Lim Chee Guan

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The storefront of Lim Chee Guan's flagship outlet. Photo credit to The Ordinary Patrons.

Lim Chee Guan is a Singaporean food business specialising in the production and retail of bak kwa (a dried, barbecued meat product similar to jerky). As of June 2020, the business is managed by the second-generation owner, Rod Lim and his two sons, Benny and Jerre.[1] Lim Chee Guan's snaking queues during the Chinese New Year season have attracted mainstream media coverage in the past.[2][3] According to the brand's website, Lim Chee Guan has four stores in Singapore and offers 12 types of bak kwa.

Background

According to OPENGOVSG, the Lim Chee Guan brand was incorporated in 2002.[4][5]

Founder

Lim Chee Guan was founded in 1938 by Lim Kay Eng, a Chinese immigrant from Xiamen, China.[6] Kay Eng had two daughters and two sons.[7] He passed away in 1988 at 79 years old.

Origins

Lim Chee Guan pictured in its early days at New Bridge Road. Retrieved from Channel News Asia.

Lim Chee Guan started as a provision stall along a five-foot way at Chin Chiew Street selling tidbits and bak kwa. The founder, Kay Eng had learnt how to preserve meats from his mother.[8] However, he was responsible for developing the recipe for Lim Chee Guan's bak kwa marinade.[9] After 18 years of operations, Kay Eng moved his stall to New Bridge Road in 1956.[10] As reported by Channel News Asia, Lim Chee Guan was also operating from 61 Pagoda street in 1980s and 1990s.[11]

Business expansion

Lim Chee Guan's flagship store is situated at New Bridge Road.[12] The Straits Times reported that Lim Chee Guan had three outlets in the Chinatown area by the 1960s.[13]

The newest Lim Chee Guan outlet at Jewel Changi. Photo from Facebook.

Retail timeline

As of June 2020, Lim Chee Guan has four retail outlets in Singapore, two of which are located outside of Chinatown. The following table lists a timeline of its retail expansion in Singapore.

Year Outlet Refs.
2019 Jewel Changi Airport [14]
2009 ION Orchard [15]
- People's Park Complex -
New Bridge Road

In a 2009 interview with Life!, Rod Lim shared that Lim Chee Guan chose to open at ION Orchard to target tourists and a younger Singaporean demographic.[16] The exact years in which the Chinatown outlets were opened are not known.

Succession

Second & third-generation owners

Rod Lim inherited the business from his father, Kay Eng when the latter passed away in 1988. His two older sons, Benny and Jerre, have been involved in running the family business since finishing their university studies.[17] In a video interview with MissTam Chiak that was published on 21 October 2016, Benny and Jerre introduced themselves as the third-generation owners of Lim Chee Guan, also stating that their father was "still actively involved in the business".[18] Benny and Jerre each have two children of their own.[19]

Manufacturing process

Lim Chee Guan has since shifted production from its stores to a manufacturing facility at Pandan Loop.[20][21][22] According to Google maps, Lim Chee Guan 林志源 Food Industries Pte Ltd still operates from that location as of June 2020.

Traditional methods

While the raw pork is mechanically sliced and minced, the other processes such as spreading the meat to cook,[23][24] marinating and grilling the slices over charcoal are still done by hand.[25][26][27] In an interview with SALT Magazine that was published in 2018, Rod Lim, the second-generation owner of Lim Chee Guan, said:[28]

"We are very stringent with the grilling, all the staff doing it needs [sic] to have at least a few years of experience."

