Singapore's beloved fried oyster stall to close after 50 years

Often recommended to tourists, Lim's Fried Oyster currently holds a 4.6 out of 5-star rating on Tripadvisor.

The owners, Lin Weifa and Pan Huiling, both 73, opened the stall in 1977. Pan shared that they did not want to wait until their health declined before retiring, and they hoped to step away while still feeling well.

With the hawker center scheduled for renovations this September, the couple felt it was the right time to close.

As shared in an interview with Eatbook SG, Lin began helping his father sell oyster omelette from a pushcart along Sam Leong Road when he was just nine years old. Lin upgraded his father's recipe by importing oysters from Jeju Island in South Korea, which helped elevate the dish and set the stall apart from others.

"They're fat, fresh, and without the fishy smell," Pan said in the interview.

Lin Weifa and Pan Huiling run the Lim's Fried Oyster stall together. Photo courtesy of SingaporeEatBook

For decades, Lin and Pan worked tirelessly, often sleeping during the day and staying up through the night, usually returning home around 4 or 5 a.m. and only falling asleep after 8 a.m.

News of the closure has left many customers disappointed. In recent days, crowds have formed outside the stall as diners return for one last taste.

"Now that everyone has heard that I'm closing down, they've all come here. Our business has been especially good over the past two days," Pan told Shin Min Daily News in early April.

When Shin Min Daily News visited the stall around 5 p.m. on April 5, the couple was busy preparing a 30-serving order of fried oysters and had opened an hour earlier to meet demand.

Although the stall was not scheduled to open until 6:30 p.m., around 30 customers were already lining up outside.

The fried oyster is topped with herbs, and served with chilli sauce. Photo courtesy of SingaporeEatBook

Chen, 30, said she came to try after hearing about its closure on social media.

"I have always loved fried oysters ever since I was a child, so I came to queue at 6 p.m. After waiting for 30 minutes, I finally got to try it. It was really delicious and worth it," Chen told Shin Min Daily News.