80-year-old restaurant bows out to MRT project

A nearly a century old traditional Chinese dim sum restaurant, part of Kuala Lumpur's history, had to finally call it a day, forced to give way to the construction of the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT).

A huge crowd of 500 turned up to bid farewell to the 84-year-old Yook Woo Hin at Jalan Sultan yesterday - the nation's Independence Day.

Already fully packed by 5.30am, when the restaurant opened for business, it ran out of food at 1pm, 90 minutes before the shutters were normally pulled down.

However, some customers still walked in, quite happy with just a sip or two of Chinese tea.

There were also customers who lingered for eight to nine hours, savouring the different meals the kitchen prepared at different times.

The restaurant served dim sums and dumplings in the early mornings and later fried mee and rice, as well as roasted pork.

Ninety-year-old Chong Yue Zao and his wife Lee Qin Poh, 85, also enjoyed their last moments with the restaurant.

The elderly couple are believed to have been the most loyal customers, regulars at the restaurant for 70 years on a daily basis, earning themselves a specially reserved table.

Retiree Chan Wee Ping ( right ), 56, and his wife called at the restaurant for dim sum.

Chan said: "We took a bus from Tanjung Malim, Perak, to Kuala Lumpur, and walked from the Pudu station, it was convenient, we had done that few times."

He added: "I felt disappointed, dim sum and dumplings had already run out when we walked in at 10am, I will miss the nostalgic atmosphere of the restaurant. "

Lost: A place to make friends

The closure of Yook Woo Hin means a lot to 67-year-old

Christine Yuen, for she has not only lost a place for good food, but also a place to make friends.

Yuen ( left ) moved to Jalan Tung Shin 30 years ago and ever since then visiting the restaurant had become part of her daily routine.

She said her relationship with over 10 good friends began at the restaurant where the customers would mingle around the table, chatting about the old good days.

She had observed that at other eateries people would not mix around.

Yuen and her family and friends arrived at 5.30am and decided to taste all the different varieties of food listed on the menu.

Ednes Pung, 32, walked into the restaurant for the first time, but left soon after.

She said the staff chose to entertain long-time customers first, while the others were told that they had a long wait for their food to be served.

Pung ( far right ) said: "I place a lot of emphasise on service quality, but I won't take this to heart as it was the last day of the restaurant."

Bukit Bintang parliamentarian Fong Kui Lun was also at the restaurant with other Jalan Sultan shop proprietors and operators fighting to keep their hundred-year-old premises.

'List restaurnt as historic  building'

Fong urged the government not to demolish the restaurant, instead  list it as a historic building managed by Tourism Ministry.

Founded in 1920s, Yook Woo Hin has been run by the Lee family for four generations.

The restaurant was founded by Lee Hoi who started off selling traditional herbal tea.

The family had sold the restaurant premises to MRT Corp to facilitate the MRT construction.

Yesterday was a big day for Lee's families as well - nine members from two families showed up at the restaurant.

38-year-old Lee Hou Fai, the great grandson of the founder, said he felt sad at having to give up the business, and the family has no intention of opening another for the time being.

Lee said: "The family did not plan any special ceremony to bid farewell to all the customers."

He added that a simple "thank you" and "goodbye" were all he could manage to express the family's deeply felt gratitude.

"If there are someone I missed in expressing my gratitude, media please help me express it," he pleaded.