On top of the production facility, The Straits Times reported in 2014 that Lim Chee Guan's flagship store in Chinatown has a designated grilling station.[29]

References/ Citations

  1. ↑ Ant Group. "Bak kwa specialist Lim Chee Guan’s 68-year-old Rod Lim behind the family business and success: “I don’t want to fail my father”". Medium. August 21, 2019. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
  2. ↑ SPH Razor. "Queueing for bak kwa despite rain (Bak kwa prices Pt 1)". YouTube. July 26, 2013. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
  3. ↑ TODAYOnline. "Chinese New Year Bak Kwa Queues". YouTube. February 5, 2013. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
  4. ↑ "LIM CHEE GUAN FOOD INDUSTRIES PTE. LTD.". OPENGOVSG. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
  5. ↑ "LIM CHEE GUAN FOOD INDUSTRIES PTE. LTD.". BIZDIRECT. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
  6. ↑ "Steeped in heritage". SALT Magazine. January 1, 2018. Accessed on 8 June 2020. Retrieved from Press Reader.
  7. ↑ Huang Lijie. "Bak kwa king". The Straits Times. September 3, 2009. Accessed on 8 June 2020. Retrieved from Sammyboy.
  8. ↑ Tan, Annette. "The story of Singapore bak kwa specialist Lim Chee Guan goes back 80 years". CNA Lifestyle. January 29, 2019. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
  9. ↑ Huang Lijie. "Bak kwa king". The Straits Times. September 3, 2009. Accessed on 8 June 2020. Retrieved from Sammyboy.
  10. ↑ Tan, Annette. "The story of Singapore bak kwa specialist Lim Chee Guan goes back 80 years". CNA Lifestyle. January 29, 2019. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
  11. ↑ Tan, Annette. "The story of Singapore bak kwa specialist Lim Chee Guan goes back 80 years". CNA Lifestyle. January 29, 2019. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
  12. ↑ Tay, Tiffany Fumiko. "Businesses given green light to reopen on May 12 need not seek MTI approval". The Straits Times. May 6, 2020. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
  13. ↑ Huang Lijie. "Bak kwa king". The Straits Times. September 3, 2009. Accessed on 8 June 2020. Retrieved from Sammyboy.
  14. ↑ Yip Jieying. "Jewel Changi Airport Restaurants Like A&W & Lavender Bakery Open Today, Here’s What To Eat". 8days. April 11, 2019. Accessed on 8 June 2020. Retrieved from TODAY.
  15. ↑ "Lim Chee Guan Bak Kwa's Grand Opening @ Ion Orchard". SuperFineFeline. October 12, 2009. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
  16. ↑ Huang Lijie. "Bak kwa king". The Straits Times. September 3, 2009. Accessed on 8 June 2020. Retrieved from Sammyboy.
  17. ↑ Huang Lijie. "Bak kwa king". The Straits Times. September 3, 2009. Accessed on 8 June 2020. Retrieved from Sammyboy.
  18. ↑ Miss Tam Chiak. Facebook. October 21, 2016. Accessed on 8 June 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1139342402823879
  19. ↑ Tan, Annette. "The story of Singapore bak kwa specialist Lim Chee Guan goes back 80 years". CNA Lifestyle. January 29, 2019. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
  20. ↑ Chen, Celine. "How bak kwa is made". The New Paper. February 8, 2013. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
  21. ↑ "Food Factory @ 230 Pandan Loop". iCON Engineers. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
  22. ↑ Miss Tam Chiak. Facebook. October 21, 2016. Accessed on 8 June 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1139342402823879
  23. ↑ "On The Red Dot 2019/2020 - EP37". meWATCH. February 4, 2020. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
  24. ↑ The New Paper. "Lim Chee Guan - Keeping it Traditional". YouTube. February 1, 2013. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
  25. ↑ Chen, Celine. "How bak kwa is made". The New Paper. February 8, 2013. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
  26. ↑ Tan, Annette. "The story of Singapore bak kwa specialist Lim Chee Guan goes back 80 years". CNA Lifestyle. January 29, 2019. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
  27. ↑ Yip, Lynnett. "What is bak kwa, and why do Chinese, Malaysians and Singaporeans crave it at Lunar New Year? Hint: it’s a little like jerky". South China Morning Post. February 1, 2020. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
  28. ↑ "Steeped in heritage". SALT Magazine. January 1, 2018. Accessed on 8 June 2020. Retrieved from Press Reader.
  29. ↑ Quek, Eunice. "Grilling Bak Kwa". The Straits Times. January 31, 2014. Accessed on 8 June 2020.
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