Chow Yun Fat's low-key S'pore visit ahead of Star Awards sparks fan buzz, lifts eatery sales

New Paper

4 days ago

Hong Kong veteran actor Chow Yun Fat was recently spotted out and about across Singapore in the lead-up to the Star Awards 2025, which took place on July 6.
The 69-year-old star, who is married to Singaporean Jasmine Tan, arrived in the country several days earlier.
One of his stops was local eatery Legendary Bak Kut Teh.
On the evening of July 4, netizens recognised him at the South Bridge Road outlet of the popular restaurant chain.
The restaurant's owner, Chua Chui Chui, expressed her gratitude for the celebrity's visit, describing Chow as "a benefactor to our family".
Videos shared on Xiaohongshu showed Chow dressed in black, wearing a cap and a face mask, quietly entering the restaurant with his wife, who was also dressed in black.
Chow and his wife were seen entering the restaurant. SCREENGRAB: SMILE/XIAOHONGSHU
A familiar face at Legendary Bak Kut Teh
In an interview with Shin Min Daily News on July 6, Ms Chua shared that Chow is a long-time fan of their signature bak kut teh, as well as side dishes such as beancurd skin, preserved vegetables, and pig trotters.
"Everyone knows him as the legendary 'God of Gamblers,' and coincidentally, our English name is 'Legendary Bak Kut Teh.' It feels like fate."
Although this was Chow's first visit to the South Bridge Road outlet, Ms Chua said he had previously visited her father's original stall, most recently before the pandemic.
"He would sometimes take away food, so we consider him a regular customer.
"When my father first started the business, things were tough - he could barely sell a few bowls a day. Then Chow came with director Ang Lee, and he must have really liked our local flavors.
"He helped spread the word. After that, other celebrities, especially from Hong Kong, began to visit. Business gradually picked up. We are truly thankful to him."
Business surging for Bak Kut Teh restaurant
Unfortunately, Ms Chua and her father were at another outlet that evening and missed seeing Chow in person. Only her daughter, Wong Rui Yu (transliterated), happened to be at the branch Chow visited.
"Chow was very warm and called my daughter over to chat," Ms Chua recounted. "He asked about my father and our business. He was genuinely happy to see our family business passed down to the third generation.
"My daughter was a little starstruck, but he was so down-to-earth. He even took photos with other customers without hesitation. We were really moved. His presence brought a boost to our business."
"My father misses him and is grateful," Ms Chua added. "If we had known earlier, he would've gone down to the restaurant just to see him. But everything happened so quickly that night, and we were too busy at the other outlet to make it in time."
Ms Chua revealed that following Chow's visit, business surged the next day (July 5). The branch he visited saw a 30 per cent increase in customers, while their other location also experienced a 20 per cent spike in traffic.
Chow visits Ya Kun Kaya Toast
Besides his visit to Legendary Bak Kut Teh, Chow was also spotted at local breakfast chain Ya Kun Kaya Toast. In a post on the brand's Instagram page on July 9, he is seen smiling with staff.
The caption read: "Star power meets kopi power!".
They added: "Humble, warm and just like our kaya toast - timeless. What a moment to remember!"
Running into fans while jogging at Sentosa
Fans also encountered Chow jogging at Palawan Beach in Sentosa. On July 7, a netizen posted selfies with him, captioning: "I was very lucky to have met Fa Ge. He remains cool, handsome, and very approachable."