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We’ve just caught news of century-old Chin Mee Chin expanding after 100 years – but sadly, this one is heading in the opposite direction. After weathering shifting neighbourhoods, changing generations and a century of Singapore’s ever-changing food scene, Cantonese restaurant Wing Seong Fatty’s is calling it a day.
The old-school institution at Burlington Square will close for good on June 28, 2026. The reason, however, is not that business dried up, but rather that there’s simply no one left to take over the wok. In a Facebook announcement shared in April, the family-run restaurant revealed that with shareholders and management ageing, and younger family members choosing different career paths, the century-old business has reached the end of the road.
If you’ve been there, you’ll know – Wing Seong Fatty’s was never flashy, it simply existed – a comforting constant in an area where several eateries come and go often. Some of their go-to plates? The roast duck, and the char siew with rice – no-frills Cantonese staples done the old-school way.
Its story began in 1926, when founder Au Yuen opened what was then known as Wing Seong Restaurant inside a two-storey shophouse on Albert Street, just a stone’s throw from where the restaurant stands today. The now-famous “Fatty’s” came later, thanks to Au Yuen’s son, Au Chan Seng, who helped run the restaurant and was affectionately nicknamed “Fatty” for his stout build. Over time, customers stopped separating the man from the restaurant – and Wing Seong Fatty’s became the name everyone knew.
Like many Singapore restaurants, it evolved with the city. In 1987, the restaurant moved to Albert Complex, where the third generation stepped in to run the business. Then, in October 1999, it relocated to Burlington Square.
But the restaurant’s legacy stretches far beyond family dinners and dependable Cantonese cooking. In what sounds almost too movie-esque to be true, one reason Wing Seong Fatty’s became a beloved haunt among airline crews traces back to World War II. According to the restaurant, Au Yuen would secretly bring food with his son to prisoners of war during the Japanese occupation. Some of those former POWs later joined Australian carrier Qantas after the war, forging an unlikely connection that endured for decades.
Final parting words from the restaurant on their Facebook page read, “We extend our heartfelt thanks for your loyalty, patronage, and friendship over the past century. It has truly been our privilege to serve you.”
Wing Seong Fatty is located at 175 Bencoolen St, #01-31, Burlington Square, Singapore 189649. Their last day of operations will be on June 28, 2026.
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