Chin Mee Chin Confectionery
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The Chin Mee Chin Confectionery (Chinese: 真美珍, colloquially known as CMC) is a historic kopitiam (coffee shop) in Katong, Singapore. Located at 204 East Coast Road, Chin Mee Chin started out as bread delivery business in the 1920s by Hainanese native Tan Hui Dong before becoming a kopitiam in 1925 by renting 204 East Coast Road. The business would be taken over by Hui Dong's son Tan Joo Long in 1947 following his father's death in Sook Ching. The younger Tan expanded the business by serving other foodstuff and fully purchasing the building as well as giving the name 'Chin Mee Chin' (meaning "genuine, beautiful treasures" in Chinese). Following a surge of Eurasians living in the Joo Chiat area during the 1970's, Chin Mee Chin decided to appeal to the Eurasians by serving Eurasian confectionary, which would later become staples on their menu. In 2021, Food and beverages company Ebb & Flow acquired Chin Mee Chin and revived it after it was closed down in 2018 due to a lack of manpower and succession.
The Chin Mee Chin Confectionery building has a blue façade.
| Chin Mee Chin Confectionery | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1920 (business), 1925 (physical building) |
| Owner(s) | Ebb & Flow Group |
| Previous owner(s) | Tan Family |
| Pastry chef | Maxine Ngooi |
| Food type | Peranakan and Eurasian pastries |
| Street address | 204 East Coast Road |
| City | Singapore |
| Standard | 428903 |
| Country | Singapore |
| Coordinates | 1°18′26″N 103°54′26″E / 1.3072395705420266°N 103.90714286219685°E |
| Seating capacity | 60 |
| Website | https://www.chinmeechin.sg |
History
 | This History is missing information about Acquisition of CMC by Ebb and Flow (use CNA article linked). (August 2024) |
Chin Mee Chin Confectionery was started in the 1920s as an unnamed bread delivery business by Tan Hui Dong, a native of Keng Hai county, Hainan Island. Tan (along with his clansmen) delivered bread to Peranakan households in the Joo Chiat area. In 1925, Tan became a shareholder of a building owned by Hainanese proprietors on East Coast Road for his business, which would later become the Chin Mee Chin Confectionery Shop. However, Tan died in February 1942 during the Japanese occupation of Singapore. He was rounded up by Japanese soldiers after leaving his home to acquire new documentation from the Japanese Empire. Following his death, the business was ran by Tan's clansmen.[1][2]
The business was taken over by Tan's son (then aged 25), Tan Joo Long (alternatively spelled as Tan Joon Ling)[1] in 1947 after arriving from Hainan island. He named his father's business 'Chin Mee Chin Confectionery' (Chinese for "genuine, beautiful treasures").[3] The younger Tan expanded the business by serving other cake, pastries, and buns as well as purchasing the building that Chin Mee Chin was renting from the owners for the business' longevity.
During the 1970s, there was a growth of a Eurasian community in the Joo Chiat area. To attract Eurasians to the kopitiam, Chin Mee Chin started serving Eurasian confectionary such as sugee cakes and cream horns.[3]
On 25 July 2009, Tan Joo Long died at the age of 87, according to his son William Tan Chiew Duan.[1]
In 2018, Chin Mee Chin Confectionery closed down due to a lack of manpower and succession.[4]
In 2021, Food and beverages company Ebb & Flow Group revived and took over the Chin Mee Chin Confectionery. [5] Co-founder and chief executive officer Lim Kian Chun grew up on the street behind the bakery, and was neighbors with the Tan family. [6]
Nowadays, it is popular with worshipers of the nearby Church of the Holy Family, with many frequently patronising at Chin Mee Chin after Church services. [7]
Details
The Chin Mee Chin confectionery is located at 204 East Coast Road in Katong, Marine Parade, Singapore. The physical building has a pale blue façade with the "iconic" signboard of the business' name. It also has an alfresco section and a "colourful retro-style mural" on the exterior walls.[8] The interior of the building has a mosaic green floor and wall tiles with a "retro" horse painting hanged on the wall.[9] It has "marble-topped tables" and its "classic coffee shop chairs" that take up the front half of the shop as well as a "five foot way facing the [nearby] church".[10] The kitchen has gone through several changes over Chin Mee Chin's history. When Tan Joo Long took over the business, he and his staff used bricks and a metal sheet found at the back of the shop to create a makeshift urn and oven.[1] Chin Mee Chin also has a charcoal grill where they toast their buns. At some point before their closure, they stopped using it but it was brought back by Ebb & Flow[4].
References
- ^ a b c d Heng, Michelle (January 2010). "Keeping the Legacy Alive: Chin Mee Chin Coffee & Cake Shop Faces the Passing of an Era". Biblio Asia. 5 (4) – via National Library Board.
- ^ Thulaja, Naidu Ratnala (24 January 2018). "Chin Mee Chin Confectionery". National Library Board (Article). Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ a b "OUR HISTORY". Chin Mee Chin Confectionery. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ a b "The iconic Chin Mee Chin is back".
- ^ Aureus, Dudi. "Chin Mee Chin Confectionery to Re-Open on September 15—Here's What to Expect". Tatler Asia. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
- ^ "The 28-year-old reviving Chin Mee Chin and building a tech-driven F&B empire". CNA.
- ^ Lum, Magadalene (11 September 1997). "Katong landmark church to be redeveloped". The Straits Times (News article). p. 3. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ Khalid, Cam (17 May 2024). "The ultimate guide to Katong and Joo Chiat". TimeOut. 8. Chin Mee Chin Confectionery. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Yip, Jieying (April 15, 2024) [April 10, 2024]. "Chin Mee Chin Confectionery Reopening Mid-June With New Milo Tart, Prices To Increase". TodayOnline. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ Tan, Annette (September 17, 2021) [September 12, 2021]. "At The Reopened Chin Mee Chin Confectionery, Charcoal-Toasted Kaya Buns & Nostalgia Still Rule". TodayNews (News Article). Retrieved 4 August 2024.