I'm Opening a Hawker

[@rurounigaijinn]

1) The saying goes: Less is more. No use thinking about 7 or 8 varieties. Start with a handful of types. People go to a chicken rice stall because they want to eat chicken rice. If they feel like it, then maybe they add roast meat, add char siew etc. If your signature dish don't live up to it, nobody will try the other varieties. Personally, I like probably 1 or 2 traditional and maybe another 2-3 out-of-the-ordinary ones. 2) Hawker is also about cost. If you can't keep it at a decent price point, nobody will go to a hawker centre to eat a restaurant pricing dish. If it goes overbudget, consider upsizing to maybe an actual store-front, you could even do your sake there! I'm sure you already know hawker life is hard. So it's easy to bite off more than you can chew. Hopefully you're ready for it.

[@entrydenied]

Yeah. For the type of udon it's best to focus on 1 type for economics of scale. Introduce new variety as you go to provide newness to attract return customers. Retain new udon type if they sell well.

[@libiskit]

keep yr raw food variety to a min, I.e 2 noodle and chicken /pork, don't overstretch yr variety and procurement cost goes up

[@crimsonwolf0428]

I agree with rurounigaijinn. Don't overthink the menu, try just serving your best udon dishes - Osaka curry, Shabu shabu and Neba neba maybe. As for types of udon noodles, I would stick with noodles that work well with the types of dishes (noodles that absorb the taste of your dishes) and that you can import easily and frequently. The idea of cold udon as an option is also a good one but you have to ensure you are able to get the taste of the dish to not be lost to the noodles - udon noodles tend to taste bland in countries that use a lot of spicing in their meals. Doing this in a hawker space is a decent idea and allows you to expand into a full fledged store if you are successful. Depending on how many hours you plan to work, the idea of an izakaya in the evening isn't a bad one. Keep in mind though, it will be easy to burn yourself out as a hawker because you will be solely responsible to ensure the quality of your menu until you can rely or trust someone else to be able to mimic your vision, processes and enthusiasm. Simply having a recipe doesn't make for good food. It's the blood, sweat and tears that make that dish taste even better. Food without heart is merely McDonalds (in other words - wash, rinse, repeat). Good luck with this project and I wish you the best of luck! 日本から応援しています！がんばりや～！

[@geekroute]

well said

[@tanalson]

I think sake could be your next expansion of your stall once you have one signature dish that is really selling very well. Very popular hawker stalls that really stands out are those that only sells only one dish that is really really good. One dish is ideal but 2 signature dish would be the maximum you could go if you want to be really very very good at what you do. Too many dish and people will forget what you're good at. So 2 is the maximum and 1 dish is the ideal

[@libiskit]

can we shout out for this man who came to a new country and embraced the culture and food.

[@traeni2]

Hey bro. I used to run a hawker store. Some notes: 1. You'll need to think about what your target audience is, and which location you want to bid for. 2. We are in the middle of an economic slowdown, so you should take your time to plan. 3. There is an abundance of lower-end Japanese options, so considering price-performance and value is super important in the long run. 4. You cannot do dual-concepts in a Hawker Store. You're only allowed to sell what the store is zoned for (Chinese, Malay, etc) 5. Also for alcohol licenses you're only allowed to sell beer, so no sake. You'll also need to get a hawker store zoned as a drinks store. 6. The izakaya route is doable but its an extremely saturated market now. Please also consider your quality of life - you (or your partners) will pretty much have to be there and drink every night and to host different groups of people. All the best!

[@corporatebreakoutcouple]

As former hawkers ourselves, totally resonate and agree with what you said

[@psionex2320]

Please don't start a stall. You don't know what you're getting into

[@boredguy5805]

yeah with all respect to ghib, this seems like an idea that will just make his life stressful

[@ponpon95y]

Hey Ghib, long time viewer here~ Tbh you have a very unique scenario because you have such a huge following. You can name your store as your youtube channel with a changing menu based on your customer's preference. You can do polls for your existing and new followers to decide on a seasonal menu that changes. While you have a fixed menu of maybe 1 to 3. You can also collab with singaporean or overseas youtubers to do eating challenges at your store. You can also do hawker livestream on your social media channels! I would totally watch you cook and interact with customers. You have the power of social media to harness at your fingertips. I would recommend you to think out of the local singapore hawker scene and instead follow your own style. All the best! I would totally visit your store when you open ❤

[@relativelybasic]

Dumbest idea I've ever heard

[@Lyn_aaa]

I think your ideas are great! But dont agree with the polls for followers as most followers might just poll but not visit the stall and what does an average viewer knows about hawker-ing? He should focus on the taste of the food, that is more important!! All the best Ghib ☺️

[@narwhallllll8475]

@@relativelybasicany better suggestions? Genuinely curious

[@kristanlim]

Hi Ghib, as suggested by some viewers, instead of trying to open a store that sells many variety of udons, focus on just a small handful, do them well at reasonable price and at a location that is travel friendly. For a start, don't be ambitious, identify where you may find more captive diners who may like your offering. If you can open and survive past 6 months, then you can have bigger dreams.

