The stall, which serves dishes including nasi padang, nasi lemak and lontong, welcomed its last customers on Oct. 4, according to a video posted on its Instagram page.
“Thank you to everyone who visited, ordered from us, shared our food with others and stood by Dapur Hassan throughout this journey,” the post read.
But Hassan noted that the closure of the physical stall on Tampines Street 12 did not mark the end of Dapur Hassan.
“We’ll be taking a short break before continuing Dapur Hassan through Grab delivery,” the footballer said in an earlier video.
|
Hassan Sunny at his food stall Dapur Hassan in Singapore. Screenshot taken from Instagram/@dapurhassansg |
While the social media posts gave no reason for the closure, Hassan later told local media that manpower was the main challenge.
“My mother-in-law is the one who has been cooking and preparing the nasi padang dishes, and she is lately physically unable to continue,” he told Channel News Asia. “It has also been difficult to find and hire the right staff members for the business.”
He said he wants his mother-in-law to get some rest, but he plans to keep the Dapur Hassan brand going.
He added that he has been learning her recipes so he can take over the cooking.
Dapur Hassan, which translates to “Hassan’s Kitchen,” opened in 2020 and unexpectedly gained international fame in 2024, when Chinese football fans began visiting the stall and leaving five-star reviews after Singapore’s World Cup qualifier match against Thailand, according to Mothership.
The fans credited Hassan’s performance in the match with helping China progress to the tournament’s next round, and some even sent him money through the stall’s QR code, which he later donated.
The stall also welcomed Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his wife that year.
Hassan played for Singapore’s national football team, the Lions, for more than two decades before retiring from international football in August 2024, by which point he was the most-capped Lions goalkeeper with 115 appearances.
He has continued to play for FC Jurong, formerly known as Albirex Niigata FC, in the Singapore Premier League. The 42-year-old is the oldest local-born goalkeeper to play in the local professional football league, The Straits Times reported in April.