Tanjong Rhu Pau's owners, Yap Wei Jie and his sister Chloe, discuss the difficulties of running their business, including rising ingredient costs, customer comparisons to past products, and a serious hand injury sustained by Wei Jie in a workplace accident. They also share their efforts to adapt and overcome these obstacles.
, $1 is expensive but they're willing to spend $4 on a croissant or $3 on a muffin," said Yap Wei Jie, 43. His sister Chloe, 48, chimed in: "Not to say that other snacks don't deserve that high value, but they don't thinkpauThis is one of the biggest hurdles they face while running a business that's been serving up freshly made, handmadeAnother challenge they face is having to live up to the comparisons that customers make between present-day steamed buns and those of the past.
"In our minds, we were thinking that the size of the box didn't change. 10 years ago, I was able to fit 10 pieces in there, but now I find it more difficult to fit them in, because ourUnderstanding that this was likely due to the perception of "last time is always better", he said: "We hope to encourage people to come to us with an open mind and give us a try again."Wei Jie also had a physical obstacle to overcome while running the business. In 2020, he nearly lost his hand in a dough machine accident. The injury was severe, and he was told by the doctor that there was a high chance his middle finger would be amputated. Despite this, Wei Jie managed to retain about 90 per cent of his hand's function after two more surgeries.It took him three months to rebuild his strength with physiotherapy, and he also had to adjust his technique before returning to the kitchen. In addition to the physical challenges, Wei Jie had to overcome the mental hurdle of using the same dough machine which injured him."I wanted to contribute to the business physically, so I was motivated to recover as fast as possible," he told AsiaOne. The accident was also a blessing in disguise because it taught him a valuable lesson in workplace safety and led to the business putting in place measures to prevent further injuries, Wei Jie said.Besides speaking with Wei Jie and Chloe, I also had the opportunity to try my hand at making Tanjong Rhu Pau's signature bite-sized steamed buns.masters' guidance, I practised shaping and folding the dough, before filling it with lotus seed paste, red bean paste, and the classicIt was definitely a steep learning curve for me, as I struggled to create proper folds while keeping the filling from spilling out. Once I got the hang of it, however, it was really fun and almost therapeutic. I started thinking less and just went with what felt right as I folded a total of nine buns.masters would give me tips on getting better control of the dough as well as words of encouragement.a burst of flavours filled my mouth. The rich red bean and lotus pastes were balanced by the slightly more savoury and creamy custard, which created an interesting mouthfeel. While this innovative snack was a bit too sweet for my liking, I can see it being a hit with those who have a sweet tooth., which is roasted using a traditional charcoal grill before being tossed in a wok to enhance its flavours.In the 1960s, Yap Peng Wah started selling steamed buns he made at the side of his father's coffeeshop — Chin Soon Huan Eating House — along Jalan Batu. Thanks to this bite-sized snack, the brand gained immense popularity during the late 1980s and early 1990s.Peng Wah, now 78, continued to run the business, which expanded to include shopfronts at Balestier and Guillemard Road, until his children took over in 2015. He continues to help out with theIn recent years, the homegrown brand has opened kiosks at Great World and Tampines Mall, and the siblings also launched a cafe concept, Chin Soon Huan, in Jalan Besar which offers the same traditional steamed buns. Tanjong Rhu Pau also plans to open two new kiosks — in Food Republic at Mandai and Food Junction at Bishan Junction 8. In March, it will be offering a limited-time promotion to celebrate this new chapter, where customers who buy eight Char Siew
Food Business Challenges Cost Of Goods Customer Expectations Workplace Safety
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