Grandfather Food Empire BCM closed, owner striving to ‘leave a legacy’ after cancer diagnosis

When it was situated at Siglap 936 Eating House along East Coast Rd, Grandfather Food Empire Bak Chor Mee was a hit for its loaded bowls of bak chor mee and for offering free food to the needy. Notably, though, it was the owner’s boisterous energy and cowboy fit that gave the stall a lasting reputation.

After shifting to a coffeeshop opposite Bugis+ in Jan 2023, it was closed abruptly on 6 Oct. The adjacent Ah Tong Laksa remained operational, which left netizens curious.

Those who follow our hawker scene closely may be familiar with Mr Big Koodo, better known (among his peers) as Shi Ge (四哥). As an avid foodie and hawker himself, 四哥 has been behind the opening of a number of other popular hawker establishments.

In Mar 2022, he received the life-changing diagnosis of Stage 4 cancer — which he’d kept within his inner circle until recently.

It’s worth noting Grandfather Food Empire BCM wasn’t closed due to this grave diagnosis, but because the main chef had fallen ill. He then decided to re-establish his stall elsewhere on a later date, henceforth shuttering the Bugis location.

Mr Kodo continues to actively contribute to the hawker trade, though he has refrained from more direct involvement. ‘I love our food and our hawker culture. Even though I’m no longer in charge of the businesses, I’m still working as a consultant,’ he declares. His enduring commitment to our local food culture indeed shows through his work — the recently opened Fort Canning Big Prawn Noodle is also a notch on his belt.

As he has promised multiple times in the past, the offer to coach aspiring hawkers completely free-of-charge still stands. ‘I know about 80% of all there is to know. If anyone wants to learn my recipes, just email me.’

The charitable hawker hasn’t given up on his own pursuits, as he still dreams of opening an empire of BCM stalls. ‘Grandfather Food Empire Bak Chor Mee is my baby, I wanted to have at least 6 outlets one day and leave a legacy,’ he shares. ‘Once I re-open it again by next year, my wife will eventually take over.’

Mr Kodo still runs Grandfather Carrot Cake, situated in Soy Eu Tua coffeeshop along Upper East Coast Road. If you’d like to show your support, do head down for some tasty carrot cake, char kway teow, or Hokkien mee. The team at SethLui.com genuinely wishes 大四哥 all the best.

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