Heritage / 历史
In the 1940s, a young man named Yu Beng Chew left his home in search of a better life and arrived in Singapore. The Japanese Occupation brought severe hardship, but Beng Chew was determined to provide for his wife and children. Over the next decade, he worked odd jobs, saved every dollar, and dreamed of a stall he could call his own.
That stall opened in 1949, at 8 Upper Cross Street. The recipe was soy sauce chicken — whole bird, braised slow, with a handful of spices from his family kitchen. It has not changed since.
余炳钊先生，在三十多岁的时候，为了寻找更好的生活，来到了充满生机的新加坡。他没想到第二次世界大战中，日本占领新加坡会让日子更难过。但他不管日子再苦，生活再艰难，也决心为了他的妻子和孩子奋斗。
1940
Mr Yu Beng Chew, in his late 30s, decided to pack his bags in search of a better life and came to Singapore, the new land of opportunities. Little did he expect that the Japanese Occupation of Singapore in World War II would bring severe hardship, but Beng Chew was determined to provide for his wife and children.
余炳钊先生，在三十多岁的时候，为了寻找更好的生活，来到了充满生机的新加坡。他没想到第二次世界大战中，日本占领新加坡会让日子更难过。但他不管日子再苦，生活再艰难，也决心为了他的妻子和孩子奋斗。
1949
For years, Beng Chew worked long hours doing odd jobs to save money to rent a stall in a small coffeeshop at 8 Upper Cross Street. He had spent years perfecting his recipe and was finally happy with the result. Beng Chew named his stall "Chew Kee" using the last word in his name.
Business was brisk and he soon gained popularity for his soy sauce chicken noodle amongst a pool of loyal regular customers. People from all walks of life — workers, housewives, bosses — supported the business. His wife and four children took turns to help out at the stall.
Over the next few years, competitors started selling their variation of soy sauce chicken, with one of them in the same coffeeshop. But Beng Chew stood out by staying true to his beliefs: preparing food with a sincere heart, quality over quantity, and keeping his food affordable for the community. He also started selling soy sauce chicken rice and hor fun.
炳钊多年长时间努力打散工，终于存了一笔钱。他在八号克罗士街上段的南园咖啡店里，租下了一个小档口。炳钊花了多年的时间研制了令他满意的油鸡秘方，从此开始了新加坡第一间油鸡档。炳钊用他名字中的最后一个字，命名了他的摊位"钊记"。
生意蒸蒸日上，炳钊的正宗油鸡获得很多顾客的赞扬，也为他招来了不少老顾客。从工人，老板到家庭主妇都对他的油鸡面赞不绝口。当生意忙不过来的时候，他的妻子和孩子们都会轮流在摊位帮忙。他也听取了顾客的意见，开始卖起了油鸡饭和油鸡河粉。
在接下来的几年里，竞争对手看到他的生意蓬勃，也开始了卖油鸡，甚至还有一档在同一间咖啡店里。但是，炳钊在竞争中脱颖而出。他坚持自己的信念，用真诚的心料理，秉持着食物品质，让社区各阶层以实惠的价格享用他的油鸡。
1980
After toiling for more than 25 years, Beng Chew decided to retire at the age of 63. He handed the family business and the recipe to the second generation. His daughter, Madam Yu Lye Kuan, who had helped out at the stall since the tender age of 7, took over the daily operations with the help of her siblings. At the same time, the family took over the whole coffeeshop after it was renovated.
辛苦了超过二十五年后，炳钊决定在六十三岁时退休，将家族生意和秘方交给了第二代。他的女儿余丽琴女士从七岁时就在档口帮忙。在兄弟姐妹的帮助下，接管了日常营运。也在这同时，当南园咖啡店在经过一番整修后，钊记油鸡也接管了整个咖啡店。
1992
Due to structural issues, the coffeeshop had to undergo major reconstruction. The business moved temporarily to No. 34 Upper Cross Street.
Construction at No. 8 was completed in 1994 and the business moved back to its original location. During the bird flu scares of 1997 and 2003, when poultry had to be imported from Brazil at higher cost and the business sustained losses, the family managed to keep the stall afloat.
由于建筑结构性问题，八号咖啡店不得不进行重大改造。钊记油鸡并暂时搬到附近的三十四号克罗士街上段。
经过两年漫长的时间，八号咖啡店的建筑工程终于完成，钊记油鸡也搬回原址。在1997年和2003年的禽流感恐慌期间，钊记油鸡不得不从巴西进口家禽。虽然导致成本增加和生意持续亏损，钊记还是成功维持了生意。
2009
Third-generation Thomas Ho, son of Madam Yu Lye Kuan, took over the business at the age of 24. He had big shoes to fill and was determined to carry on the family's heritage. Working long hours every day, he mastered the recipe and learned the skills of the trade.
He holds high standards for the food he serves every day and personally ensures that the flavour of the sauce is authentic and consistent with the one served by his grandfather. Attention is given to small details, such as giving the chickens a second wash so that the sauce stays clean and smooth.
Despite pressure from competition or suggestions to expand the menu, Thomas stays true to his family's values and focuses only on soy sauce chicken.
Today, among the daily office crowd and tourists, many are loyal old-timers who have been eating Chew Kee's soy sauce chicken for decades. The business still operates from its original location — No. 8 Upper Cross Street, one of the oldest streets in Singapore.
余丽琴女士决定把生意交给第三代。她的儿子何家庆先生在二十四岁时接管了钊记油鸡，并决心继承家族的传统。家庆每天长时间工作，从基本学起，掌握了烹煮油鸡的秘诀与经营生意的技巧。他对每天所烹煮的食物都有很高的标准，并且亲自确保酱汁的味道与他祖父的味道一致。他非常注意细节，例如将供应商送来的鸡只进行第二次冲洗，使酱汁保持清洁和口感顺滑。
尽管来自邻近竞争的压力或其他扩大菜单的建议，家庆秉持着他的家族信念，专注于烹煮油鸡。
如今，在每日办公的人群和游客中，许多人都是钊记油鸡几十年以来的忠实顾客。钊记油鸡屹立不倒，仍然位于原址 — 新加坡最古老的街道之一，八号克罗士街上段。
Three generations. One recipe. No fuss.