This fine-dining restaurant chef started a tea drinks stall to build his ‘own dream' instead of other people's

At prettily designed stall Cha Mulan in Bedok Food Centre and Market, former fine-dining restaurant chef Kenneth Teo, 30, hawks wholesome Chinese tea drinks.
While it's served in cute cups reminiscent of those from bubble tea shops, this isn't your typical bubble tea – there are no tapioca pearls or popping boba here. Instead, think of it as tong shui (Cantonese-style soupy desserts) with TCM benefits plus tea in a cup, offering a similar sip-and-chew experience with nourishing ingredients like goji berries, peach gum, poached pears and snow fungus. But like bubble tea, the sugar level here is customisable.
Teo is a culinary school grad (he declined to name the school) who worked at establishments like one-Michelin-starred mod Korean restaurant NAE:UM and award-winning NEL Restaurant in Sydney, for about five years.
"I like the Disney character Mulan," Teo shared, referring to his stall's name which was inspired by Chinese folk heroine Hua Mulan. "I envision my company to be like her: Aesthetic, but also very strong in nature."
WHY BECOME A DRINK STALL HAWKER?
"I 100 per cent enjoyed being a chef at high-end places," Teo asserted. "The people I crossed paths with were the most talented individuals, all highly motivated to push limits. I always felt I could achieve anything when I was with them."
Despite thriving in fine-dining, Teo's perspective shifted later. "Hawker centre culture has always excited me," he explained. Perhaps the fact that Teo's grandfather used to operate a yong tau foo stall in Bedok North, Ah Joo Handmade Fish Ball, now run by his uncles, also helped motivate him to become a hawker. He used to help make fish balls and yong tau foo at the stall when he was in school. "Hawkers are the heart and soul of Singapore's culinary heritage," he added.
WANTS TO BE HIS OWN BOSS, SPOOKED BY MUM'S RETRENCHMENT IN THE PAST
Inspired by his girlfriend's love for bubble tea, Teo wanted to create a healthier alternative, which sparked Cha Mulan's concept. "These aren't your typical pearls," he explained. "We use peach gum – a natural collagen that grows in peach trees. It's well absorbed by our bodies, and kids love the texture."
His career change was also driven by practical concerns. "My mum was retrenched when I was young. That experience taught me that I never want to face job insecurity," Teo shared. "Building other people's dreams is never a long-term goal. Building your own dream is always the end goal."
"The Singapore government encourages entrepreneurship, and there are grants available. The hawker community has a true kampong spirit – everyone is willing to try new things and support each other."
In October 2024, Teo opened his first stall at Bedok Food Centre and Market, originally called The Flower Mulan.
A chance encounter would soon transform his solo venture into a far more ambitious partnership.
ACCIDENTAL PARTNERSHIP AND STALL EXPANSION
Enter Teo's business partner, the marketing savvy Josiah Tan, 33. "I was having kway chap at Bedok Food Centre when I saw an uncle take a drink sample from Kenneth's stall. Within 10 seconds, without even checking the price, the uncle said, 'gei wo yi bei' [give me one cup in Mandarin]," recalled Tan. Intrigued, he tried a sample himself and was won over.
The SMU business management and marketing graduate launched a business consulting firm focused on helping SMEs grow in his second year of university and ran it for almost a decade. He has since stepped back from that business, which his partner continues to run.
Why the pivot to owning a hawker brand? Tan said his grandparents used to run a chicken rice stall, working gruelling hours in sweltering heat.
"My grandmother would turn to neighbouring stalls for a cup of Coke to seek relief from the intense heat," Tan recalled. "By 38, she developed diabetes. Back then, people didn't understand the long-term implications of these seemingly harmless daily habits."
Her condition progressively worsened, leading to two amputations. "Her soul and zest for life were sucked out because of diabetes," he said softly.
"What if, 40 or 50 years ago, the stall behind hers wasn't selling sugary drinks, but a healthier alternative like our tea where you can control sugar levels? That's one of the biggest reasons I'm doing this," Tan emphasised. "Beyond just making money, we want to provide drinks that can contribute to people's well-being."
TWO WEEKS TO FORM BUSINESS 'MARRIAGE'
Tan reached out to Teo via Instagram and met him four days after first sipping his drinks. "Our values are aligned. I was the one chasing him," Josiah laughed. "It took about two weeks to chase him, and then we got married together business-wise, which was much faster than me chasing my wife!"
Tan invested a "sizeable amount" from his savings to join the business, though he's reluctant to reveal exactly how much. "Enough to go on many, many holidays," he quipped. With his marketing background, he helped repackage and rebrand the concept, tweaking the brand to a catchier "Cha Mulan", and creating product names, while Teo focuses on the recipes.
TONG SHUI IN A CUP
Prices range from S$4.90 to S$5.90 a cup, with eight base ingredients to choose from. For example, there's the Cleanse Mulan, which comes with poached pear and silky snow fungus.
The pear is simmered with lemon and ginger for over eight hours – an old-school remedy for respiratory issues like coughs and colds inspired by Teo's grandparents' recipe.
"The Cleanse Mulan is my mum's personal favourite," Tan laughed. "She has trouble with constipation. After she drank that, wah, qing qing (smooth in Mandarin)!"
After selecting a base, customers can choose from three teas: Artisan White Peach Oolong, Artisan Osmanthus Oolong, or the Artisan Tea of the Day – all brewed on-site using tea leaves from China. Next comes the option to customise sugar levels, which range from 0 to 100 per cent (they recommend 50 per cent), followed by a choice of ice levels to suit your preference.
OPENING SHOP AT JEWEL CHANGI AIRPORT SOON
Since opening the first stall in October 2024 at Bedok Hawker Centre, Cha Mulan has already expanded to Chinatown Complex Food Centre, Marine Parade and Bukit Merah.
While the business is growing steadily, Tan admitted they haven't broken even on their initial investment yet.
He clarified that while they are sole brand owners of Cha Mulan, they aren't direct owners of all the outlets. Instead, he said they partner with stall owners who run the various outlets under the Cha Mulan name.
"Our goal is to bring Cha Mulan to as many people as possible – across Asia, including Malaysia and China," he boldly declared, adding that they are open to franchising.
Cha Mulan is opening two more outlets within the next few months, this time beyond hawker centres: A standalone shop in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8, and more impressively, a kiosk at Jewel Changi Airport in July.
"This isn't just a business," Tan emphasised. "It's a mission inspired by a deeply personal family story."

