Andrew Tijoe, executive president of Singapore’s Tung Lok group, talks to Anoothi Vishal about contemporary Chinese cuisine and combating recession.
The reaction to My Humble House has been mixed in India...
What is authentic cuisine? In the last 10-15 years, distinctions have blurred. Our cuisine is contemporary Chinese —anchored in Chinese cuisine but using global ingredients and served in trendy surrounding. But we have brands devoted to casual dining too... There is always resistance to change but change is the only constant.
When we opened in China, people said we would be selling ice to the Eskimos. Yet, in 2004, our restaurant was in the top 10 in Beijing. When I started contemporarising Chinese cuisine, we took into account many trends: we made sure that the restaurant was cool and looked into issues such as MSG sensitivity and not thickening our sauces but using the reduction method. We raised the level.
How is the Indian operation doing? And what are your plans now?
We hope that more and more people will understand the cuisine. We are planning to take the brand (My Humble House) to other cities and I may bring our vegetarian Chinese food brand, LingZhi, to India too.
Even now, with the recession?
Recession does not worry me because I have been through this so many times. When we started out, in 1984, it was in the middle of recession. Then, in 1997, when I opened Club Chinoi, that served experimental cuisine in more glamorous surroundings, it was in the middle of the Asian economic crisis. In fact, bang in the middle of the last crisis, we started a very expensive concept by way of our imperial banquets, where we got chefs from the Mainland, who traced their roots to the kitchen of the Empress Dowager, and served $1,000-a-head meals. And these were very successful. People came all the way from Brunei, a group of school teachers, for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
So do you think luxury dining will not be hit?
People may want to spend less, not splurge on $80-100 meals. But our business comprises of casual dining too. The key will be to stretch the dollar, get superior value for money. Here, brand will become very vital. People will like to eat out at established places where they can be assured of stretching each dollar.