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Wistful eating

SINGAPORE — When it comes to the food scene, it is almost difficult to resist chasing after what’s new, buzzing and incessantly shared over social media. But that is not to say we don’t find it equally hard — if not harder — to ignore the foods and flavours we’ve grown up with. Nostalgia plays an important role in our dining preferences. Some call it the main ingredient in our favourite bowl of braised pig parts or candy that pops in our mouth. But long-standing old school restaurants are constantly challenged to stay relevant. And while some have closed for good, other have returned even after deciding to say goodbye. We look at the stories behind four food outlets which have staged a bold comeback.

SINGAPORE — When it comes to the food scene, it is almost difficult to resist chasing after what’s new, buzzing and incessantly shared over social media. But that is not to say we don’t find it equally hard — if not harder — to ignore the foods and flavours we’ve grown up with. Nostalgia plays an important role in our dining preferences. Some call it the main ingredient in our favourite bowl of braised pig parts or candy that pops in our mouth. But long-standing old school restaurants are constantly challenged to stay relevant. And while some have closed for good, other have returned even after deciding to say goodbye. We look at the stories behind four food outlets which have staged a bold comeback.

OLD SENG CHOONG — COMING FULL CIRCLE

If the name sounds familiar — to eastside residents, at least — it is because this e-business by renowned Singaporean pastry chef Daniel Tay is a homage to his late father’s Seng Choong Confectionery, which sparked his culinary ambitions. It was a well-loved confectionery located across the road from Marine Parade Central hawker centre. It was established in 1965 and run by Tay’s parents until its unfortunate closure in 1996.
 

“After 30 years in the business, my father wanted to pass on the business to me and retire,” said Tay, who was keen to make the business grow. “I wanted it to expand and for our products to be produced in a more modern way. My father was very keen to teach and guide me but I was too arrogant and a ‘know-it-all’.” He managed to convince his father to invest in a factory so that they could sell their products on a larger scale. “He was against it at first but he was also a very supportive dad and wanted me to make my own inroads in the business. I was really young, stubborn and inexperienced,” Tay continued. “My ideas and attempts at trying to grow the business too fast caused it to fail. We lost a lot of money with the factory and we could not recoup the losses. We had to close the factory and to cut our losses, we had to close the confectionery as well.”

This was a hard lesson and a day Tay said he would never forget. “Although he never blamed me or made me feel responsible, I never forgot what he did for me and how I was responsible for its closure. This was not the way he wanted to go out of the business,” he shared, adding how his father was still his biggest supporter when he started Bakers Inn (renamed Bakerzin).

“I never stopped thinking about my dad’s confectionery. I always wanted to do something about it but the timing was never right. When I left Bakerzin and started Foodgnostics (a state-of-the-art food solutions company that focuses on food contract manufacturing) and Cat & the Fiddle (a cheesecake e-shop), I toyed with the idea of bringing back this nostalgic brand back, and this time I felt I had all the right tools and business know-how to do it,” he explained.

By this time, his father was already gravely ill but was very surprised and pleased when Tay discussed the idea of an Old Seng Choong brand with him.

“I wanted to show him that I did not forget the sacrifice he made for me and this was my way of honouring him and his work,” Tay declared. It took only six months from the time he had conceptualised it to the brand’s launch on Jan 11. The media coverage it garnered, Tay added, made his father extremely proud. “He was getting calls from his old friends who had seen articles on the brand and pictures of him and me relaunching the brand, and they were calling him to congratulate him. He was overwhelmed with emotion and happiness, and for the first time in a long time, I felt that I had made some form of amends for what happened. A few months after I launched Old Seng Choong, my father passed away.”

From the onset, Tay wanted to establish that the brand will always focus on cakes, bakes and products that consumers would recognise from a bygone era but also to ensure that the methods used to create these held true to the era in which they were introduced. As such, the traditional yam, carrot and red date cakes were made using his mother’s recipes. But these are currently only available during specific calendar events, such as Chinese New Year and Mid-autumn festival, he explained, adding that it was always the company’s business model. But he also realised the need to “fill in the gaps between these calendar events” if he wanted to ensure customers didn’t forget the brand and what it stands for.

“We are working on developing several other items for Old Seng Choong, which include the traditional apple pie, Black Forest cake and rum balls that customers can order online at any time,” Tay revealed.

“We will keep adding to this repertoire. I also want to offer bakes that have that ‘old’ and traditional feel and does not look overly modern; for example, the Strawberry Shortcake.” But Tay ensured that these will always be made with only premium ingredients. “In the old days, the apple pies were made with bruised apples my dad bought from the fruit seller. We will use more premium baking apples for our pies.”

Moving forward, Tay felt that although the e-business is the way to go in this day and age, he has always felt that the final step to bringing the brand back is a storefront “in the original area where my dad and mum worked for 30 years”. “If this brand continues to work well, I may consider a storefront and that will be the most amazing way to honour my dad’s memory.”

SHASHLIK RESTAURANT — WRITING A NEW CHAPTER

Three months after it shuttered in December last year, Shashlik at Far East Shopping Centre reopened under new owners Lee Say Yeow and brothers Derrick and Alan Tan who are sons of the late Tan Niap Hin, the restaurant’s former head waiter and captain. Inspired by his father’s passion for the food and beverage (F&B) business, Derrick trained as a chef and went on to lead Tony Roma’s corporate kitchen. With two decades of experience and the help of the restaurant’s original crew, he now aims to write a new chapter for Shashlik, keeping the focus on continuing its tradition of “good food, great company and lasting memories”.

