Wang Yuqing Once Wanted To Open “Loti” Shop, But Ends Up Opening Bistro Instead

Yet another celebrity is diving into the business of F&B.

Veteran actor Wang Yuqing, 60, has partnered his girlfriend Norah Zhang, 50, as well as three friends to open a bistro at Mandai Executive Golf Course in Upper Seletar. Called Golf Spot Cafe & Bistro, the casual eatery, which will offer Western and local cuisine, is slated to open end March.

The 30-seat space is open-air and Yuqing, who is a member at the golf course, says he hopes to design it to look like a cosy “kampong-style” bistro.

“We want it to look rustic and maybe give it a retro feel. Initially we wanted to design it to look like a beer garden, but we felt there may be too much green as it is already facing the golf course,” Yuqing tells 8days.sg.

This is where his “kampong-style” bistro will be located

Girlfriend was against him going into F&B

Yuqing, who is also an insurance agent and has a health supplements business with Norah, is no stranger to F&B. He used to run a Cantonese restaurant with fellow actor Chen Shucheng “around 20 years ago”. They shut the biz after six years when the lease was up.

Since then, he has been looking for opportunities in F&B again. And when he heard that the current cafe’s tenant was relocating, he decided to bid for the space.

“Initially, my girlfriend was against going into the food biz as it is tough and the hours long, however, she changed her mind when she saw the place. She was attracted to the laid back feel and it looks out to the golf course. When you are there, you don’t feel like you’re in Singapore. What’s more, there’s free parking, and the place is open to the public, so we hope to attract cyclists as well as visitors to Seletar Reservoir Park to the bistro,” he says. Altogether, the partners invested a six-figure sum into the biz.

But why start a cafe during a time when businesses are fraught with challenges brought by the Covid-19 outbreak?

“In business, you have to take risks. Though there are a lot of Covid-19 cases daily, people are learning to live with the virus. I wouldn’t have agreed to this venture two years ago, but the government is opening up, so I feel the time is right,” he reasons.

Plans to personally cook at bistro during free time 

The bistro will focus on light bites such as French toast, burgers, pasta, fried chicken wings, and desserts, as heavy cooking is not allowed in the premises.

“I enjoy cooking and make good fried chicken wings and burger patties, so maybe I can include those on the menu,” he shares, adding that he will be at the café to help out and even cook when he is not filming. In his absence, there will be a full-time cook manning the stoves.

This is also Yuqing’s chance to fulfill his “dream” of selling bread.

“I used to make bread at home and 20 years ago, I wanted to start a business selling bread and even thought of the name Ah Qing Buay Loti (“Ah Qing Sells Bread” in Hokkien), or Unchained Melody in English. I don’t mind the long hours, I can even open a hawker stall. But I was young then and didn’t know where to find investors, so I shelved the idea,” he quips.

While Yuqing declined to reveal too much about his “special bread” and whether he will definitely serve it at his bistro, he says it’s “a bit like sourdough” and “something that you cannot find in the market”.

Only found out about stepson Xavier Ong’s dispute with Sibay Shiok in the news

During our chat, we also spoke to Yuqing about his stepson Xavier Ong, who has been in the news lately due to his dispute with Terence Cao’s Sibay Shiok. Xavier, 27, who was with Sibay Shiok as a live streamer for about three to four months, alleged that the company owes him some $13,000 in unpaid salary. He parted ways with the company in January this year.

Yuqing revealed that, like most of us, he only learned about it in the news and did not speak to Xavier about the matter as “it can be quite sensitive”.

“Xavier is my [former] stepson, so we don’t really keep in touch that often. Furthermore, he is very independent and doesn’t discuss such matters with me. I didn’t speak to him about it as Terence is also my good friend,” he says simply.

Golf Spot Cafe & Bistro opens end March at Upp Seletar Reservoir, Mandai Road Track 7, S779384. More info via Instagram.

Photos: Wang Yuqing, Xavier Ong/Instagram