Infamous XO fish head bee hoon hawker at Dover reveals why he's curt with customers, is open to selling off business

If you’ve ever patronised the popular Holland Village XO Fish Head Bee Hoon stall in Dover, chances are, you’ve probably been snapped at by owner Ricky Lau, 80.

Situated in a Dover Crescent coffee shop, the stall is famous not only for its boozy XO fish head bee hoon, but also its notoriously cantankerous owner and staff.

Customers often describe Lau as “rude” and having a “bad attitude”. In fact, the stall is said to be the “worst-rated fish soup in Singapore”, based on ratings on Google reviews.

From refusing to hand out extra cutlery to scolding customers for helping themselves to condiments, Ricky Lau’s sharp tongue has long been part of the dining experience.

Lau insists he was the first in Singapore to dream up the iconic dish 30 years ago.

“I was an XO salesman and used to sell brandy to nightclubs. When I wanted to quit my job and go into F&B, I thought, 'Why not add XO to fish soup?' That’s how it started,” he tells 8days.sg, proudly pointing to the stall’s sign that proclaims “first XO fish head bee hoon in Singapore”.

He opened his first stall at Holland Drive, which became a hit, before moving to Dover in 2009. There is another outlet at Temple Street which bears the same name, though he clarifies they are not affiliated.

His stall used to draw large crowds, including local and international stars, as well as politicians.

The recipe remains unchanged: Fish bones are simmered with ginger for hours and Courvoisier XO cognac is stirred in twice, once during cooking and again just before serving.

“Other people copy me, but no use. It tastes different,” he declares.

Lau is also known for being heavy-handed with the liquor. Our friends have gotten flushed and slightly tipsy after a lunchtime bowl.

Besides the XO fish head bee hoon, his har cheong gai (fried prawn paste chicken) and hei zho (deep fried prawn roll) are also crowd favourites.

Despite the proud legacy, Ricky Lau is blunt about the future.

“I’m already 80 years old. Work for what? Nothing to do at home then just wait to die,” he quips matter-of-factly when we ask about rumours that he is considering shutting for good.

He has four kids, but none are keen to take over the stall. And with business down 30 per cent since the pandemic, he admits he’s tired.

“Last time, we had a long queue every day. Now, everyone [in F&B] is doing so badly – the economy is bad, prices go up and people spend less.”

Where he once sold five to six crabs a day (his stall also sells other seafood such as chilli crabs and Teochew steamed grouper), Lau now struggles to sell that amount in a week. Customers mainly stick to the basics – their XO fish head bee hoon, har cheong gai and san lou hor fun. Their signature bee hoon is priced from S$9 for a single serving to S$32 (for five people).

“Not enough to cover costs,” he laments.

Though he doesn’t cook himself, Lau relies on his trusted team who’ve been with him for over 20 years. But even their loyalty may not be enough to keep things afloat.

He is now open to selling the business and brand for S$400,000 (US$310,000), even offering to stay on to watch the business for a year to ease the handover process.

Given the current market, Lau says he has kept the asking price modest and does not expect to profit much from the sale.

It’s a far cry from the S$1.5 million offer he once received from a potential buyer before the pandemic.

“At the time, my business was very good, so I didn’t want to sell,” he shares. With hindsight, he admits he didn’t foresee the downturn, and there’s now a tinge of regret about not letting it go then.

He hopes the sale will give him a small retirement fund, and is even toying with the idea of moving to China to spend his golden years. 

When we suggest changing his attitude towards customers might help, he gets riled up.

“Some requests are ridiculous. Customers say they will pay S$1 more to change the veggies in the fish head bee hoon from cabbage to cai xin. I tell them, 'Your S$1 very big ah?' I’ve always used cabbage,” he snaps.

Cutlery is another sticking point. “Three people come, order an S$8 bowl of bee hoon for one person. Then ask me for three sets of bowls and cutlery. How to? I still must pay for dishwashing! I’d rather refund them,” he says.

His niece, who helps him run the stall, explains later that it’s because they pay an external party by the bucket for dishwashing, so every bowl and spoon counts.

Still, Lau admits he could tone things down.

“Okay, I will be nicer. Don’t worry, no problem. I will try to be less fierce,” he says. “I will also talk to my staff about their attitude.”

Despite his gruffness, Ricky Lau admits he struggles with the thought of shutting down.

“I can’t bear to give up,” he says, but in this challenging climate, it might be the best option.

And if he doesn’t find a buyer? Lau says he will decide his next step after Chinese New Year in 2026.

XO FISH BEE HOON, S$17 FOR THREE PEOPLE

The heady aroma of XO hit us before the bowl even touched the table. The milky broth, though not as boozy and rich as we remember, is still flavourful. Generous, meaty chunks of deep-fried toman fish add natural sweetness and a satisfying bite to every spoonful.

When we mention complaints about a drop in quality, Lau tells us he’s aware and that this happens on his head chef’s off day when another cook takes over the stove.

So does it deserve the “worst-rated fish soup in Singapore” label? Taste-wise, no. But having read some of the Google reviews, we’d say the bad service might just explain it.

HAR CHEONG GAI, S$12 FOR EIGHT PIECES

We are suckers for prawn paste chicken and this ranks among our favourites. Don’t be fooled by the pale, unassuming crust, the well-marinated chook is crispy, juicy, and umami-packed. It tastes best on its own, but you can always jazz it up with a dip of their tangy housemade chilli and a squeeze of lime.

Holland Village XO Fish Head Bee Hoon is at #01-05, 19A Dover Crescent, Singapore 131019. Open daily 11.30am to 2pm; 5pm to 11pm.

This story was originally published in 8Days.

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