Ex-Assistant Head Chef Now Earns “Three Times More” Than His Old $8K Salary At Din Tai Fung After Leaving To Open Own Taiwanese Eateries

Chin Chih Lin

In recent years, 8days.sg has featured numerous eateries launched by talented chefs who once worked at Taiwanese restaurant chain Din Tai Fung. Notably, some of these chef-turned-hawkers specialise in DTF-inspired fried rice, including Hong Style Fried Rice (which has expanded to four outlets since our feature), Ding Gua Gua and Fire Rice.

Opened three weeks ago in Chinatown, Taiwanese restaurant Ah Zhong Mian Xian is the brainchild of another former DTF chef, albeit one who has “no regrets not joining the fried rice hawker trend”. Ben Yu, 46, a Taiwan-born chef who used to work at Din Tai Fung’s Taipei HQ, was the mentor of the abovementioned hawkers.

“I’ve never considered launching a fried rice hawker brand. The hawker concept is too limited, I’m going for a mid-range dining experience where customers can savour their food in a more comfortable setting and staff can also work in ideal conditions,” he explains in Mandarin.

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Ah Zhong Mian Xian is housed in a bright pink, air-conditioned shophouse along South Bridge Road (formerly occupied by dessert shop Cake Spade). The 120-seater offers an extensive menu of over 70 items ranging from sides and soups to various rice and noodle dishes. Its star dish is pork intestine mee sua – in fact, the restaurant name is a direct nod to iconic Taipei mee sua institution Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle (Ben’s recipe is inspired by his brief cooking stint there in 1998).

The restaurant exudes an old-school, mom-and-pop charm, with handwritten Chinese menus adorning the walls as well as a scattering of vintage trinkets. The staff sport fun floral bandanas – made from traditional Taiwanese Hakka fabric (despite Ben’s Hokkien heritage, he has a fondness for Taiwanese Hakka culture), which is also used to decorate the joint. There’s no service charge here – place your order at the cashier and the friendly servers will bring the food to your table.

On selling DTF-style fried rice before the trend began

In 2017, Ben left Din Tai Fung to start his own venture called Feng Food, a casual Taiwanese eatery at Northpoint City in Yishun. The veteran chef believes he was one of the first to start selling DTF-style fried rice (as far as we know, the DTF-style fried rice hawker trend began around 2021) as part of a larger menu focused on Taiwanese fare. “I don’t feel like I missed out. Our strength [for both concepts] lies in offering a wide variety of dishes,” he shares.

He was in the opening team of Singapore’s first DTF outlet

“The Taiwan HQ sent me here in 2003 for the opening of Singapore’s first Din Tai Fung outlet at Paragon Shopping Centre. I’d visit Singapore every year to assist with training kitchen staff and managing operations,” he recalls.

In 2011, BreadTalk Group (which owns the DTF Singapore franchise) offered him a full-time position as an assistant head chef, where he continued to perform similar duties. “I enjoyed working here and I preferred Singapore’s weather to Taiwan’s ever-changing seasons. So, I decided to accept the position,” says the chef, who’s now a Singapore PR. His family relocated to Singapore when he assumed the new role.

Reason for leaving DTF in S’pore, which paid him $8K monthly

So why did the veteran chef leave the job, which came with a monthly salary of “around $8K”, to start his own business? “After many years of learning how to operate a restaurant, I wanted to challenge myself and put my skills into practice. We can’t remain in our comfort zone forever, and I felt that it was time to strike out on my own,” he shares. After six years of running Feng Food, the chef happily shares that he is now earning “around three times more” than his previous salary.

Prices cheaper here vs Yishun sister eatery

While Ben is the founder of both concepts, Ah Zhong Mian Xian and Feng Food operate independently due to different partnerships. Initially, Ben conceptualised Ah Zhong Mian Xian as a “Taiwanese stir-fry restaurant” (similar to a zi char eatery). However, kitchen regulations at the conservation shophouse prevented him from offering wok-fried dishes, leading him to introducing a slightly more compact version of Feng Food’s menu at the new joint instead. Interestingly, despite Ah Zhong Mian Xian’s central location, its dishes are slightly more affordable compared to the Yishun eatery due to the shophouse’s lower rental costs. Ben explains, “Feng Food is located in a shopping mall that is integrated with Yishun bus interchange and MRT station. It has high foot traffic and therefore, higher rent.” Feng Food’s signature mee sua and fried rice with pork chop cost $9.30 and $12.90, respectively, compared to $8.80 and $12.30 at Ah Zhong Mian Xian in Chinatown. The founder states that portion sizes are similar at both outlets.