[@magentalilies8012]

Heya Ghib! Those Udon creations really do look delectable! I suggest that you might want to look out for pop-up venues first. Blow up the marketing on social media, allow people to come and taste your different Udon dishes, get reviews and see how you can improve. Only when there's demand, then move on to open up in other venues like a hawker centre, shopping mall, etc. Best of luck!

[@KennyPolaris]

My wife and i used to run a don and udon stall years back, in an office buildng canteen. Its really NOT EASY to run a stall. Alot of efforts. Wishing you the best in your new endeavour 💪🏻 I'll bring my wife to try your food once your business starts running, Ganbatte!

[@DressedRunner]

Cold Udon would be nice for Singapore's weather!

[@namo2403]

yeah compared to my childhood, cold udon is now rare to come by

[@lswmick]

In a hawker? I don’t think will work

[@DressedRunner]

@@lswmick that’s how you’re gonna stand out. No better place to sell cold noodles than a hot and sweaty hawker.

[@namo2403]

@@lswmick ~15years ago, i used to eat cold udon at a hawker after school

[@ryanang2309]

Please do this!

[@spyvon]

I could share my few cents, probably a dollar here too. I feel that opening a hawker stall for a start is a good idea. Not only is the rent cheaper compared to a restaurant, you don't have to pump in a huge sum of money for the renovation of your stall. You can slowly build your customer base first, and when you feel ready, you could open a restaurant in either shophouses or inside a shopping mall with good footfall. Suppose you decide to jump straight into opening a restaurant. In that case, it's good to note that looking for trustworthy investor(s) would be ideal because you wouldn't want any of the investors to pull out suddenly, and you might run into issues like rental payment and/or having difficulties paying your staff. I work in the retail management field and I've seen quite a few cases like this. Additionally, if you feel that a shopping mall is an ideal setting, you might want to do some market research on different mall management. Depending on how strict the mall management is, there might be some restrictions too. Hmm...as for whether traditional or modern, I feel a mixture of both sounds good too! I'm looking forward to your new venture! がんばって

[@rierier1]

I think it's better to start out small as a hawker. Not only is it more cost-effective and easier to gain a customer base, but you can gain experience from running it that can be brought over and applied to a food court/restaurant with less risks when you're ready. In terms of menu maybe a few signature dishes and the rest is rotated/weekly specials so you can see which ones customers prefer more? It's also admirable how you're thinking of how to make the employees' working experience better. All the best!

[@archalys]

Looking forward to trying some authentic udon. You are absolutely right that there isnt a lot of good udon places in SG. Will definitely head down to support.

[@GhibOjisan]

Thank you😆🙏

[@edmundngim8460]

Do let us know your shop address, sure come and try.....🤤🤤🤤

[@Peacelily22]

Please could u do a vegetarian option too

[@FSRain]

I think that if it is not too taxing in terms of food prep, prepped food shelf life etc, can have a variety of udon type, udon soup base (traditional + your own recipes), and for business sustainability, do be prepared to weigh in economical option ("lower price"), if you cannot afford to hire that many helpers, dun open your hawker stall for too long etc... location also matters.. Additional inputs: Start small first, strike balance between ops hours vs profits vs hours required for food prep. If having variety increases the cost, start simple, there are stalls that only sell 1 item but with option to customize flavours/portions e.g. fishball noodles stall, carrot cake stall, porridge stall

[@SomeGuyFromSG]

Personally, when I crave for an udon, I crave for the traditional! It feels like modern spins can get kinda gimmicky after some time has passed (maybe more appropriate as seasonal dishes perhaps?) The good thing is that you have the added benefit of having a pretty established local audience on your channel that you can use to bring awareness to your brand, and I think that helps a lot when it comes to starting a business like that. In any case, all the best Ghib, wishing you success aplenty!

