Famed ABC Brickworks roast meat hawker Fatty Cheong dies at 58

Chan Tuck Cheong, the veteran hawker who founded famed Fatty Cheong Char Siew Rice stall at ABC Brickworks Market, has died. He was 58.
His stall has constant long queues for its fabulous ‘bu jian tian’ (never seeing the sky) char siew, so named as it is an ethereally tender cut of pork from the pig’s underarm.
The jovial, rotund hawker, known affectionately by his nickname ‘Fatty Cheong’, later opened a second stall nearby that specialises in wonton mee topped with a fried egg. He also set up a drinks stall and another concept selling old-school Cantonese zi char in the same hawker centre. The latter closed in 2022.
In an earlier interview with 8days.sg, the father of three shared that his two sons help him run his roast meat and wonton mee stalls, while his daughter works at an F&B management company.
Chan’s son, Lachlan Chan, shared the news of his passing in a Facebook post on Sunday morning (Oct 20). He wrote in Chinese: “Dad, you are finally free from that pain. Don’t worry, we will take good care of mummie. We will live well for our remaining days. You will always be our pride.”
Tributes poured in on Facebook for Chan, who was also a respected lion dance coach. One post thanked him for “the many times you helped fetch our teachers to events, even when you just had chemotherapy”, and for “the generosity of your good heart”.
In 2021, Chan explained to 8days.sg why he called himself Fatty Cheong, which became a synonymous name for his char siew rice at ABC Brickworks Food Centre. He chortled: “You’d want people to remember you easily. I used to be very fat, 140kg! People are used to calling me Fatty Cheong. It’s a familiar name. Like if you say you want to drink Starbucks, people will know you’re referring to coffee.”Fatty Cheong Char Siew Rice is at #01-120 ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 150006. Open daily except Thu & Sun, 11am-7pm.
This story was originally published in 8Days. 
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