Mid-Autumn Festival is always a busy time for Tai Thong Cake Shop in Chinatown. The 73-year-old Cantonese bakery is well-loved for being one of the few remaining shops in Singapore that still makes traditional mooncakes by hand.
But this year, the bustling, convivial mood at the shophouse had a slightly different feel. The longtime staff knew it was the last time they would be kneading lotus paste at their longtime location, as they were closing soon after the festival.
Tai Thong (not to be confused with a same-named Malaysian mooncake brand or the local confectionery chain Tai Chong Kok) was founded in 1950, and has been operating at Mosque Street since 1958. Other than its Chinatown shop, it has no other outlets.
SHOCK CLOSURE ANNOUNCEMENT
On Oct 11, Tai Thong shocked its regulars when it announced on social media that it was ceasing operations at its current premises “until further notice” and taking “an extended break to recharge”.
The announcement also indicated that it’s not goodbye, as it promised: “Look out for exciting news in time to come via our website and Facebook pages. We look forward to seeing you again soon with renewed vigour.”
SECOND-GEN OWNERSHIP
Tai Thong is now run by second-gen owner Kwok Sow Lan, 77, whose father migrated from Hong Kong and started a cake shop here. He then passed his business to Kwok and her brother who passed away in 2014.
It was named “Tai Thong” (which means ‘majority agreement’ in Cantonese) as many people agreed that it served superb pastries. Other than mooncakes, the bakery also sold Chinese New Year goodies and egg tarts, all handmade from scratch in-house as it yielded more delicate and tasty pastries compared to machine-made ones.
As for why the bakery only announced its closure after shutting its doors, Kwok’s niece, Dr Sylvie Kwok, 34, told 8days.sg: “It was an intentional decision, even though my aunt had decided on her retirement a few months ago. We did not want a mad rush that could overwhelm the shop and affect the staff’s state of mind, as it was already a very stressful period for them.”
Source: CNA