[@eymaslacker]

There are a lot of foodcourt selling japanese and korean food (almost every food court has one of those i think) that also have udon on the menu. Have to be able to make sure that passerbys know that your udon is different from those or people will just treat it as the japanese /korean store udon.

[@guinks2guinks2]

You should do both with a rotating menu for both. That way you are able to "test" the popularity of menu items. Then you know what to keep permanent.

[@tekkotoharu0608]

ジブさん！凄い挑戦ですね😊 なんだか凄くワクワクします！ 最近、シンガポールから来る方も、日本の味を美味しいと言って受け入れてくれる方が多いです！ シンガポールにうどん文化が広がってくれたら嬉しいです😊 応援します🎉

[@GhibOjisan]

はるさんいつもありがとうございます！出来たらいつか来てくださいね😆

[@cherryblossom5003]

The intention to enrich Singapore's hawker culture is powerful! Your food in the tasting session looks fabulous! Why not do a crowd funding model and let us all support you?

[@joelchan6787]

will go down to try it out once it opens! can't wait

[@GhibOjisan]

Can’t wait also!😆

[@thereisnoaddress]

WOW this is huge!!! As a 4+ year viewer of your videos, I'm so so happy for you! I can't wait to try your stall when SG opens again and see you in person :) I think as others said, 2-3 options at first will be best and you can focus on the quality, which I know you care a lot about. Best of luck and please keep us updated on your journey!!

[@jinshensoon2240]

Your passion is infectious. Wishing you great success! I do hope you are prepared for the scale and speed of operating as a hawker that is profitable as cooking at home to a group of 6 people is vastly different. I have friends and family members that did well cooking at home (taste test) but failed miserably when they are operating their Kopitiam store due to their inability to cook fresh fast and consistently.

[@loongmichael7367]

Keep menu simple. Price reasonable even for students.

[@user-gm7du2ms7v]

No keep it expensive

[@loongmichael7367]

@@jessicaregina1956 What so funny??

[@loongmichael7367]

@@jessicaregina1956 Closing doesnt meant failure. There are alot of reasons. You never read about successful hawkers?? I wonder???🤔

[@mayumikawamura5371]

オープンされたら絶対に伺います！ 知人がシンガポールで「粋」と言う蕎麦屋さんをされてます。何かメニュー作りの参考になるかも。楽しみにしております！

[@kmrmshmmm]

新しい挑戦、素晴らしいですね！オープンされた際には必ずお伺いしようと思います😆 日本人としても、美味しいうどんが気軽に外で食べられるのは大変嬉しい限りです！ ジブおじさん応援しています👏🏻👏🏻✨

[@GhibOjisan]

応援ありがとう😊

[@ordinaryobserver897]

Based on your description, either hawker or restaurant fits. Food court has rules you will find difficult to follow. All the best!

[@jman2413]

1. too much variety might take longer time for people to choose, 2. is the noodle cooking turnover time ready for any lunch time crowd?, 3. its good to have a few common ones and 1-2 unique flavours eg the curry, 4. portion and price wise for normal working crowd must be considered as people usually prefer to have a filling and affordable pricing.

[@celinachan2667]

So happy to hear that you are planning to open a udon shop! I love udon, especially curry udon! Looking forward to try your Osaka curry udon. Maybe you can consider beauty world hawker? Nice evening vibes for sake as well coz there’s draft beer options and create some contrast with the booming Korean scene.

[@jsurfin1]

Spice curry (usually with rice) is different from a typical Japanese curry udon fyi.

[@dufreversi42]

Or maybe bukit timah plaza, near to ngee ann poly

[@user-ql9nc7dn1t]

今、シンガポールに来ています！ 何処にも行けないコロナの中で、見つけた、このチャンネルをずっと見てました。やっと来れて、動画では分からなかった匂いや暑さを感じられて感動です。 うどん屋さんが出来たら行きますね（小麦アレルギーだけど、雰囲気だけでも）！ 応援してます。

[@toshinaru4694]

シンガポールで生活してて懐かしく思うのは冷やし中華！胡麻ダレも良いけど、昔ながらの酸っぱいスープで冷やしうどんで日本酒かな😊

[@angiefong7135]

Great to hear I can find Japan Udon using Japanese spicy and sauce at a hawker centre. I just hope it is in the north part of Singapore. All the very best

[@rikamanbo7878]

