SINGAPORE – He lost $100,000 of his savings after five failed economy rice stalls, but Penang-born Keith Kang clawed his way back to become a million-dollar restaurateur.zi char chain Yang Ming Seafood took his brand beyond coffee shops by opening his first full-fledged restaurant at VivoCity on Sept 26. The 250-seat kelong-themed space is his biggest investment to date, costing over $1m.
The youngest of three siblings remembers his family of five barely scraping by on his father’s monthly salary of RM600. Now aged 47, she works as a sales manager, while his brother, a chef, died from a heart attack at age 42 five years ago. Mr Keith Kang’s other two seafood outlets are at a Bishan coffee shop and the canteen of an industrial building in Ubi Crescent. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
To supplement their household income, his wife, Ms Charlene Lim, 41, who works full time as an account executive in a shipping company, took on freelance accounting jobs. At least one closed within three months when some of the cooks ventured out to start their own stalls and neglected the ones he had invested in. His losses spiralled to $100,000.
In 2019, he rented the 3,000 sq ft Bishan coffee shop to open a new outlet, hiring new chefs and completely overhauling the menu and concept. He says: “I wanted the new Yang Ming Seafood to be different and stand out from other zi char stalls.” At his latest restaurant’s swanky new digs at VivoCity, complete with VIP rooms, Mr Kang’s usual work attire is a plain T-shirt, bermudas and comfortable Columbia sneakers. He does not hesitate to take orders and serve customers when it gets busy.