Tan Bee Hua (陈美烨), owner of the well-known Tan’s Tutu Coconut Cake stall, has died at the age of 63. The store announced her passing on its social media pages on the morning of 29 July, 2025.
In its tribute, Tan’s Tutu Coconut Cake shared that she “always loved her job and took pride in perfecting her tutu kuehs to contribute to Singapore’s rich food heritage”. The post added that she “will always live in our memories”.
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Tan’s Tutu Coconut Cake has been operating from Havelock Food Centre.
Its Clementi outlet closed in 2023, but the brand remains cherished by many for preserving the traditional handmade tutu kueh, a steamed rice flour snack with coconut or peanut filling.
In the Facebook group Hawkers United, Melvin Chew, owner of Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck And Kway Chap, called Tan a “legend”.
Chew wrote that her passion for making tutu kueh was “a great contribution to our hawker culture” and that her passing is a “big loss to our hawker culture”.
Known affectionately by many as Auntie Tan, she spent decades upholding her family’s craft.
According to an interview with Lianhe Zaobao in 2021, Tan explained how she made the life-changing decision to protect her father’s legacy.
Tan Bee Hua’s father, Tan Eng Huat (陈永发), started making tutu kueh in the 1930s, founding what would become nearly nine decades of the Chen family’s tutu kueh tradition.
He passed the trade to Tan Bee Hua’s brother, who continued the craft and built the Tan family name into one of Singapore’s most recognisable for tutu kueh.
Following her brother’s death in 2004, Tan Bee Hua stepped away from her 25-year career as an assistant accounts manager to take over the stall full time.
She shared with Zaobao that she had been deeply moved by her brother’s trust in her to keep the family tradition alive.
“My brother fell ill, and I began thinking about taking over. If no one took over, my father’s creation would be lost,” she said.
Tan’s mother was initially against the idea, preferring that her daughter keep her stable job with good benefits.
Despite this, Tan was determined to preserve her father’s craft for future generations.
She often recalled one phrase from her late brother that guided her through the tough times: “Do the tutu kueh to the best it can be.”
Regular customers praised Tan’s unwavering dedication to maintaining the authentic taste and handmade method of tutu kueh, which is becoming increasingly rare in Singapore’s modern hawker scene.
Many shared memories of watching her expertly steam the delicate cakes to order.
Her death has prompted an outpouring of tributes online from loyal patrons and fellow hawkers, who said her passing marks the loss of a significant figure in Singapore’s hawker heritage.
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