シンガポールのホーカーに冷たい麺が少ないので、ざるうどんみたいな冷たいのが食べたいです！（中華のルーツの方には人気は出ないかもだけど日本人はたくさん食べてくれそうだと思います）お願いします！！楽しみにしてます❤

[@GhibOjisan]

日本人的にはそういうのほしいですよね！ありがとうございます😊

[@saya-my1jy]

いよいよ新しい挑戦が始まったんですね❗️なんだか見ていてこちらまでワクワクしました✨大阪スパイスカレーうどん、美味しそう〜👍もっとつゆだくにしてくれたら、後でご飯を入れたいなぁ〜😆夜に居酒屋になるのも楽しいアイディアですね‼️

[@GhibOjisan]

ご飯、いいアイデアありがとうございます😊

[@MuMeiNameless21]

Yes! Jippun Lang Hawker Stall! 頑張ってね！

[@Vikingsroar]

He can name the stall "Ghib's Jippun Lang Udon" lol 😅😂 very catchy hahaha

[@Niteorytm]

All the best for ur hawker stall Ghib San. Do update us on the location and many of us will definitely come to try ur food and support u.

[@awoooooo]

why not do pop-up hawker stalls around the country and see which areas have the best turnout before committing to renting a stall in that area? or rent a food truck to test the water in those areas :) love the idea of bringing real, tasty Japanese food to the masses and a nighttime izakaya hawker concept that hasn't really be done before, but don't forget to keep the menu tight (5 or less main dishes) and include staples people would want to come back every day/week for :) you don't want to become another novelty concept store that can't last beyond a year (e.g., see Kydra)

[@osso5296]

感動してます、あなたの新しい挑戦に。ホーカーまた行きたいなあ。

[@clementng7718]

BEST wishes for your success 👍😋🥂

[@GhibOjisan]

Aw thanks ❤️

[@jeremiahlim2925]

Unless he double the portion size for under $5....it will fail. It is an expensive snack. Japanese dish failed in Singapore due to small portions unable to fill up as main dish.

[@jeremiahlim2925]

@@GhibOjisan If you serve those measly portions to your in laws, you will have few customers. People go to hawker to fill up their stomachs for under $5. Hawkers are not restaurants as social places where small portions are acceptable.

[@libiskit]

@jeremiahlim2925 bro, those folks in the vid are not his in laws and that is a tasting session that's why the portions are small otherwise his testers won't be able to taste objectively

[@BrianYix]

@@GhibOjisan えっ、何のうどん？...え、何(笑) うどん? ふふふふ. 5:19

[@Wolfedge75]

Well, if you’re going for an izakaya concept in a hawker centre that stall is probably more or less the size of a _zi char_ stall

[@tanyongrui88]

I think you’re suitable to private dining more than hawker: - Authentic Japanese Udon - More upper class feedback - Flexible working hours - High pricing so that you can offset your ingredient costings - and so on..

[@tanyongrui88]

If you’re thinking so much as a hawker, it’s difficult to succeed. A successful hawker is one who polish his cooking skills at the most unique way, and his customers won’t need to think so much choosing them. After all, it’s the numbers and cooking speed that you need to focus more for starter

[@junejune16]

Hello! Just to note if you are operating a hawker store, you will need to self operate and you can only hire Singapore citizen or PR as stall assistants. If you are looking to operate day and night themes would suggest you go for more mordenized food courts (eg cosford food container, Ben Yeo’s food stores, or somewhere in the CBD area.)

[@wenliuehkueh3549]

Keep it simple. Cause mass production and keeping costs affordable is something you need to think about at a hawker stall.

[@kaychu4087]

The izakaya concept during night time is great. That is day time no alcohol n night time izakaya style. Definitely plus point

[@clairechow5299]

Zaru udon please!!!! It would be perfect for singaporess weather and really refreshing !!

[@Besharps]

I just discovered your channel not too long but seeing this I wish you the best in opening your stall and hope you are successful in getting lots of customers 🙂❤

[@dante300]

Hello Ghib Ojisan, long time viewer here as well. I think starting out as a hawker will be a good place to start and learn. There are also hawker that have day and night operation business models. Like the one in Kovan tam chiak. I think you will need both traditional and modern if you want to attract a good crowd. Your traditional menu can be all day but focus more during the night time with beer and snacks. I think the rice idea can be a side or an pop up item. Will visit the store when its up and running

[@chrisl9934]

You have too many ideas. Start small first, start with your best dish that you can sell at an affordable price. Once you get into the rhythm, then you can start to try out more stuff.

