SINGAPORE \u2013 After 17 years of running his own restaurants \u2013 most notably Saveur and The Masses \u2013 local chef Dylan Ong is charting a new path with home-grown food and beverage group Creative Eateries.<\/p>\n
Ong, 39, quietly closed the Franco-Asian restaurant The Masses and the Singaporean cuisine restaurant Choon Hoy Parlor \u2013 located in neighbouring units at Capitol Singapore \u2013 on June 1 before joining the group a week later on June 8.<\/p>\n
The Masses was first established in 2017 in Beach Road and relocated to Capitol Singapore in 2024. Choon Hoy Parlor, which took over The Masses’ Beach Road space in 2024, also moved to Capitol Singapore in June 2025.<\/p>\n
Saveur began in 2011 as a hawker stall offering affordable French cuisine to the masses. It evolved into bigger restaurant concepts and eventually closed its last outlet in 2025. Ong left Saveur in 2017 to start The Masses.<\/p>\n
Unlike many other F&B businesses that announce their closures, there was no “last hurrah” for The Masses and Choon Hoy Parlor.<\/p>\n
In fact, both restaurants still stand fully furnished at the mall, which Ong says is in agreement with the landlord for future tenants to take over. As at Oct 29, both brands remain listed as “temporarily closed” on Google.<\/p>\n
In an exclusive interview with The Straits Times, he says he planned the closure in January without looking for investors or trying to “hard-sell” himself.<\/p>\n
He cites rising costs and declining revenue as the reasons for the closure and was considering venturing overseas before being approached by Creative Eateries in May.<\/p>\n
Calling himself an “anti-hero”, he decided to silently bow out instead of following other businesses by making a closure announcement and having diners flock to the restaurants.<\/p>\n
“Consumers do not hold sentimental value for a brand. Why announce it and then people throng in just because it’s the last piece of us they can get? I decided to put a full stop, rather than let people put a full stop to it,” he says.<\/p>\n
A new path at Creative Eateries<\/h2>\n
Only members of his team were aware of the closure, and several have moved to Creative Eateries with him.<\/p>\n
They include Dexter Ko, now the group’s executive chef, and Benji Chew, who oversees the kitchens at Tanglin Cookhouse and Typhoon Cafe.<\/p>\n
As head of restaurants \u2013 a new role created for him \u2013 Ong oversees all 13 brands under the group, spanning 13 outlets. Brands include Bangkok Jam, Siam Kitchen, Suki-Ya and Vineyard at HortPark.<\/p>\n
The most recent refresh is of Barossa Steak and Grill at VivoCity, which reopened on Oct 17 after a three-week, $500,000 renovation.<\/p>\n