With a shoulder pole and a portable stove, Along
North Bridge
Road, husband and wife go, Dishing out noodle and tofu, at
30 cents a bowl, To man and woman, adult and
child, Everyday, rain or shine.
That was how Koo
Kee Yong Tow Foo Mee first greeted its customers and where Gao
Ji Food's history could be traced. On foot, Chong Seng Tong
plied the streets of North Bridge Road
with his wife, selling the Hakka specialty, Yong Tow Foo Mee.
The equipment and ingredients of the trade were all carried on
the shoulders, supported by a pole. Life was hard. But it was
ok. That was 1954.
The Koo Kee Yong
Tow Foo Mee at that time was simple fare. It consisted only of
noodles, tofu and soup. The stock was boiled with soya bean
and ikan
bilis.
Came 1960. Chong
found a "permanent" spot for his stall, a zinc-and-wooden one.
Under a tree next to the Majestic Theatre, Chong continued to
serve out his signature dish to his faithful customers. Then
Chong fell ill. His wife with the help of their son, Chong Yik
Hwee, continued with the business to support the family. Yik
Hwee was only a boy of 12 years old then. Helping out at the
stall whenever he could, he picked up the knowledge and skills
of the trade.
In 1965, Chong
passed away. The business was thus thrust upon his wife. In
1968, they shifted to the People's Park Cooked Food Centre.
Their stall is still in operation there today.
Yik Hwee (our
current Managing Director) took over the business in 1982, as
age was catching up on his mother. In 1987, he established Gao Ji Food (S)
Pte Ltd and began expanding the family business.
The Yong Tow Foo
trade is hard work. The making of Yong Tow Foo is a long and
tedious process. The ingredients have to be ready before the
stall opens, every day. Thus the working hours are
long.
To shorten the
hours, Yik Hwee separated the production and sale of Yong Tow
Foo. He set up the Toa Payoh factory in 1986 to supply
ready-made Yong Tow Foo to the Gao Ji Food stalls.
A systematic
operation was thus established, pathing the way for further
expansion and franchising. In 1987, the first franchise stall
opened at Marina Square. Running a successful franchise
system, Yik Hwee was invited by the then National Productivity
Board to share his experience in franchising.
He did not stop
there. Expanding the business to shopping malls and eating
outlets island-wide is his next step.
With research and
development, Gao Ji Food introduced new products to cater to
the changing tastes of the customers. Cai Ge Fine Soups was
introduced in 1995 while Fish Master's Fish Meals met its
customers for the first time in 1998. Subsequently, CooCooRoo
Chicken and Loh Mei Specialist were
introduced. |