[@jimmyyap3828]

Heartiest Congratultions Ghib ! Can't wait to be amongst your first supporters to show up when your Hawker Stall is open. Will do my best to bring my friends to family members to Yam Seng and Kampai with you and family over a bowl of Osaka Udon

[@sujaniaslam2428]

Hi Ghib,,, waaaa i like udon Ghib i will definitely go and eat at your hawker or restaurant, otanoshimi desu ne,, , Omedetou ne Ghib, hope all goes well,, Huat Huat,, 😅👍🥘🍺

[@peterpan9785]

if ur objective is opening a hawker stall - follow the concept of a Yatai. Offer afforable yet uncomplicated food like any hawker stalls/yatai u have been to (and lthink about those stalls u love, and why u love them) The main reason why alot of the younger hawkers cant make it is because they over-think their concept and the food presentation. The trick to a successful hawker stall is to serve a bowl of no-frills yet tasty food - dont go the pretentious route, or try to squueze a cafe or resturant into the stall. dont do faciful plates/bowls/packaging - keep it as simple as possible. Do your research and go find out what ticks in the hawkers that are stil around and what kills those that have closed down. The answer is what you need to do.

[@zenalias3131]

Let's go! Let us know and we'll jio our kakis down for a hearty meal of udon

[@Fate025]

Great! I love udon! Will definitely try to visit ur shop when you successfully open 1! Managing to get a good location with low rental will be key to sustaining the business! Key to note that the sg govt has rules for hawker stores to be ran personally by the stall owners, and not only by hired staff. This is to prevent rich business owners from bidding up all the hawker stores across singapore to open francises and driving up the hawker rental fees.

[@kelvgan]

Congratulations Ojisan! You are making big and small waves in Singapore! Banzai!

[@3-sys62]

すごいな。がんばってください。いつ行けるかわかりませんが、次回シンガポールに行った時は、絶対お店に伺いたいと思います。

[@dennistani1986]

Ghib, wishing you the best of luck in your new business adventure!!

[@joalinsoh9923]

I think the most cost efficient way to start might be either a pasar malam stall or pop up stall. This reduces your overall fixed cost / sunk cost and allows you to test receptiveness and gather feedback about your initial menu. I would recommend starting with a traditional or mixed menu rather than just selling full fusion menu. I feel that Singaporeans generally prefer to try something familiar / already popular overseas unless it’s suddenly viral. All the best with your new business!

[@haruhi7745]

Congratulations and cheer for you. ㊗️💐💐🤍❤️

[@user-oe5kw7do6k]

Hey Ghib Ojisan, I applauded your decision to open a hawker stall. Having followed you for so long, I can tell that you are definitely a food lover. So this is a natural decision to make. It's great that you want to share your food ideas to every foodie in sg and not just followed in other people's footsteps by selling the same kind of food. For me, well I am not a udon lover. Becos' I feel the noodle is too thick and it can be very filling after I finish it. But but I actually didn't know that there are different kinds of Udon! So far I thought Udon is just one kind which is the sanuki udon which is commonly seen in sg. I think I like to try the inaiwa udon which is very like a breed of our Mee Kia and Flat noodle. For local noodle, my preference is Mee Hoon, followed by Chor Bee Hoon, then followed by Mee Kia, then flat noodle, and lastly the normal yellow noodle. So you can see that I don't really like thick noodle. haha. Your curry udon looks appetizing. It should taste great with the inaiwa udon. Looking forward to try your dishes when your stall opens.

[@kewbg82]

是非、頑張って下さい！

[@GhibOjisan]

けんたさん！いつもありがとうございます😊オープンしたら来てくださいね！！

[@horriblekellible]

I am so in. The moment you mentioned that the main dishes would be udon, I am SO IN. It'd be good to keep the variety small, and test out which dishes are doing well etc, having too big a menu when you first start out and have no exp in hawker is a bad idea. I'm already so excited just thinking of the dishes, I will definitely drop by if I have a chance!!!!

[@Ryahootiny]

Just some ‘wild’ ideas: 1. How about setting up ‘pop-up’ store on the void deck of some neighborhoods? Start-up cost would be low and you would get real customer feedback before setting up a stall or a restaurant. It would also be the period to improve /enhance your recipes as well as to count the real costs of being a hawker/restaurant owner before actually becoming one yet. (This is like developing a ‘prototype’ to test if the model works or not, whether it needs some tweaking, etc). 2. How about setting up an online catering business with home-based cooking instead ? That way, you save on physical store costs. Where food is concerned, would advise to make sure that everyone in your team is certified on food hygiene and kitchen sanitation. Best Wishes to Your next venture.

