Ex-ITE Culinary Lecturers Open Hawker Stall As The ‘Char Bors’ Behind Charrbo, Serving Charcoal-Grilled Western Food

Speaking to 8days.sg, Jessica recalls the moment that inspired her to become a hawker. “We would invite alumni to give talks and share their success stories with the students. After their speeches, I started to wonder – am I also successful in my own way? I have my family, but there’s one small thing that I haven’t accomplished… my own dream,” she shares earnestly. That dream was to open her own eatery. Aidah agrees: “Every culinary student will tell you the same thing.”

From restaurant chefs to lecturers 

Jessica and Aidah speak from experience. Both were culinary students who graduated with a Technical Diploma in Culinary Arts from the Institute of Technical Education in 2013. They initially planned to work their way up in the restaurant industry, starting with requisite chef de partie (line cook) stints at big-name establishments – Jessica was at Les Amis Group’s tapas restaurant La Taperia, and Aidah cooked at the now-shuttered three-Michelin-starred French fine-diner, Joel Robuchon Restaurant. 

However, the gruelling hours soon took a toll. A “triggering” remark from Jessica’s mother became a wake-up call for the chef. “She said if anything happens [at home], I won’t call you because you wouldn’t pick up the phone,” she shares. It made her reconsider her job. “What’s the point of working such long hours when I can’t contribute to taking care of my mum? Maybe it’s time to take on a different job that allows me to spend more time with her.”

Aidah faced a similar dilemma. “My dad passed away in 2011 and I felt like I needed to be more present for my mum. My older siblings got married, and I was the eldest kid still living with her at home. I decided to leave [the restaurant industry] and find a job with regular office hours.”

Unbeknownst to each other, both of them applied for teaching jobs at their alma mater, ITE College West, in 2015. “We only found out when we saw each other at school,” says Aidah, laughing.

“It was time to chase our own dream”

During their eight years in teaching, Jessica and Aidah settled down and started their families. With their older kids starting primary school, they believe this is the right time to achieve their long-held dream of starting a business. “Even though I enjoyed the stability and [regular] hours of teaching, I’ve always had that fire in me. I’d talk about it with Aidah and she felt the same way. It was time to chase our own dream,” shares Jessica.

Partnership with burger chain Ashes Burnnit

With limited savings, they decided that starting a hawker stall was the most practical option. In search of an investor and a third partner, Jessica and Aidah thought of their former classmate – founder of popular Muslim-owned burger chain Ashes Burnnit, Lee Syafiq Bin Muhd Ridzuan Lee (above in pic). The 32-year-old had been one of the ITE alumni who encouraged them to launch their own eatery when they chatted after his talks at their alma mater.

In February this year, the three friends launched Charrbo at a nondescript coffee shop in a quiet Yishun HDB estate. The stall stands out with its sleek monochrome branding, reminiscent of Ashes Burnnit’s bold aesthetic. There’s a small Ashes Burnnit logo on Charrbo’s signboard, establishing its connection as a sister brand. Both concepts share a charcoal-related theme: Charrbo serves localised Western fare partly cooked over a charcoal grill, while Ashes Burnnit is known for its inky charcoal buns.

The ‘char bors’ behind Charrbo

While Syafiq has invested around $50K into the business and handles logistics and marketing for the stall, he asserts that Jessica and Aidah are the driving forces of Charrbo. Both of them take turns to manage and cook at the joint daily with a full-time staff. 

Their young kids have been surprisingly supportive

Despite being mentally prepared for the challenges of hawker life, the physical toll was immediate. They were both exhausted after the first few days of opening Charrbo. “I thought, how bad could it be? I’m used to rush hours in the kitchen but this was tougher than expected!” Jessica shares, adding that they are used to their new routine now. 

Surprisingly, their young children have been incredibly supportive. Jessica’s daughters, aged four and seven, used to whine and demand more time with her when she was teaching at ITE. “They’ve been to our stall and understand why we’re doing this. Now when I say I’m going to work, they’d reply, ‘ok have fun, earn more money!’,” she shares happily.

“They’re so much more independent now,” adds Aidah, referring to her three children aged between one and six. “When they see me on my off days, they appreciate our time together more.” 

More outlets in the works

Charrbo has ambitious plans for expansion. Syafiq reveals that they have already started scouting locations for additional outlets. He’s also excited about potential collaborations with his other brand, Ashes Burnnit. “We’re exploring larger, two-in-one concepts in future,” he says.

Chicken Chop, $9.90 (8 DAYS Pick!)

While the stall’s concept is charcoal-grilled Western food, do note that the meats are first seared on a griddle before briefly grilled over kachi (mangrove) charcoal and wood chips to reduce cooking time. This is why the resulting boneless chicken thigh has a more subdued, but still detectable, smokiness than fully charcoal-grilled meats. 

We especially enjoyed the superbly crispy skin on the chook thanks to an excellent sear. The meat is juicy and well-seasoned from an overnight brine, pairing well with the rich mushroom sauce. The sides are well done, too. The house-made mash is smooth and creamy, and the blanched greens, kissed by the grill, offer a delightful smoky tinge. We’d gladly order this again.

Grilled Rib-eye, $16.90

The steak is less impressive. Although there’s a stronger smokiness in the 180g slab of Australian ribeye, the meat is tough and lacks beefiness. Hearing our feedback, the hawkers acknowledged that the quality of the beef from their supplier has been inconsistent. For a safer, tastier option, go for the chicken chop instead.

Charred Beef Fries, $7 (8 DAYS Pick!)

A hulking pile of crispy fries topped with savoury, soy-and-garlic laced sliced short ribs that are blow-torched and finished with mayo and scallions before serving. Shiok and perfect for sharing.

Truffle Shroom with Prawn, $14

Despite its appealing plating, the pasta is underwhelming. The truffle oil-infused, mushroom-based sauce is under-seasoned and lacking in flavour. While the prawns are well-seared and the onsen egg adds creaminess to the dish, they were not enough to salvage the sauce.

Bottom line

We prefer the crisp-skinned, flavourful chicken chop over the middling steak and pasta. The shiok beef-topped fries are also worth ordering. With two motivated hawkers at the helm, we expect the overall standard of Charrbo’s food to improve over time.

Charrbo is at #01-122 Blk 156 Yishun St 11, S760156. Open daily 11.30am – 8pm. More info via Instagram & TikTok

Photos: Aik Chen