to close down, Mr Chin still holds hope that the eleven children that the four siblings have will step up and become the third-generation owners.

He claims that it isn’t just to make the family proud, but rather to continue serving their longtime customers to make sure they get their Nyonya food fix.

According to The New Paper, Mr Chin remarked that the main reason they were closing down was because of the lack of manpower.

Many of their workers are pretty old and would like to retire.

He also added that it is not easy to look for workers who want to work at their restaurant.

Famous Dishes

Glory Catering is best known for its Nyonya dishes, popiah, and kueh. Mr Teh Weng Soon, 56, has been working at the restaurant since the 1980s. Regulars say that he makes the best popiah.

In an interview with The New Paper, Mr Teh told them that Glory Catering is the only restaurant that still uses bamboo and egg-based skin to make Nyonya popiah.

They usually cook the bamboo shoots first with spices and prawn stock. This helps to maintain the authenticity of the cuisine that they are serving.

Mr Teh will return to Malaysia to help out on his mother’s farm after the restaurant closes while other employees will move to work at Glory’s factory.

History

Back in the 1940s, Mr Chin’s parents first started their business by opening a humble little provision shop at 107 East Coast Road.

In 1956, they decided to venture out and open a Shanghai restaurant that served Chinese food. However, this was not met with success, especially amongst the Peranakan and Malay communities. As a result, they decided to change their game plan and four years later, they served Peranakan nasi padang and Nyonya kueh.

This then led to the birth of Glory Catering in the 1980s. Their product arm, Glory Food, was also established in 1978.

Thanks to Mr Chin’s parents, he and his siblings could enjoy the fruits of their labour.

Other Alternatives

While it is really sad that this authentic Peranakan restaurant is closing down, their catering services and product manufacturing of sauces will continue to operate.

This means that you can still get a taste of their Peranakan food if you fail to drop by their restaurant located at 139 East Coast Road by Saturday.

Alternatively, you can also check out the following places for Peranakan food!

Kim Choo Kueh Chang

Located at 109/111 East Coast Road, Kim Choo Kueh Chang is just a three-minute walk away from Glory Catering.

While they do not serve entirely the same menu, Kim Choo Kueh Chang is still known for their authentic Nyonya Rice Dumplings. Like Glory Catering, they also have a deep history that stems from 1945. They also have a shophouse selling cookies and Nonya kuehs.

Location: 109/111 East Coast Road, Singapore 428801

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 10 am to 10 pm

Guan Hoe Soon

Guan Hoe Soon is another Peranakan restaurant that has a long history. They have been serving authentic Nyonya dishes since 1953.

They boast to have such good food that even the late former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew reportedly loved their food.

Their bestsellers include the classic Peranakan dishes like otak otak, fish-head curry and ayam buah keluak.

So if you’re in the Joo Chiat area, be sure to give Guan Hoe Soon a try!

Location: 40 Joo Chiat Place, Singapore 427764

Opening Hours: 

• Monday to Friday: 11 am to 3 pm, 6 to 9:30 pm
• Saturday and Sunday: 11 am to 3 pm, 5:30 to 9:30 pm