Singapore’s street vendor culture can’t be capitalized without the mention of chicken rice, and Boon Tong Kee is arguably one of the country’s most popular names when it comes to this dish. The brand specializes in tender, juicy chicken cooked the Cantonese way and has several outlets across the island.
It also recently teamed up with Springleaf Prata Place and Geylang Claypot Rice to partner with the Zouk Group and debut in Vegas at Famous Foods Street Eats, a street vendor-inspired food market in Resorts World Las Vegas.
Boon Tong Kee director Jason Thian guides The Weekly through the experience of how they have maintained the consistency and authenticity of the dish overseas and shares his take on Singapore’s street vending scene.
How did the partnership between the Zouk Group and Boon Tong Kee come about?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CSXbN7-BA9s/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Jason Thian (JT): Chicken rice is essentially Singapore’s national dish. Known to us as the home of Singapore’s famous chicken rice since 1979, we are entirely homemade. I believe this is one of the main reasons the Zouk team contacted us about this partnership at Famous Foods.
We had no concerns. One meeting led to the next, the rest is history.
Which dishes were served and how did the visitors get hold of the food so far?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CToi0OaBbk1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
JT: We only served chicken rice. There seems to be a keen interest in Singapore’s hawker tariff. We sold over 4,500 plates of chicken rice in the first week after opening!
How was authenticity and consistency ensured when recipes were shared remotely? How were the Vegas chefs selected?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CSCvDKGMNzF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
JT: Recipes and processes – including the preparation of the raw materials – were virtually shared and also digitized for better orientation (video recordings). We have also provided photos of all of the raw materials to ensure consistency. The chefs were selected by the Vegas culinary team who run Famous Foods.
The chefs chosen have previously worked in Asian countries and I believe some of them are Malaysian which went a long way in keeping the authenticity of the dishes. The entire team in Singapore is definitely looking forward to trying it out for themselves.
ALSO READ: The owner of Geylang Claypot Rice on his Las Vegas debut and preserving the street vendor culture
How has Boon Tong Kee dealt with the pandemic so far?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CSOWgg5BmZ7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
JT: Working with third party delivery platform providers made a huge difference. The lockdown measures have had a major impact on the way consumers receive their food and delivery seems to be the only way to alleviate this phenomenon.
Have there been any new innovations in recent years?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CR8jzzjrDJ-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
JT: The dependence on labor for the labor intensive food and beverage sector that requires service has led us to rethink our workflow to improve the productivity of every single employee.
In one of our branches, we will implement a mobile ordering service that requires scanning QR codes from the table and placing orders directly at the cash register system. There will also be self-ordering kiosks for take-away services.
The dining concept will be geared towards fast service, as opposed to traditionally sitting and waiting for the meal.
Your favorite Singaporean hawker dish is …
JT: My favorite would be Nasi Lemak as it is not only delicious but also hearty and there is a rich culture and heritage behind the dish.
How can we preserve the hawker culture and make sure it is passed on to the next generation?
https://www.instagram.com/p/COkYedpnYGP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
JT: Succession planning is very important. Recipes and techniques must be digitized through electronic documentation or video recording.
ALSO READ: “Standard Drop Like A Rock”: Netizens Split Over Hawker Chan Losing Michelin Star
This article was first published in the Singapore Women’s Weekly.
/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/OXAEBQRHDJIDPH6GON4LR5ROOU.jpg "Las Vegas to host Super Bowl in 2024 – report")
