Veteran hawker Wee Liang Kan, also fondly known as Uncle Wee or Uncle Oh Kee of Chef Hainanese Western Food, has died aged 82 on Saturday (July 11), the stall announced in a Facebook obituary on Sunday.

According to the obituary, he passed away peacefully. His wake will be held from July 12 to 15. 

The announcement drew an outpouring of condolences from customers, with several taking to the comments section to share fond memories of Uncle Wee and the stall. 

"Farewell Uncle Orh Kee, very friendly Hainanese uncle who would offer me beer as a Hainanese (referring to the Hainanese community) whenever I ate at his stall..." one said, adding that the late hawker would also offer free egg or sausages for his kids.

"Gonna miss his unique way of calling out your orders to the kitchen. Rest in peace," another shared. 

Just last month, Chef Hainanese Western Food took to social media to dismiss rumours that it was closing.

"We are delighted to inform you that the recent speculation surrounding the closure of our business is entirely unfounded, and we anticipate further solidifying of the robust foundation we have built over the past five decades," the stall wrote, saying it plans to continue to "evolve and grow" alongside customers.

Founded in 1969, the stall has been serving old-school Hainanese western food such as Grilled Chicken Chop ($8), Grilled Pork Chop ($8) and Grilled Lamb Chop ($16) for over 50 years.

In 2022, the stall shifted to its current location at Margaret Drive Hawker Centre after decades of operations at Tanglin Halt.

It opens for two hours only on its business days, from 7pm to 9pm. 

No updates regarding the stall's operations have been given following the announcement of Uncle Wee's passing. 

AsiaOne has reached out to Chef Hainanese Western Food for more information. 

carol.ong@asiaone.com