[@Randomweirdogirl]

As someone who loves udons, I like a mix of modern and traditional pleaseeeee. I like variety. I hope you will succeed, I watch you growing up and I am happy for you to open a stall. I think having your own restaurant is better because you can customize your service and business model better without restrictions (for example the type of experience you want your customers to have when they are eating your food. I think it also depends on how you want your brand to be seen as, if you want it to be cheap and affordable with a low pricing strategy, it is better to consider hawker and food court due to the type of market that goes there. But if you want to seen as a family restaurant type, with a normal typical kind of pricing or an atas type of place, you can choose restaurant. Having your own outlet also helps you to personalize your customer experience from the physical elements that will make customers relax to the atmosphere in the restaurant which I think will be a nice touch since you want a place where people can relax at the evening and drink. But these are just my own opinions. As a student studying business , I am still inexperienced in the world of business.

[@Onceforsaken]

Thats really cool looking forward to it and the process there!

[@huandapradipta4918]

I would make the modern ones as a seasonal menu, it'll create marketing on its own without taking too much risk. Plus, it can give your stall way more flexibility when you want to get more creative, and people would already know that your stall have a seasonal menu as your trademark. Make your menu small and specialize on those would be your best option in my opinion. Wish you all the best!

[@charleslee3081]

That's an excellent idea. You have my support.

[@simonialei9020]

Hats off to you for starting your own F&B place. Udon sounds wonderful. Sounds like you are in the planning phase to launch for your F&B. My 5 cents is to do a monthly breakdown of the planning steps necessary before the launch. Like one month could be devoted to confirming menu options (viewer tasting, pop-ups). Another is deciding the food establishment (interview hawkers, perhaps work a day at one). the key is to break things down to more manageable small steps and whatever you do will you will be successful. Your strength is you already have a KZbin fan base. All the best!

[@skastle7278]

Wish you all the best!!

[@GhibOjisan]

Appreciate it😆

[@kaori8441]

えーすごいですね！ モダンなうどんと、日本にあるうどんと、どちらも楽しめれば良さそうです✨モダンなものから入って出汁の美味しさに気づいたら普通のうどんに挑戦出来るし！ 夜は居酒屋スタイルで〆にうどんもいいですね😍

[@p7m13]

I'd suggest a food court stall. You can charge more at a food court because it has aircon and the surroundings are usually cleaner / nicer than a hawker stall. Try to charge more at a hawker stall and people will say that it's not worth paying that much for 'hawker food.'

[@choonkeonglim6178]

Food court has a lot of hidden cost. The use of cashier, coin changing services, advertising from the food court are charged to the stall owners. Next rental is not fixed. It is a fixed rental or percentage of sales whichever is higher. With no fixed rental any extras from sales goes to the food court owners. With such high rentals, most food court owners will cut costs on salary. This is why food court staff are so in experienced and the food taste horrible. Also cash flow, at the end of the day, all sales proceeds goes to the Food court first and after that at the end of the month the food court will take the sales proceeds less off your rent, hidden costs, etc and return you the money. I am speaking base on the experience as I did accounts for a food court owner before. To really make money you need to open a lot of stalls and accumulate the mediocre profits from each stall to see the money. Plus now food court need to have a cheap option in the menu (esp if you are doing for the hospitals) and most people will order that.

[@freshman-og4dp]

the last part regarding rough life as a hawker owner and your ambition to want to change it is quite commendable. It made me a very crazy idea as well, which is the reason many youngester dont work in the hawker scene is also due to the work environment as well and maybe low salary, but imo more so because of the low pay and long hours. Not sure why nobody ever thought of this, like in Japan for instance. People are ready to open small stalls and sell great food, including having a decent work environment. Have we ever not though about hitting 2 birds with 1 stone? How about allowing part timers to work in hawker and create a better environment at a hawker so that the hawker culture can grow and evolve to become better instead of order eat and cabut? I think this can be a new way of thinking. Honestly this idea has not gone through any meticulous calculation, but i think it should be explored and see how to made hawker culture more trendy and more in tune with the times?