Bandana brothers

As his business expands, Ben seldom cooks at the eateries these days. Instead, he entrusts his eight partners (three were absent during our photoshoot), most of whom are former DTF chefs that he previously mentored, to helm the kitchen. Ah Zhong Mian Xian’s head chef, Khow Zu Yi, 33, (second from left, seated) was previously a chef supervisor at the chain. We’re told the chefs are well-versed with every item on the menu and rotate cooking duties at the restaurant daily.

We asked if he’s privy to BreadTalk Group’s thoughts on his partnerships with its ex-employees. “I don’t know, I’m not in touch with them. To be clear, my partners were the ones who approached me directly about joining my ventures as they approve of my working style and culinary skills,” he says.

Signature Mee Sua, $8.80

Since we’ve not visited Ay-Chung in years, we won’t draw a direct comparison to the famous Taipei joint. We like the silky yet springy mee sua and the pig intestines, while tender, would have benefited from thicker slices for a better chew. Overall, the soup is thick, smooth and rather comforting. However, the bonito-flavoured stock could be tastier with stronger savouriness and smokiness (we suggest adding the vinegar and house-made chilli dip provided to make it punchier).

Fried Rice with Specially Marinated Pork Chop, $12.30 (8 DAYS Pick!)

Out of all the renditions we’ve tried, the pork chop here offers the closest resemblance to the original DTF version. Made from fresh pork chop that’s marinated overnight and deep-fried to order, the meat is moist and juicy while boasting a robust peppery aroma – just like how the restaurant chain does it. The fried rice, cooked with Taiwanese pearl rice, is fragrant and chewy – not as fluffy as DTF’s (which costs more at around $15.30), but very tasty nonetheless.

Hakka-Style Braised Meat Rice, $9.10 (8 DAYS Pick!)

Quintessential Taiwanese fare of lu rou fan. The flavourful soy-braised pork belly is yummy and pairs well with steamed rice, with pickled mustard greens and sliced cucumbers on the side to cut the grease. Topped with a braised egg, this is a straightforward and hearty dish that hits the spot.

Signature Taiwanese Braised Beef Noodles, $12.20

Made from beef-bone broth that’s been simmered for a full day and fortified with tomatoes and onions, the soup is hearty and matches well with the thick wheat noodles and pickled mustard greens. The dish is topped with a good portion of thinly-sliced braised beef shank, pity we found the meat a tad dry and not tender enough.

Moon Shape Prawn Cake, $12.40 (8 DAYS Pick!)

A mixture of prawn paste, water chestnut and carrot are stuffed between house-made spring roll skin to create this irresistibly crunchy and satisfying snack.

Feng Food Golden Fried Duo, $12.50

Tossed with salt, pepper, basil leaves and a dusting of five-spice powder, the Taiwanese fried chicken chunks deliver savoury crunchiness, while the ‘tempura’ (Taiwanese fish cake) is tender and offers a hint of sweetness.

Brown Sugar Caramel Pearl Milk Tea, $3.90

A decent, serviceable cup of the popular concoction, but nothing to shout about.

Coffee Ice, $2.80 (8 DAYS Pick!)

Rich and creamy, this super frothy take on iced kopi is a fun and delicious drink to try.

Bottom line

While we weren’t too impressed with the star dish of pork intestine mee sua, the flavours of the other dishes were spot-on – especially the tasty and satisfying DTF-style fried rice and braised pork rice. With so many former chefs at the helm, you can expect a good-quality meal at affordable prices in town. Worth a visit if you’re in the area.

The details

Ah Zhong Mian Xian is at 283 South Bridge Rd, S058832. Open daily 11am-9.30pm. More info via Facebook.

Photos: Kelvin Chia