Jun 20, 2015 - Against the odds. Small, indie F&B joints are growing bigger ... that the restaurant had to vacate it
Publication: TODAY, p 32-33 Date: 20 June 2015 Headline: Against the odds
EXPANSION PLANS
Against the odds Small, indie F&B joints are growing bigger despite the challenges. What are they doing right? HE PEIWEN
[email protected] SINGAPORE-
Joel Ong was on the
World Sentosa. During that time, he visited Thailand almost 20 times when ever he had time off, to
verge of bankruptcy a month ago. The 27-year-old chef and owner of
try the food and learn about the c u l t u re.
Rochor Thai, a down-to-earth and affordable Thai bistro, was informed
He finally decided to bring the wealth of flavours Central Thai
that the restaurant had to vacate its premises in Joo Chiat by the end of
cuisine offered back
May. The landlord had sold the shop house and the new owner had other plans for the building.
to Singapore. "Most of the Thai eateries in Si nga-
Ong made the announcement on Rochor Thai's F acebook page on May 19 that the restaurant was clos ing after two-and-a-half years. Af ter three weeks, he received 14 of
pore serve cuisine from the north-east, which is just spicy and sour, period," he said. "That's why I nev-
fers of help. The bulk of them came
er liked Thai food - un-
from F&B companies and individu als who wanted to invest, although
t i l I went to Thailand at the age of 23 and real
there were also offers to buy out his
ised what I was having was
chefs.Ong, who had taken a bank loan to start the business, is now in the process of finalising the details of his new partnership.
in Singapore." Offerings on the Rochor Thai
very different from Thai food
menu include green papaya salad with sauce and salted duck egg; wok
STUBBORNNESS CAN PAY OFF
fried cabbage with fish sauce; and
Homemade mixed berries
Rochor Thai is not the only F&B
grilled pork collar. It's not your usu al green curry or tom yum soup and central Thai cuisine leans towards
player that has managed to find a niche in Singapore's almost over
gelato from Grin Affair.
stronger flavours that are more mul
saturated and hy per-competitive food scene, where rents are a killer,
tidimensional, saidOng.
manpower shortages run rampant
from scratch and no MSG is used.
Rochor Thai quickly found a fol lowing, particularly among work
sters: You're equally likely to find
and customers are notoriously fin
Even cha yen, or Thai iced tea, is sourced directly from a family-owned
ing executives in their 20s and 30s, there were also those who found the
shorts-clad patrons sauntering over from the indoor climbing gym, yoga
plantation in Chantaburi, three hours
flavours too intense. The tussle be tweenOng the chef andOng the busi
cyclists making a caffeine pit stop and
people use one popular brand of tea,
nessman began: He could "dilute"
residents from the neighbourhood.
but I personally don't like its taste. My tea costs 40 per cent more (than
the flavours and appeal to a larger audience or stick to his original plan. The tenacity paid off when Rochor
For Jun Lau, a 38-year-old service designer who drops by often, Brawn & Brains offers more than just an aro
icky. Other small players have made their mark and are thinking of go ing big. But what keeps Ong and his fellow F&B owners going - and even expanding? For Ong, it's sticking to his guns, which could be his mantra. He was
All the sauces and pastes are made
from Bangkok. "In Singapore, most
others'), but the f lavour is better,"
often packed. And not only with hip
babes from the neighbouring studio,
Thai was awarded the Thai Select
matic brew- she enjoys the intimacy
for culinary school and was serving
Still, it wasn't smooth sailing: Not
Award, a recognition of authenticity
the owners have with their customers.
a one-year attachment at Resorts
everyone was a fan at f irst. W hile
the Royal Thai Government grants to
"Gwen really tries to know the cus tomers as friends. My children come
a jaded musician who had signed up
saidOng.
restaurants from around the world. (Rochor Thai is one of six recipients in Singapore.) Ong acknowledged that the rela tively lower rent of Rochor Thai's previous Joo Chiat location (at about S$6,000 per month) and simple decor allowed him to "be a bit stubborn in terms of the quality of the food". "The only thing that brings people back is the food," he said. And it has paid off: Ong can't wait to reintroduce the new Rochor Thai
here for the sweets and they call her Auntie Gwen. The feeling here is really like that of a local kopitiam." Peh recalled with a laugh how her staff once remarked that Brawn & Brains was like a community cen tre because "everybody knows eve rybody". "Some of our customers come here and make friends, some run into friends they've not seen for 10 years, some bump into their first
to the public and targets to reopen by
boyfriends," said Peh. "I can't describe the feeling, but it's amazing to be part
August. "We cannot keep our custom ers waiting for too long."
of something like that." It's no surprise then that Brawn &
SERVICE BEYOND A SMILE
Brains is now expanding within the compound (and yes, fans have been hounding the owners about when the
Over at Brawn & Brains, owners Xa
new space will be ready.)
vier Tan, 39, and Gwen Peh, 32, are sometimes approached by regular
to its new 1,025 sq ft unit at the front
customers who just want to say hi.