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

AsiaOne

15 hours ago

• AsiaOne

Daily roundup: Odette remains Singapore's only restaurant in World's 50 Best Restaurants list for 2025 — and other top stories today, World News

Stay in the know with a recap of our top stories today. 1. Odette remains Singapore's only restaurant in World's 50 Best Restaurants list for 2025 The results of The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 are out and once again, only one establishment from Singapore made the list... » READ MORE 2. Elderly man left bloodied after concrete from toilet ceiling collapses on him in Yishun home An elderly man was struck by falling spalling concrete from the ceiling of his toilet in his Yishun HDB flat... » READ MORE 3. No joke: Tableware used by Dylan Wang in China noodle shop framed up by owner Chinese heartthrob Dylan Wang has been capturing the hearts of fans worldwide, but now he has captured their appetite as well... » READ MORE 4. Malaysian dad in tears after 11 children pool together to buy him new SUV A Malaysian father was moved to tears after his 11 children surprised him with a brand new car... » READ MORE editor@

Straits Times

18 hours ago

• Straits Times

Monsters and memes: Labubu dolls ride China soft-power wave

TikTok paved the way for Labubu's ascent when it became the first Chinese-branded product to be indispensable for young people internationally. PHOTO: EPA-EFE SHANGHAI - Small, fuzzy and baring sharp teeth, Chinese toymaker Pop Mart's Labubu monster dolls have taken over the world, drawing excited crowds at international stores and adorning the handbags of celebrities such as Rihanna and Cher. Beijing-based Pop Mart is part of a rising tide of Chinese cultural exports gaining traction abroad, furry ambassadors of a 'cool' China even in places associated more with negative public opinion of Beijing such as Europe and North America. Labubus, which typically sell for around US$40 (S$51.40), are released in limited quantities and sold in 'blind boxes', meaning buyers do not know the exact model they will receive. The dolls are 'a bit quirky and ugly and very inclusive, so people can relate', interior designer Lucy Shitova told AFP at a Pop Mart store in London, where in-person sales of Labubus have been suspended over fears that fans could turn violent in their quest for the toys. 'Now everything goes viral... because of social media. And yes, it's cool. It's different.' While neighbouring East Asian countries South Korea and Japan are globally recognised for their high-end fashion, cinema and pop songs, China's heavily censored film and music industry have struggled to attract international audiences, and the country's best-known clothing exporter is fast-fashion website Shein. There have been few success stories of Chinese companies selling upmarket goods under their own brands, faced with stereotypes of cheap and low-quality products. 'It has been hard for the world's consumers to perceive China as a brand-creating nation,' University of Maryland's Professor Fan Yang told AFP. Pop Mart has bucked the trend, spawning copycats dubbed by social media users as 'lafufus' and detailed YouTube videos on how to verify a doll's authenticity. Brands such as designer womenswear label Shushu/Tong, Shanghai-based Marchen and Beijing-based handbag maker Songmont have also gained recognition abroad over the past few years. 