Margaret Drive stall with Hokkien Mee cooked by 'robot' closes, cites manpower shortage as main reason

[The_King]

A Hokkien Mee stall made waves earlier this year by using a "robot" to cook up some Hokkien Mee.

 

 

Unfortunately, the stall closed after about 10 months.

Speaking to Mothership, Ang Chip Hong, who opened the stall in November 2024, said the closure was primarily due to his inability to find enough manpower.

 

Ang told Mothership that he had been trying to find manpower for one and a half months to no avail.

He decided to close it in September 2025.

This manpower shortage occurred despite the machine making Hokkien Mee.

Ang explained that the machine helped make the food more consistent in terms of taste, but there was still a need for manpower.

"Manpower is still needed to cook stock, peel the prawn, etc."

Manpower issues have been a consistent issue for them.

In a Jun. 17, 2025 interview with Zaobao, Ang said he had issues hiring staff.

In fact, the impetus for using a machine to cook the mee was because he could not find a chef, even though he offered up to S$4,000 as a monthly salary.

 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1GYU6ejZDg/

 

 

But if you are craving their Hokkien Mee, all hope is not lost. Ang has another outlet at NUS Yusof Ishak house.

 

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of Ang

 

 

YIH canteen, Stall 2, Local Delights.

31 Lower Kent Ridge Road .

Singapore 119078

 

 

 

[The_King]

Manpower is still needed to cook stock, peel the prawn, etc."

 

can buy ready cooked and peel prawn. must be robot no skill, no wok hey

 

 

 

[Coffee_O]

so ironic that you use robot cook liao still says not enough manpower. then use robot for fxk

[zheng]

knn sinkielang using robot still lack of manpower really jin buay gan

[ManOfTheHour]

No surprises

[XianGe]

Sinkieland gonna prefer sell drugs or work grab than be hawker help