[@danishrusdi]

All the best! Maybe try to also have some Halal options as well

[@jamie68560]

"Great for a summer's day". Singapore every day is summer, so means great every day! But yeah, do focus on a handful of styles you are really good at. Cant wait to try! And thank you for thinking about the staff. I think you can consider shift hours for them, or have more break times that you can rotate amongst full day staff. Having 1 lunch break a day is not enough, maybe split individual after-lunch breaks of 30 min blocks according to peak/non peak hours

[@nozomihoshi5889]

ラクサスープにうどん入れたらおいしいです❤時々自分でつくります。

[@daeriousjames2220]

Hmm... from the short clip, I guess is in Golden Mile food Centre... good choice, but I wonder approx how much does 1 bowl of the Udon cost. Personally is a foodie myself, so will travel around SG to try good food ! Fried rice is over saturated in Singapore, so Udon is a good twist to it !

[@loongmichael7367]

Location, Location, Location. Get the location Right from the start.

[@angeljuliedr]

❤ Love the first Spicy Udon as I seem to be able to taste the spiciness and delicious Udon by just watching all of you eat 🤭🥰 All the best to your new food venture 💪🥂

[@xy6037]

Hiii!!! I really hope you can open hawker center stall becos it is more affordable. There isn't many udon shop in hawker. I would definitely try if you opened a stall.

[@chloe-gs6bq]

Used to not like udon because of the sour taste it usually has in the cheaper Japanese cuisines in hawkers and honestly, I think most of us do think the same that's why its not a popular noodle option here. However, after living in Japan I fell in love with it! So i think its good to find a way to make Singaporeans change their perspective on good udon noodles

[@daviseverywhere]

have been a long-time fan - can't wait to try it!

[@togen777]

oji me want to order 1 sake kosong gao

[@kenzone]

Look forward to visiting your stall… will your mum-in-law be involved 😂? That would be so fun! Seriously though, it’s a tough business and apart from food quality, your menu price point will be crucial to survive and succeed. Next of luck!

[@GhibOjisan]

I was thinking maybe we can have limited quantity menu like “MIL’s Leicha”🤣

[@Vachalen]

Most important is... Ho jiak boh?

[@GhibOjisan]

Ho jiak 😋

[@victorkoh1174]

Ghib - Very excited for you and wishing you all the best on this venture! Will be visiting in Singapore in a few months and definitely going to add your stall to our list of things to be must visit!

[@armanpermadi]

First one?

[@stephenlim2852]

There is a chicken rice stall in ABC market. The old couple has been operating it for 30 plus years. They proudly said that the food is supplied by a supplier and not cooked by them. Honestly it is not the best chicken rice in SG. But their business is really good. The reason is because they are really very generous with their portion. I will do the same if I ever become a hawker.

[@jontan-dt3qv]

i feel like u are going through the life cycle of a singaporean within a couple years, eventually things get so boring on this island u absolutely run out of ideas what to do u are now contemplating "retiring" and settling down and opening a coffee shop somewhere. it kind of amazes me how long u have pushed on with this....trying to make singapore interesting for so long, at some point i figured out most singaporeans if in your shoes would have grown weary and tired completely and just turned to making anime and food review channels or something.

[@GhibOjisan]

I’m pretty sure I’ll get even busier with the shop, further from retiring🤣 so many videos I still want to make in SG!

[@hengyjj]

Hi Ghib! I will definitely visit your store if everything goes well! I feel you should set up a stall in Hawker because it is more affordable and accessible to every one. I think one very important factor you must consider is the target audience of your food as well because that will determine which hawker centre you would like to set up your stall at. As for the food, I really suggest you have a mixture of both traditional and modern. However, for modern flavours, you should pick flavours that people will know how it tastes like (e.g. carbonara, aglio olio) so that people will be less hesitant to try since they already know how it will roughly taste like. I think nowadays, people like to eat healthier and cleaner, so ensure that your food tastes “clean”, such as less oil, less salt, less sugar. I think as long as you can do that, people will keep coming back. Wishing you all the best!!

[@Rycleong]

Great idea to set up a hawker stall because that is TRULY Singapore! As a local foodie myself, i personal opinion is to keep the cost low and yet serve generously. People will come back if they feel its worth. As for traditional vs modern, I think It should be 80% traditional because hawker goers are typically looking for affordable traditional food. You can consider doing seasonal modern twist as a side menu so that you can test your new invention, and people get to try and feedback. FEEDBACK - I think always gathering customer's feedback is also a big secret. All the best man! Thank for you rooting here and now deeper into the hawker scene. Will definitely drop by to support. Would also love to try out your testing if there is a session happening. Cheers!

