60-year-old soup stall at Berseh Food Centre to close end-August

After six decades of operating a well-loved herbal soup stall, the second-generation owner of Very Lucky Turtle Soup (大幸运山瑞汤) has decided to close the stall this August due to health issues stemming from long hours on his feet.

Located on the second storey of Berseh Food Centre in Jalan Besar, the stall has been run by 65-year-old Bobby Chu since the early-1980s.

Mr Chu told Shin Min Daily News his parents started the business in the 1960s under difficult financial circumstances.

Mr Chu began helping out at the stall from a young age. He left the stall for a few months to learn how to cook claypot rice, and eventually returned to take over the family trade.

The stall is known for its extensive menu, offering over 20 items and a variety of flavours to suit diverse palates. Their menu includes not only its famed soft-shell turtle soup, but also crocodile soup, claypot rice, rice wine chicken and double-boiled soup.

With years of dedication and hard work, the family business has been in operation at its current location since 1981.

However, the success of the stall also came at a cost. On April 18 this year, Mr Chu suddenly felt dizzy and experienced weakness in his legs while working.

He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with a viral infection and warned that prolonged standing had caused poor blood circulation in his legs. He was hospitalised for three weeks.

"I open the stall at around 9am and get home only at 11pm. I've been standing 14 hours a day for years," Mr Chu shared. "The doctor told me if I continue like this, there's a real risk of disability."

Recognising the toll on his health, Mr Chu took several weeks to rest after being discharged and ultimately made the difficult decision to cease operations at the end of August.