“My father spent 50 years of his life serving customers. My brother and I always chided him for working well into his 80s, but seeing him don his maroon waistcoat and bowtie year after year made us realise how much our father loved Shashlik. The restaurant was his second home, and he always treated every customer like family,” Derrick continued. As such, when news broke that Shashlik was to close, he said he felt the need to continue his father’s legacy and the restaurant’s heritage.

Named after the restaurant’s signature dish, Shashlik was first launched in 1986 by Tan Niap Hin and eight of his colleagues who found themselves out of a job when Troika restaurant closed. “I would like to think that Shashlik has found its own niche in this competitive F&B scene,” said Alan, adding that its unique blend of Russian food and “deep Hainanese imprint” speaks to the many “who seek warmth in both food and service”. This, he feels is key to the brand’s sustainability.

“Shashlik is 30 years old — (and is) one of the few recognisable names in the local F&B scene,” he explained. “When it first started, it catered to those who were willing to spend a little more on Western food in a setting which is not quite fine-dining, but (is) a comfortable place with staff conversant in both English and Mandarin — making Shashlik an accessible restaurant with hearty Western fare served without the stuffiness ordinary folks associated with high-class Western restaurants. This was Shashlik’s biggest draw.”

As such, he hopes that even diners who have not been to the restaurant will still feel just as at home. “We hope that they will hear our story of how nine 55-year-olds started the restaurant 30 years ago with their CPF monies and turned it into a local brand that is synonymous with soulful Western food whipped up by Hainanese chefs and served by Hainanese waiters.” That said, diners can look forward to a refreshed menu and wine list. Alan added that while they will ensure loyal fans can look forward to the flavours they’ve grown to love, the team is also looking to push out seasonal menus which he explained will give returning guests something more to look forward to. For instance, both old and new customers, he shared, have been very receptive to its wine-pairing sessions.

Alan added: “In the next 30 years, the second-generation owners hope to have passed the rein to the third generation and retire happily. Successors who are interested and capable to continue the restaurant are key.” As a restaurant that is woven into the culinary experience and happy memories of so many friends in Singapore, I would like to see Shashlik continue this role of bringing good food and joy to guests, their families and friends.”

MINI MELTS — A FUN ’90S TREAT RETURNS

Mini Melts was a popular ’90s sweet treat — tiny ice cream beads served in a cup that you could only get from vending machines here. Then, without any warning, the vending machines were pulled off the market, leaving those who regarded this frozen snack convinced they would not return.

To our surprise, Mini Melts made its return to Singapore last month via a kiosk in basement 2 of VivoCity. One of the reasons the Korean franchise behind this American frozen dessert wanted to reestablish it here is to “bring back childhood memories for many Singaporeans” said Aggie Au Yeung, director of Mini Melts Singapore.

Pointing out that she “heard that some Singaporeans had it during their childhood around 10 years ago”, she added that “it will be interesting for Singaporeans to have it again (now that) they have grown up” as the experience will be different from when they were a child.

Besides the cute little nitrogen balls that many have known and loved, the store will have a new item on its menu. Called Mini Melts Big, these nuggets are 50 times bigger than the regular Mini Melts, said Yeung. She shared that as the item had gone viral in Korea, the company feels it will do as well in Singapore. The flavours that will be available include Peach Kiwi, Pineapple Orange and Grape Soda. These are also successfully sold in convenience stores in Korea, which is why, Yeung said, they are thinking of making pre-packed Mini Melts Big of eight to 10 balls available in convenience stores here later this year.

At the store, Mini Melts also comes in a new “combo cap cup” for customers to pick two flavours. Developed for the Korean market, the cup comes in neon pink and turquoise and can be washed and reused, Yeung highlighted.

“People said they have used it (as a) card holder, phone holder or to store coins,” she said.

Mini Melts has proven to be a hit with consumers again. Yeung revealed kiosk sales are about 700 cups of Mini Melts ice cream on weekdays and 1,500 cups on weekends. And there are plans to open more stores. Yeung is looking at six to eight more stores around Singapore and is hoping to open an outlet at 313@Somerset in August. And guess what? Yeung is even toying with the idea of bringing the vending machines back to malls that have no location space available. Now isn’t that double the nostalgic fun for us ’90s kids?

COUNTRY MANNA — COMFORT FOOD RULES

Singaporeans love their comfort food, and back in the mid-1990s, many would flock to Country Manna for its house specials, Country-style chicken soup with puff pastry and roasted spring chicken, which the restaurant has affectionately named Manna Spring Chicken.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. After co-founder Francis Low decided to sell the business in 1998, the number of restaurants fell from 13 Singapore outlets at its peak to just two in 2010.

Even though Low bought back the brand, and opened an outlet in Suntec City in 2011, a labour crunch and construction works forced him to close the outlet after just eight months. The other two remaining outlets had also closed by then, said Low.

But after a four-year hiatus, Country Manna made its return in July last year at West Coast Plaza. Low invested S$300,000 in it. “We have a lot of old customers coming back from all around Singapore,” he said, adding that the customers have missed the food tremendously. These remarks from his customers greatly motivated him and Low has even introduced new menu items such as Beef Wellington and Beef Stroganoff. He further added perks such as a free-flow salad bar with more than 40 items and a soft serve counter. Low said customers have taken well to these new offerings.

In order to extend his food to a larger audience, Low is currently awaiting approval for halal certification for Country Manna, and a new menu is on its way too. “The menu will have a newer presentation, better quality, and I am going to introduce new items like Irish stew and chicken cooked in a French style.”

Low’s next step is to open a second outlet at Johor Baru before relooking at Singapore again. He quipped: “I have customers who had brought their children back then. And now these children, having grown up, have brought their own sons and daughters to eat at Country Manna.” ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SONIA YEO

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