Albanian Hawker Closes Bukit Timah Stall Due To Manpower Crunch, Upgrades To Restaurant
“Unfortunately we do not have enough manpower. If we insist on [running] both, we will lose out in both [locations],” says Kelvis Shima’s wife Ali Wong. The couple now offer a bigger menu selection and wines at their restaurant, which they previously could not do in a hawker setting.
After sleeping rough and getting caught by the police for stealing bread to survive, the brothers were sent to a Catholic foster house. They also attended school, with Klevis, now 39, graduating with a diploma in electrical engineering.
While working in Venice as a waiter, Klevis met his Hong Kong-born future wife Ali Wong, now 42. He had served her table while she was there on a business trip as the Singapore-based director of a cruise company.
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Called HaPiHa (which means ‘eat drink eat’ in Albanian), the stall at Beauty World Food Centre offers a Mediterranean menu with dishes from Albania, Greece, Turkey and Italy. This includes house-made pizzas, kebab wraps, souvlaki and meat platters.
Closed hawker stall, opens restaurant
Klevis, who personally cooked at the stall, enjoyed steady business. But on Nov 16 this year, he announced on social media that he was closing his stall. The closure was more of an upgrade, as he was shifting his operations to his new dine-in HaPiHa Mediterranean Taverna at the nearby Ridgewood Condominium.
His wife Ali explains to 8days.sg: “Unfortunately we do not have manpower. If we insist on [running] both, we will lose out in both [locations].”
Opening a restaurant was also a natural progression for them. “Many of our customers have asked for fish and meat platters or to eat our food with wine. But it wasn’t possible for us to do such a menu at Beauty World, so we decided to open a restaurant to offer a cosy dining experience and more menu options,” says Ali.
The intimate restaurant can fit “around 28 to 30 guests”. An upcoming al-fresco dining area, with a view of a scenic swimming pool, can seat another 12 pax.
Restaurant menu
The taverna offers a similar but bigger menu selection than its hawker outlet, with “around 75 items and a comprehensive wine list at $48 plus per bottle”. According to Ali, prices at her restaurant are still kept “very reasonable”.
She explains: “For example, we were selling a chicken kebab at our stall for $8. At the restaurant we will sell it at $13, but with a side of fries and a nice atmosphere in an air-conditioned space. We also sell dips and tapas from $9 to $18. The same food offered by similar restaurants [will cost] at least 20 to 40 per cent higher.”
Should the manpower situation improve, Klevis and Ali are open to running a hawker stall again. “Beauty World was our baby and it has been an amazing experience,” she shares.
Hosted the President of Kosovo
Just weeks after opening their little taverna, the couple had a surprise guest: The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, when she was in town for British royal Prince William’s Earthshot Prize ceremony, which was held this year in Singapore.
A thrilled Ali recalls that it was “one of the best moments in our F&B journey”, as her new restaurant was chosen by the Kosovo embassy to host a luncheon for delegates.
As security was tight, Ali and Klevis were not allowed to reveal details until after the luncheon. “So even our chefs and our son didn’t know. If we told our son, he would have told his whole school,” Ali laughs.
For the luncheon, the couple offered their meze platter (an appetiser spread served for a party that includes small bites like falafel, hummus and halloumi), a meat platter, baked fish, vegetarian-friendly burek and a sponge cake for dessert.
Describing the president as “humble”, Ali recalls: “Everyone stood up when she arrived, and she said, ‘May I know where the restaurant owner is?’ We were shocked that she personally greeted Klevis and told him in Albanian that she and her team were so proud that he made it here in Singapore, in such an elevated and beautiful country.”
HaPiHa Mediterranean Taverna is at Ridgewood Condominium, 5 Ridgewood Close, S276696. Tel: 9236-2430. Open daily except Mon. Tues-Fri 5pm-9pm, Sat & Sun 12pm-9pm. Facebook, Instagram
Photos: HaPiHa, Alvin Teo
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