Daniel Ong Opens Korean-Influenced Steakhouse; Says He “Lost All His Income” Because Of Twelve Cupcakes Case

Just three months after shuttering his casual western dining restaurants, Rookery, Daniel Ong is back with a new F&B concept. The former radio DJ closed his Capital Tower branch last June, while the China Square and Hong Leong Building outlets shut in December. While he declined to reveal the extent of his losses, he tells 8days.sg the past year has been “really tough”: “I lost everything I worked for for six years. [Running a business in the] CBD is tough. Business dropped by 70 per cent [during the Circuit Breaker] and then to 50 per cent, so we bit the bullet and just shut.”

Which is probably why Daniel decided to open his steakhouse Dan’s Steaks in a “neighbourhood place” like Serangoon Gardens. The cosy space, slated to open in mid-April, can seat around 30. “I intend to keep it small simply because I will be the one cooking and serving. I want to keep it tight so that service and food can be great. We will serve 20, 30 steaks a day and we want to keep the quality really high,” shares Daniel.