Thirty-year-old Shashlik, a restaurant known for its borsch, steak
and meat on skewers, will close at the end of the year, when the
lease for its Far East Shopping Centre premises runs out. One of
the partners of the Russian restaurant, Ms Jenny Lee, 57, told The
Straits Times that the staff are getting old, hiring new employees
is hard and business has been slow.
She said the
owners considered closing 18 months ago, but the landlord persuaded
them not to.
"It's very
sad, but we have no choice," she said. "We are getting old and we
are very tired."
The 100-seat
eatery was popular in the 1980s and 1990s. It was set up by former
employees of Troika, a well-known restaurant in Bras Basah Road
that closed in 1985. They named Shashlik after Troika's signature
beef skewers. Regulars, who included Cabinet ministers, followed
them to the new place.
The
old-school restaurant was known for its geriatric Hainanese
waiters, some of whom could be curmudgeonly. Its former captain,
the late Tan Niap Hin, worked until he was 83, stopping only
because of ill health. He died in 2013 of pneumonia, months after
he left the job.
Shashlik is
one of the few places here to offer tableside service. Desserts
such as cherries jubilee and baked Alaska are prepared right at the
table, wheeled out on rickety trolleys by waiters who also whip up
drinks such as Irish coffee.
Ms Lee said
the owners are not averse to selling the business, which would come
with a book of heritage recipes passed down over the years.
"Whoever buys
the business will get all our recipes. We will leave it up to the
new owner to decide what to do with the space, and if he wants to
re-employ us. If not, it will be an early retirement for me," said
Ms Lee, who noted that her son, now 30, grew up with Shashlik.
One of its
last remaining Hainanese waiters, Mr Foo Sek Chuan, 75, said: "I am
happy when regular customers come to dine, and look for me because
I am a familiar face. But we are old and we need to rest."
Both Ms Lee
and Mr Foo - who have worked at Shashlik for 30 years - have fond
memories of the restaurant. They recalled how much they enjoyed
catching up with regular diners, and how they would play mahjong
during service breaks years ago.
Diners whom
The Straits Times spoke to were shocked by the news.
Retired
businessman Bernard Tan, 63, who dines at Shashlik every few months
with his family of five, said: "It's a pity, but they've had a good
run and they deserve a break. I will miss the the beef shashlik and
baked Alaska."
Marketing
executive Geraldine Chen, 37, said: "I will miss Shashlik - it's a
hidden gem in Orchard Road. I like the old-school premises, the
friendly staff and the food.
"Now I feel
terrible that I haven't been back for a while. I'll have to go back
many times before it closes."