'It might just be a matter of time before even more Chinese brands become globally recognisable,' Prof Yang said. The TikTok effect Through viral exports like Labubu, China is 'undergoing a soft-power shift where its products and image are increasingly cool among young Westerners,' said Ms Allison Malmsten, an analyst at China-based Daxue Consulting. Ms Malmsten said she believed social media could boost China's global image 'similar to that of Japan in the 80s to 2010s with Pokemon and Nintendo'. Video app TikTok – designed by China's ByteDance – paved the way for Labubu's ascent when it became the first Chinese-branded product to be indispensable for young people internationally. Mr Joshua Kurlantzick from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) told AFP that 'TikTok probably played a role in changing consumers' minds about China'. TikTok, which is officially blocked within China but still accessible with VPN software, has over one billion users, including what the company says is nearly half of the US population. The app has become a focus of national security fears in the United States, with a proposed ban seeing American TikTok users flock to another Chinese app, Rednote, where they were welcomed as digital 'refugees'. A conduit for Chinese social media memes and fashion trends, TikTok hosts over 1.7 million videos about Labubu. Labubumania Cultural exports can 'improve the image of China as a place that has companies that can produce globally attractive goods or services', CFR's Mr Kurlantzick told AFP. 'I don't know how much, if at all, this impacts images of China's state or government,' he said, pointing to how South Korea's undeniable soft power has not translated into similar levels of political might. More on this Topic China state media warning on blind-box toys sends Labubu maker Pop Mart shares tumbling While plush toys alone might not translate into actual power, the United States' chaotic global image under the Trump presidency could benefit perceptions of China, Prof Yang said. 'The connection many make between the seeming decline of US soft power and the potential rise in China's global image may reflect how deeply intertwined the two countries are in the minds of people whose lives are impacted by both simultaneously,' she told AFP. At the very least, Labubu's charms appear to be promoting interest in China among the younger generation. 'It's like a virus. Everyone just wants it,' Kazakhstani mother-of-three, Ms Anelya Batalova, told AFP at Pop Mart's theme park in Beijing. Qatari Maryam Hammadi, 11, posed for photos in front of a giant Labubu statue. 'In our country, they love Labubu,' she said. 'So, when they realise that the origin of Labubu is in China, they'd like to come to see the different types of Labubu in China.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

AsiaOne

a day ago

• AsiaOne

No joke: Tableware used by Dylan Wang in China noodle shop framed up by owner, Entertainment News

Chinese heartthrob Dylan Wang has been capturing the hearts of fans worldwide, but now he has captured their appetite as well. In a Xiaohongshu post on June 15, a netizen who visited a noodle shop in Xi'an, China, shared a hilarious discovery — the bowls and chopsticks that the 26-year-old actor had used during his visit is now displayed on a red stand in a clear case. His photo was placed on top of the case with the description: "The tableware Dylan Wang had used before." The netizen who made the post, now trending on Weibo's Entertainment hot search list, also gave a shoutout to him in the caption: "Dylan, do you know your tableware is now displayed for worship?" As it turns out, Dylan, whose notable works include Chinese dramas Love Between Fairy and Devil (2022) and Guardians of the Dafeng (2024), had visited the noodle shop Shan Da Wan while in the city in 2023 and posted about his experience in a Weibo vlog then. In the vlog, he is seen feasting on local delicacies in the eatery, including meat skewers, soup and Biangbiang noodles — also known as you po mian , a thick, broad, hand-pulled noodle dish seasoned with spicy and tangy sauce — using the alleged bowl and chopsticks that is now displayed. Since his visit, the noodle shop owners have erected a display outside of their shop with Dylan's photo, indicating he had dined there. His fans, also known as Xiong Di Huo , have also visited the eatery to sit at the same spot as him, even imitating his actions in the vlog. [[nid:715179]] No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.