With a shoulder pole and a portable stove
Every day, rain or shine,
Around Chinatown, husband and wife go,
Dishing out noodles and tofu, at 30 cents a bowl,
To men and women, young and old.
That was how Koo Kee Yong Tow Foo first greeted its customers in 1954. On foot, our founder Mr Chong Seng Tong plied the streets of Chinatown with his wife, selling the specialty Hakka Yong Tow Foo. The equipment and ingredients of the trade were secured to a pole and carried on the shoulders. The food then was simple, consisting of noodles and yong tow foo in a bowl of delicious soup boiled with soya beans and ikan bilis. Earnestly calling out to customers, old Mr Chong established a deep heart-felt connection with the early Chinese immigrants living in Chinatown. This was the beginning of the close relationship between Koo Kee Yong Tow Foo and Chinatown.
Came 1960, old Mr Chong set up a zinc-and-wooden mobile kiosk under a tree next to the Majestic Theatre. Having found this “permanent” spot for his stall, he continued to serve his signature dish to his faithful customers. When old Mr Chong fell ill, his wife continued with the business to support the family with the help of their son, Chong Yik Hwee. Then only a boy of 12 years old, young Yik Hwee picked up the knowledge and skills of the trade.
In 1968, the stall shifted to People's Park Cooked Food Centre and the name was officially changed to “Koo Kee Yong Tow Foo Mee”. From then on, “Koo Kee Yong Tow Foo Mee” became a venerable old brand at People’s Park, drawing crowds from near and far. The foundation for the future business enterprise was thus set.
Mr Chong Yik Hwee took over the family business in 1982, working hard to enhance the operations and cater to market needs. A factory with strict hygiene and quality control standards was set up to produce the yong tow foo ingredients. In 1987, he established Gao Ji Food (S) Pte Ltd and a management team was put in place to run the company. With a systematic operation thus established, the company set up numerous stalls and franchises, bringing “Koo Kee Yong Tow Foo Mee” out of People’s Park to various food courts and hawker centres island-wide.
Throughout the years, Mr Chong Yik Hwee worked very hard with passion and drive to develop and introduce various new products to cater to customers’ changing tastes. Today, besides our highly popular signature Koo Kee Yong Tow Foo Mee, Gao Ji Food has the following brands:
- Tong Kee Yong Tow Foo – pick and choose yong tow foo with a wide variety of ingredients
- CooCooRoo Chicken – smooth and flavourful chicken rice
- Niko Niko and Niko Express – value for money Japanese food
- Granny Fine Soups and Cai Ge Fine Soups – traditional double-boiled soups
- Hao Ji Fried Prawn Noodle – ever popular dish
After many years of hard work, Mr Chong Yik Hwee has grown a small hawker stall business into an enterprise. But he does not sit on his laurels. He dreams of breaking the boundaries of a hawker stall and stepping out of the perceived limits to achieve a higher level of business. He was not highly educated, having left school after Secondary One. However, he refuses to give in and continuously upgraded himself, learning from friends and associates, studying other companies’ success and modifying their operations to create new business models for himself.
Mr Chong surveyed the market to find out what customers want. At that time, there were a number of Chinese restaurants selling dumplings and ramen in the market. After talking to friends and seeking the advice of consultants, he felt that this is the direction that the market is moving. So in 2004, he set up “Koo Kee Dumpling & Ramen House” at Bugis Village, our first concept restaurant selling northern Chinese dim sum and hand-made noodles. A second restaurant was subsequently set up in Parkway Parade.
Following on, we will continue to develop various new products, and expand the brands under Gao Ji Food to other countries in South East Asia.
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