[@williamchan3435]

Hi Ojisan, I love Japanese foods and has been working in an Japanese company for more than 10 yrs. I am so sorry to say that I do not like Ubon personally. Reason is that Udon, being too thick in texture is hard to absorbs the sauces and even worse in soup. Please make option for ramen and rice. 😊.

[@GhibOjisan]

That’s why Inaniwa Udon is awesome cos it’s thin and easy to slurp🥰

[@user-oe5kw7do6k]

I agree. I think the Udon that we only see in sg is the sanuki Udon whch is very thick and hard. I don't like this Udon. But I enjoy the ramen noodle which is very similar to our sg noodles. Then after watching this video, I then realised there are other types of udon. I really want to try this other kinds of udon like the inaiwa udon. Who knows I may be a udon lover after eating it.

[@user-xs4mu8xm7d]

Try something like a Food Republic store, where the clientele is less price sensitive than a lower tier food court or hawker centre since it's more up market, whilst the cost is not as high as opening a restaurant. The downside is that the rent will be significantly higher.

[@kawikaseet5816]

Hawker center or shopping mall food court will be a good start To be in a restaurant , maybe contract in with existing establishment to lower your initial cost And doing it as an introductory offer to peak up that same restaurant If the taste is acceptable you can solo out to hawker center or food court

[@ZenaGivan]

The hawker center does not allow selling drinks plus foods, it only allows you to sell only noodles or only sell drinks. So selling your Udon plus liquor is better to look for a shop be it in a shopping mall or other places.

[@michellebo8173]

Charlie's Corner at Changi Point....This is what I envision Ghib to come out with.....cosy, casual and friendly neigbhourhood vibe kind of stall....

[@fengyiting2100]

Mini restaurant, or you may come to another part of Punggol . Take a look and choose it . Restaurant you can employ others countries staff , but for hawker you can't. But if you have a Central kitchen, might help .

[@dsjc_]

Please introduce a way to order online or in advance to pick up! It would help those in a rush or simply those with social anxiety!

[@huijie88]

Hello Ghib Ojisan, I'm so excited and happy at your upcoming plans! It's very heartening to see you so integrated into the local culture, and now, to progress to open a food stall where everyone can come and enjoy. The udon dishes you showed at the tasting look so interesting, especially the Osaka curry and Iberico pork one and I'm excited to try them! 🤩🤩 Hmm, concept wise, I would think modern udon would be better!

[@kelvinsoetardjo3293]

Izakaya is needed! Work life balance in Singapore is becoming similar to where Japan is, where you finish work and having a place to sit down and get a good snack food and drink.

[@qixenp]

What we dont have in Singapore is a decent yaki udon :) good curry udon also super rare (or its an isolated item in izakaya like in Kamoshita so you would not go there just to eat it), I consider Udon to be my favourite noodle type and I would go for a proper home made sanuki udon over inaniwa any time.

[@calwinlol]

Wow! Real glad to hear you taking this next big step forward. Personally, i think you can consider using your taste testing results as a general poll before you decide as to whether you would be going for a hawker or a restaurant structure. I think if you are interested in really pushing for the evening izakaya model though that you might need to open up your dining options to alot more. You probably can manage with a limited variety of 5-10 options if you go with your hawker plan however you would likely need closer to 20-25 options if you were to go with an izakaya restaurant model. Not including the variety of sake or drinks. In any case, would totally be interested to attend a taste test event if you happen to host it in a somewhat public location. All the best in this journey!

[@tooer1]

Hi Ghib, i think for opening a hawker, the most important is knowing who you want to market your food for, halal or non halal, and i think have some staples like the kitsune udon which might be good for the elderly, and things like niku udon with the niku being exchangable with other meats to fit others, and I would love to see more interesting flavors too! Will definitely come support when the stall opens! can't wait and all the best!

[@kochiachea7563]

What about serving small portions/tasting portions like the ones you served to your friends? So, in a way it's like boat noodle style for udon. Then customers can try a variety maybe 2-3 types of udon in one seating. Also agree that you should have both traditional and modern style, in your menu actually split them into those two categories, makes it easier for customers to choose and relate.

[@andychew6445]

Best of luck Ojisan. I am into Japanese food since 2008 until current. Local people would like to have a tasty food. No matter there are authentic or fusion. Good food is simple & not complicated. The most important things are the ingredients are fresh & that's made a tasty food. By the way, can also create MazeUdon instead of mazesoba... Try it then!