After Losing $200k Opening A Cafe In Europe, S’porean Couple Now Hawkers Selling Shiok Nasi Lemak

Why they wanted to open a restaurant overseas

Felicia was a flight attendant for over twenty years before opening her own stall. The bubbly hawker recalls: “During my travels, I’ve eaten at many places that serve Singaporean food, but they were always a disappointment. It felt like a shame because Singaporean food is much nicer [than what I’ve tried]. I wanted to open our own place overseas to change that.”

When she was laid off from British Airways in 2016, her hubby Tiong How, an IT professional, felt it was the right time to pursue the couple's dream of opening an eatery. That same year, the couple and their two children relocated to Edinburgh after their application for an entrepreneurship visa was approved.

Tried to open a restaurant in Edinburgh

“We visited Edinburgh [before our relocation] and we were very optimistic. The people were so nice, we thought it’d be easy to find a place to open our restaurant. But that wasn’t the case at all,” says Tiong How. 

During their two-year stay, the couple faced challenges finding a suitable location for their restaurant. “We were looking for a place near The University of Edinburgh as we wanted to target Asian students and tourists,” he explains. “The places we picked all ended up having issues like structural problems or significant delays for renovation.” 

Tiong How recounts their biggest financial mistake there. “As our visas were expiring, we took a very big risk with a cafe that we wanted to rent. It was still undergoing renovation and despite our lawyer’s advice against it, we invested a substantial sum to complete the works without having the tenancy agreement transferred to us. The renovation dragged on for several months and we couldn’t [get it operationally ready] in time."

The couple ended up losing “around $200,000” out of the S$600,000 that they had set aside to open their restaurant. “We didn’t have the time or resources to pursue legal recourse to recover our losses,” he adds.

With their savings dwindling and visas expiring, they made the tough decision to return home in 2018. “We thought that since we had the money, we wouldn’t have issues finding a place [to open a restaurant],” he says dejectedly. 

Despite the financial and emotional setbacks, Felicia and Tiong How have no regrets. “Initially, there was heartache from the losses. But I’m glad our children (who were around 7 and 11 at the time) had a good time and they have very fond memories of their time in Edinburgh,” says Felicia.

Ran a canteen stall at SAJC for four years

After returning home, Felicia stumbled upon an advertisement for a canteen stall lease at St Andrew’s Junior College and the couple decided to give it a go. For the next four years, they managed a Thai-Vietnamese stall together, offering dishes like fried tom yum bee hoon and Vietnamese pork chop. “It was a valuable experience,” she reflects. “That was when we mastered cooking in bulk.”

As profit margins tightened and the constraints of a school canteen made it tough to raise prices, the couple opted to start a hawker business instead. After completing the Hawkers’ Development Programme by the National Environment Agency, they launched Madam Lim’s Nasi Lemak in February, with Tiong How helming the kitchen and Felicia handling customer orders and assisting with food prep.

Do they still hope to open a restaurant someday? “We still aspire to make a name for ourselves. We’re thinking of starting with [manufacturing] sauces, such as sambal, which we can potentially market overseas,” Tiong How shares.

Can’t agree on whether their nasi lemak is Malaysian-style

To make his signature ayam berempah, Tiong How brines the boneless chicken thigh overnight, followed by another overnight marination with spices like turmeric, curry powder and chilli.

Ayam Berempah Set, $5.50 (8 DAYS Pick!)

Regardless of its classification, the spice-rubbed fried chicken boasts a similarly aromatic profile to the chook served at Spicy Wife and Wild Coco – nasi lemak joints that specialise in the Malaysian rendition.

While those shops serve a whole chicken leg, Madam Lim’s version uses boneless thigh, which may not look as impressive but is just as tasty. We like the assertive notes of turmeric and curry powder, and the batter is satisfyingly crunchy. Our only gripe? The chicken was slightly overcooked and could have been juicier.

The house-made sambal is fab though – slightly sweet with hints of caramelised onions, and enough kick from its chilli blend. It pairs well with the deliciously lemak rice, which has a richer coconutty flavour compared to most hawker versions. The sunny side-up has a jammy yolk, and house-fried ikan bilis and peanuts are fresh and crunchy – reflecting the owners’ attention to detail.

Beef Rendang Set, $7.50

Cooked in a house-made rempah, the meat is robust and bursting with flavour. Different cuts offer varying levels of tenderness, but you can specify your preference when ordering – we’d ask for the more fork-tender cuts next time.

Add-ons, from $0.80

Side dishes like fried ikan kuning, long bean and tau kwa are available as add-ons. There’s also a more affordable Basic Nasi Lemak Set without any meat dishes at $3.

Bottom line

A worthy new entrant in the “Malaysian-style” nasi lemak category. We enjoyed the fried chicken, which is impeccably marinated and retains a crispy exterior even when enjoyed as leftovers, and we believe the texture of both the chook and beef dishes will improve once the hawkers work out their opening kinks.

The meticulously-prepared sides, from the superb house-made sambal (we’re excited to learn that the owners are considering selling it separately) to freshly-fried ikan bilis and peanuts, make their rice sets good value for money. Here’s hoping they maintain their dedication to quality and details.

The details

Madam Lim’s Nasi Lemak is at #02-01 Holland Drive Market & Food Centre, 44 Holland Dr, S270044. Open daily except Fri, 8am – 2pm. More info via Instagram.

Photos: Dillon Tan

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