For Rochor Thai's chef owner Joel Ong, it's all about the food, such as this grilled pork-collar dish.
They said the cafe would move in
Located at the old Singapore Bad
of the building in the middle of next month. Tan admitted that it's not the
minton Hall, the cafe opened in Au gust 2013 and at a cosy 355 sq ft, it is
conventional way to run a business, but "we were taking so long (with
Source: The Edge Review© The Edge Review Limited. Permission required for reproduction.
Publication: TODAY, p 32-33 Date: 20 June 2015 Headline: Against the odds
provide horrible service or serve it in a horrible environment. Cus tomers drink and enjoy the food with all their senses. So what we deliver is warm and friendly cus tomer experience along with qual ity coffee."
THINKING OUT OF THE BOX In the heartlands ofBishan (specifi cally Block 505D along Street 11), the second outlet of Grin Affair, the dessert store best known for its jar cakes, opened its doors in Febru ary. In addition to its signature
Keen for some coffee talk? The folks at Percolate are more than willing to have a chat.
"jar cakes"- cakes packed in cute glass jars- the new outlet also of fers meringue waffles. Made with egg white and soya milk, the waf fles are crispier and lighter than conventional ones, not to mention
the renovation) because we want things to be done right".
Percolate's cof fee beans come from local outfits Papa Palheta and
Take the flooring. They ended up stripping off close to 40cm of old floor
Nylon Coffee Roasters. That the trio do their best to ensure the coffee is
old behind the dessert store, said: "One thing about food is that I want
healthier. Jody Ang, the 25-year
ing and tiles, and levelling it with 18
delicious goes without saying. What
it to be healthy so I can keep eating
bags of sand because parts of it were
they really pride themselves in is
tilted. "It's not a sound investment to do something so costly because our
their openness to talk about coffee. Tan said: "I'm all for explaining in
it. If it's unhealthy, you feel guilty each time you have it, as it's not
lease is less than three years, but I
great detail where our coffee comes
She started Grin Affair in 2011
had to do it because I want things to
from and how we make them. You can
while trying to figure out what she wanted to study in university.
good for you."
be done right. I wouldn't have felt good
come to talk to me and ask me any
sitting in that environment," said Tan. "At the end of the day, we just want
thing about coffee."
Over two years, she tried all sorts
And if you just want to have a good cup of joe without the talk, the team is
of jobs, from motivational speak er and bartender to scuba-diving
to make people feel comfortable and serve honest coffee that our custom ers like. It's very straightforward." Meanwhile, in Bedok North Ave 3,
happy to serve recommended brews
teacher. During her free time, she
without fuss. With such a strong base of regulars, they were worried about
indulged in dessert making.
whether customers would like the new space, or find it too big or com
wasteful, she came up with the idea of selling cakes in glass jars
Noting that food packaging was
just off the bustling central, another cafe reopened last month in a space double its original. Percolate has seen a steady stream of customers since it
mercialised. But at the same time,
(they're also recyclable or reus
the owners felt obliged to provide a
able). With money saved from her
opened in March last year. Current
better space.
jobs, she first opened Grin Affair
ly, more than 80 per cent of its cus tomers are regulars, which makes its three owners - Alvin Tan, 28; Vin
"As much as we loved the cosy am bience and atmosphere of the previous smaller space, people sometimes felt
at Everton Park. By the follow ing year, thanks to attention from
cent Ng, 28; and Shane Glynn, 40very pleased.
rushed and obliged to finish quickly
the jar cakes were selling so quick
and give up their seats," said Tan. "We
ly that she could not meet the de
Said Tan: "We set out to promote a coffee culture and establish a coffee community. We wanted speciality cof
think that if you were to enjoy some thing, you shouldn't be rushed." Ultimately, the team hopes to cre
mand. On one occasion, everything in the store was wiped out within half an hour of opening.
fee to be something that's easily ap proachable and not a luxury, but more
ate the perfect experience. Tan rea soned: "There's no point in me mak
With no formal training in pas try making - something she is
of a daily ritual."
ing you a really good cup of coffee, but
interested to pursue some day -
bloggers and mainstream media,
Ang's ingenuity is rooted in her curiosity. "I like to question why things must be done a certain way, and to try out new things. It keeps me going," she said. Rather candidly, she reckoned the peak of the store's success was back in 2012. Still, the fact that Grin Affair has lasted and evolved into a business also involving her mother, two older brothers and eight em ployees signifies that they must be doing something right. Ang has since gone back to school and is in her second year at Singapore Management Univer sity, studying business and social science. Yet she remains hands-on in the business and continues to come up with new desserts, such as the soon-to-be-launched waffles in a jar, which involve delectable layers of meringue waffle, gelato, brownie and cookies in their sig nature glass jars. Like everything else in Grin Affair's desserts, right down to the caramel, all the ele
Have a coffee break at Brawn & Brains.
ments are homemade.
Source: The Edge Review© The Edge Review Limited. Permission required for reproduction.
