Duo makes 'impulsive decision' to set up hawker stall selling 2 dishes, already drawing regular customers

Who knew that a simple drinking session could lead to a business venture.

For Ong Weijie and Xavier Lim Teck Leong, both 29, one such session spawned a crazy idea, which they turned it into reality — a hawker stall, to be exact. 

And while it only just opened on Aug 10, the pair have already established a base of regular customers. 

Starting a home-based business in a week 

Weijie and Xavier, who have known each other since secondary school, were enjoying a few drinks together in November 2023 when they conceptualised the idea.  

"It actually was an impulsive decision," Xavier told AsiaOne when we visited his stall one weekday afternoon. 

For Weijie though, it was something that he had been contemplating.

The chef of 10 years — who previously worked for restaurants like Iru Den, Birds of a Feather and Bam! — had been thinking of delving into the hawker scene for some time already. 

He had brought up the idea to his parents, both retired hawkers, when he was 26 years old.

They weren't particularly keen, though, on their son entering this line of work.

But after honing his skills and revisiting the idea again three years later with Xavier, Weijie realised that there was a possibility he could make this dream work.

As for Xavier, who had gone to prison in late 2019 for drug consumption and possession, he wanted to try something new after serving time. 

In between the period when he was finally out of prison and before co-running Meat & Rice, Xavier worked as a delivery rider and a loan broker. 

Unlike Weijie, Xavier didn't have extensive culinary experience, but he used to help his father—who was one of the people who brought the famous Kin Kin Pan Mee to Singapore—in the kitchen. 

So the next day after their revolutionary drinking session, the excited pair immediately got to work and did some R&D in the kitchen. 

Their stall name, Meat and Rice, was as impulsive as their business idea. 

"We wanted something simple," Xavier said, adding that it was the first thing that had come to their minds when choosing a name. 

"Rather than thinking of something fancy, we wanted to stick to something that is sentimental." 

A friend also helped them design a stall logo with Canva, which featured a bowl of rice with chopsticks stuck into it. 

At the start, they decided to go with a home-based business to get a feel of the market. 

"We could also use this time to perfect our recipe and do more R&D," Xavier said. 

And if all this went well, they could move onto the next stage, which was a physical stall. 

Within a week, they were selling their food out of Weijie's kitchen to family and friends. 

While it all progressed quickly, the men took it in their stride. 

"I don't think there was any way for us to prepare ourselves to start a hawker stall," said Weijie. 

"But we had the mentality to just do it without thinking too much." 

This habit of making "impulsive decisions" with regard to running the business has become something of a daily routine, he added.

"We just settle it along the way." 

$15,000 and an almost-empty bank account later 

As word of their F&B venture spread and the duo began to receive more orders, they began looking around for potential hawker stall units to rent.

They considered various locations like Hong Lim Market and Food Centre, Alexandra Village Food Centre and Circuit Road. 

However, these places didn't make the cut for reasons like high rental prices and the "vibe" of the crowd. 

In July, they finally settled on ABC Brickworks Market and Food Centre at Jalan Bukit Merah. 

"I don't really know if it was the vibe or we were just impulsive again, but this place has been okay," Xavier said, with a chuckle. 

All in all, they have pumped around $15,000 to $20,000 of their savings into the business, including rent and equipment. 

And this has practically wiped out their bank accounts, they said. 

"Our savings were dried up. The moment we set up our stall and the first batch of ingredients came in, my bank account had around $300 left," Xavier revealed to us. 

"We are living on the edge," Weijie said as the pair burst into laughter. 

Fights, spoilt meat and other challenges 

As with any other business, the duo have faced their share of challenges and disagreements. 

In fact, they squabble almost every single day. 

However, these matters are usually settled quickly, and instead of bearing grudges, the two learn from these discords. 

"Disagreements are one thing, but you must be able to swallow the truth," Xavier said. 

"If Weijie is right, I have to accept it." 

Another challenge they face is in the kitchen, specifically quality control. 

Back when they were working in a home-based setting, everything was prepared in small quantities. 

"But down here, it's in big quantities. So, one screw-up will mess up your whole batch of food. Quality control is not as easy as we thought," elaborated Xavier.  

This has already happened a few times. 

Once, the duo accidentally burned a whole pot of sauce. 

And in another more costly incident, Xavier let 10kg of meat go to waste after he had not cooled it down properly. 

The damage was a painful $300, and as they could not salvage the meat, they had no choice but to throw it away.

"That was another big disagreement; we argued so much," Xavier recounted with a chuckle. 

Taking inspiration from older hawkers 

Like many young entrepreneurs in the hawker industry, Weijie and Xavier hope to keep Singapore's dying hawker culture alive. 

And the pair have extreme respect for the seniors who are still at it. 

As we chat at their stall, they would occasionally greet other hawkers that they've come to make friends with. 

Mid-conversation, they also praised the other hawkers and said they are in awe of how they do what they do while keeping prices affordable. 

They've also been getting some tips and tricks from their new friends. 

"The elderly hawkers have been giving us good advice, such as when is a good day to open and when is a good day to rest, as well as things to avoid," shared Xavier. 

Food that leaves a lasting impression 

So far, business has been decent and the men already have a few regular patrons.

One customer in his 30s has even visited the stall five days in a row because he loves the food so much. 

The menu has just two items— duck with rice ($7) and pork with rice ($6.50)—and we ordered both. 

Xavier told us that the pork is cooked in a pressure cooker to make it tender. 

And the protein definitely lived up to expectations. 

Juicy and soft, the pork, which had a good fat-to-meat ratio, melted in our mouths. 

What surprised us even more was the salted vegetables on the side. 

These are often overwhelmingly sour, but the duo had found a way to make it sweet and more palatable. 

Breaking the sous vide egg and mixing it in with the meat and rice also gave the entire bowl a lovely creamy texture. And we love how each dish is finished off with a fried wanton skin for that extra crunch. 

On the other hand, the duck had been sous vide. 

"If not, the meat will come out tough," Xavier explained. 

And true enough, the duck was more tender than what you would get at your run-of-the-mill hawker stalls. 

It was also coated in an intriguing, herbaceous sauce that the pair had prepared themselves. 

Similarly, the dish came with a side of that delicious salted vegetables, an egg and a crunchy wanton skin. 

We were so impressed by the food that we almost forgot to try the chilli sauce.

And we're not exaggerating when we say that we found this pretty mind-blowing. 

While the duo did not disclose their chilli recipe, they shared that they added some kaffir lime leaves for a zesty touch. 

We were not the only ones who were left happy after the meal. 

As we were chatting with Weijie and Xavier over our food, a customer walked over and praised the duo. 

He even said he would return in the future to order double the portion of meat. 

ALSO READ: Former chef at Takagi Ramen opens own hawker stall selling his rendition of the dish, pumped $40k into business

melissateo@asiaone.com