A longing for mum’s cooking has led this pair of sisters to embark on a journey into F&B.<\/p>\n
Elaine and Cheryl Tioh left their hometown, Ipoh, in 2000 to work corporate jobs in Singapore.<\/p>\n
They often missed the dishes their mum whipped up at home, but could not find anything like them here. Hence, they used her recipes to cook for themselves.<\/p>\n
The sisters also shared the meals they prepared with their friends, who enjoyed the food greatly and encouraged them to start a business.<\/p>\n
Elaine and Cheryl quit their jobs in logistics and finance to open the first Shan Cheng outlet in the basement of Clarke Quay Central in 2011, selling Ipoh-style dishes they made using their mum’s recipes.<\/p>\n
They would later shutter that branch, but not before opening three other restaurants.<\/p>\n
Speaking to AsiaOne, Elaine said that the duo hoped, and still does, for diners to “taste Ipoh” through their authentic dishes without having to leave Singapore.<\/p>\n
And after over 14 years in the business, the sisters are now embarking on another F&B venture to continue their mission.<\/p>\n
They are set to launch Taste Ipoh, a new concept by Shan Cheng, on Wednesday (Dec 17).<\/p>\n
Variety of Ipoh-style dishes<\/h2>\n
AsiaOne visited Taste Ipoh on Monday, ahead of its opening, at Basement 1 of Raffles City.<\/p>\n
We sampled a few Shan Cheng signature menu items such as the Shredded Chicken Hor Fun ($12.90) and Nasi Lemak Ayam Goreng Berempah ($13.90), which will also be served at Taste Ipoh.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The silky hor fun paired well with the bouncy prawns and juicy chicken, while the chicken-and-prawn broth was clean yet flavourful.<\/p>\n
The nasi lemak was well-balanced, with fragrant coconut rice and well-spiced fried chicken, as well as a sweet and spicy sambal <\/strong>which had a kick.\u00a0<\/p>\n We also tried the Taste Ipoh-exclusive Soft Shell Crab Seaweed Popiah ($9.90), a modern twist on the traditional snack.<\/p>\n This fresh and flavourful dish also had a crunch to it, thanks to the thin strips of raw turnip and crispy soft shell crab wrapped in a sheet of seaweed.<\/p>\n Other iconic dishes and beverages served at Taste Ipoh include Ipoh Curry Noodles, Traditional Kaya Butter Toast and Ipoh White Coffee.<\/p>\n Taste Ipoh is a modern concept geared towards attracting a wider customer base, Elaine told AsiaOne.<\/p>\n In fact, the eatery is in the process of getting halal certified.<\/p>\n “Shan Cheng serves dishes with pork, but here (Taste Ipoh), everything is Muslim-friendly,” said the 48-year-old.<\/p>\n As of 2024, San Cheng has sold over 1.1 million bowls of Ipoh hor fun.<\/p>\n While the sisters are doing well now, the journey to get here was both mentally and physically challenging, Elaine told AsiaOne.<\/p>\n Despite Clarke Quay Central being a good location for their first outlet, Shan Cheng was tucked in a corner of the mall’s basement which usually had low footfall.<\/p>\n They were “saved” by a popular bubble tea brand that opened an outlet right next to them, Elaine said, calling the situation “very lucky”.<\/p>\n People would discover the eatery while buying drinks and return the next day to give the food a try. This helped Shan Cheng gain regular customers, she explained.<\/p>\n The duo also struggled to secure regular suppliers and hire staff as they had yet to establish connections and make a name for themselves in the industry.<\/p>\n At the time, Elaine and Cheryl would work 12- to 14-hour shifts daily \u2014 buying ingredients from the market, preparing them, and cooking the dishes they served.<\/p>\n They would also man the cash register and prepare drinks while juggling networking opportunities and working on the Shan Cheng brand.<\/p>\n “Some days I was at the shop from 8am to 11pm. We did everything from head to tail,” Elaine said.<\/p>\n Now, Shan Cheng has a central kitchen which prepares items such as soups, curry and chili pastes for all three outlets as Elaine and Cheryl focus on Shan Cheng’s business development and marketing.<\/p>\n While their parents were supportive of them starting a business, their mother \u2014 who is a noodle seller in Ipoh with about 30 years of experience \u2014 had her reservations.<\/p>\n “Working for a company meant having a stable paycheck, but starting our own business was risky. She kept telling us ‘It’s not easy to do business’,” Elaine said.<\/p>\n But the sisters were well aware of the risk they were taking and were willing to do so despite having “not much capital” and “little experience in F&B” they had gained from helping their mother at her hawker stall when they were younger.<\/p>\n “We told ourselves we would try for two years. If we really couldn’t make it, we could go back to our respective industries,” Elaine told AsiaOne.<\/p>\n “But actually, we had faith in ourselves,” she added.<\/p>\n When asked about their plans for the future, whether for Shan Cheng or Taste Ipoh, Elaine said that they hope to continue expanding the business in Singapore and even abroad.<\/p>\n “We hope to open a second outlet (for Taste Ipoh), but it won’t be so soon \u2014 it’ll be at least six months from now,” she said.<\/p>\n Taste Ipoh will be running two special promotions in celebration of its opening.<\/p>\n From Dec 19 to 31, all customers who buy a cup of Ipoh White Coffee will get a second cup for free.<\/p>\n During the same period, customers who join the eatery’s free membership programme will be entitled to 15 per cent off their entire bill.<\/p>\n Address: 252 North Bridge Rd, #B1-81, Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore 179103<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
‘We did everything from head to tail’<\/h2>\n
‘We had faith in ourselves’<\/h2>\n