After nearly four years in business, 1 Market by Chef Wan at Plaza Singapura has closed its doors permanently.

Owned and run by Food Junction Management, the restaurant was named after Malaysian culinary celebrity Chef Wan, who as consultant chef helped develop the menu based on his recipes. The 11,000 sqft (1020 sqm) food arena opened in November 2012, serving halal Asian cuisine buffet-style.

Food Junction GM Jeffrey Lim says a steady drop in business and higher running expenses led to the decision to close the restaurant.

Meanwhile, Chef Wan has been quoted in the Malaysian media as being unhappy with 1 Market’s management and a drop in food quality.

“The food is not prepared according to how I demonstrated, and the chefs have been doing as they please… I got quite angry.”

However, he feels that the restaurant’s closure is a shame as they worked hard on the venture.

Lim says that while the company tried to maintain the identity and essence of 1 Market, it has been hard to find and retain skilled cooks.