Rui Ji Chicken Rice Owner Opens New Ubi Restaurant, Employs Accident & Illness Survivors For Career Opportunities
Some of Joseph Tan’s staff suffered major injuries like the loss of a leg in a car accident and severe burns, which limited their ability to work in most jobs.
There are many chicken rice stalls in Singapore, but Rui Ji Chicken Rice is unique in that it employs disabled staff who are considered atypical hires in the F&B industry.
The chain is opened by a relative of the folks behind Sing Swee Kee Chicken Rice at Seah Street, which itself is another family-run offshoot of the iconic defunct Middle Road stall Swee Kee Chicken Rice.
“My mother is a Moh — her father [Moh Lee Twee] founded Swee Kee. Her siblings were in a legal dispute over the family inheritance, but we prefer to do our own thing here, which is to uphold our family’s chicken rice legacy,” Rui Ji’s second-gen owner, Joseph Tan, 58, tells 8days.sg.
Swee Kee, which closed in 1997, was widely hailed as the pioneer of chicken rice and served the best version of it in Singapore before its closure. Sing Swee Kee (which means ‘new Swee Kee’ in Chinese) and Rui Ji (Swee Kee’s Mandarin pronunciation) have names that were derived from Swee Kee.
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
The chain is opened by a relative of the folks behind Sing Swee Kee Chicken Rice at Seah Street, which itself is another family-run offshoot of the iconic defunct Middle Road stall Swee Kee Chicken Rice.
“My mother is a Moh — her father [Moh Lee Twee] founded Swee Kee. Her siblings were in a legal dispute over the family inheritance, but we prefer to do our own thing here, which is to uphold our family’s chicken rice legacy,” Rui Ji’s second-gen owner, Joseph Tan, 58, tells 8days.sg.
Swee Kee, which closed in 1997, was widely hailed as the pioneer of chicken rice and served the best version of it in Singapore before its closure. Sing Swee Kee (which means ‘new Swee Kee’ in Chinese) and Rui Ji (Swee Kee’s Mandarin pronunciation) have names that were derived from Swee Kee.
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
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At Rui Ji’s latest flagship restaurant, which opened late last year in Ubi Ave 1, the cashier and order taker is stroke survivor Loo Kah Hock, who used to run his own business. The long working hours and stress from helming his own biz affected Kah Hock’s health, and he eventually suffered a stroke in his early 50s and closed his company.
He later found employment at Rui Ji Chicken Rice, after Joseph offered him a cashier job. Joseph also hired another man, Johnny Tan, who relies on a prosthetic leg to move around after losing his own leg in a motorcycle accident.
He later found employment at Rui Ji Chicken Rice, after Joseph offered him a cashier job. Joseph also hired another man, Johnny Tan, who relies on a prosthetic leg to move around after losing his own leg in a motorcycle accident.
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These details were shared by netizen Yi Lin Sng on Facebook group Can Eat! SG, after she visited the stall and learnt that it was struggling with poor business. She wrote: “Being new and having little publicity, not many know of their existence. They offered to pay me to advertise on their behalf as they are struggling to stay afloat, [and] Joseph confided in me that he might have to close the Ubi shop if footfall remains low.”
Yi Lin explained in her post that she declined his offer for payment as she considers herself “just a foodie who writes about my food hunt”. However, she wrote a heartfelt plea on Facebook for people to drop by Rui Ji for a meal as they would be “killing more than one bird with a stone, aside from the chicken — you are impacting the lives of three survivors.”
Yi Lin explained in her post that she declined his offer for payment as she considers herself “just a foodie who writes about my food hunt”. However, she wrote a heartfelt plea on Facebook for people to drop by Rui Ji for a meal as they would be “killing more than one bird with a stone, aside from the chicken — you are impacting the lives of three survivors.”
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According to Yi Lin, Joseph had “taken Johnny under his wing” and “trained him to chop and serve chicken.” She adds: “I asked if he was still in pain, Johnny flashed a brilliant brave smile and declared that I am pain free, all is forgotten.”
Another staff member working at the stall is Frankie Wong, whom Yi Lin says “suffered from burns and a broken leg as a result of a kitchen accident.” He was hospitalised for half a year and never regained strength in his broken limb, which impeded his movement.
“He said that he would never have been able to find a job if not for Joseph. If [the] Rui Ji Ubi branch closes, he and the other two would not have a way to make an independent living,” Yi Lin shares.
Another staff member working at the stall is Frankie Wong, whom Yi Lin says “suffered from burns and a broken leg as a result of a kitchen accident.” He was hospitalised for half a year and never regained strength in his broken limb, which impeded his movement.
“He said that he would never have been able to find a job if not for Joseph. If [the] Rui Ji Ubi branch closes, he and the other two would not have a way to make an independent living,” Yi Lin shares.
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The menu
At Rui Ji, prices start from $4 for a plate of Chicken Breast Meat Rice, with your choice of steamed, roasted or soy sauce chicken. There’s also Chicken Drumstick Rice ($6), a One Person Chicken Thigh Rice Set ($7) with a veggie side, and a la carte chicken (from $10 for a quarter wing chicken to $30 for a whole chicken). You can also top up $1 to get a Chicken Rice Ball.
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Noodle options are available too, like Chicken Breast Noodle ($4) and Curry Chicken Drumstick Noodle ($7). Other than chooks, Rui Ji offers a char siew pork rice and wonton mee selection, as well as Cockles Laksa (from $4), Mee Siam ($3.80) and Mee Rebus ($3.80).
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Unique ordering system
According to a sign at the stall, elderly and handicapped customers are not required to queue for their food, and they can place their orders via a separate window.
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Meanwhile, Joseph runs the chicken rice chain with his sister Jass, who is now also battling stomach cancer. The siblings opened a Rui Ji outlet at Toa Payoh and another one at Beach Road before expanding to include its newest Ubi Ave flagship.
Speaking to 8days.sg, Joseph explains that he had promised Jass, 48, to employ people with disabilities at his new restaurant outlet. “She’s a person with a disability herself — she got into a car accident in Malaysia and injured her leg. Most F&B companies wouldn’t give disabled candidates a chance, ’cos customers find these staff too slow. But I would like to give them a job so they can still earn an income,” he opines.
But he still encountered resistance from some customers at his Ubi shop. Joseph notes: “They are impatient and don’t want to wait too long for their food.”
Unfortunately, due to poor footfall, he is considering closing the Ubi restaurant next month. “Our rent is $7,000 a month, and adds up to over $10,000 with utilities. But we earn just over $1,000 a day, sometimes $800 to $900. The sales volume is just not there, and I cannot sustain further and bleed money every month,” he shares.
His aim, Joseph says, is to make enough to keep the restaurant afloat and continue his hiring initiative. He explains: “I spent a lot of money opening this outlet and I don’t ask for much, except to employ staff with disabilities.”
Blk 305 Ubi Ave 1, #01-179, S400305. Tel: 9674-3355. Open daily 8am-8pm. Facebook
Photos: Yi Lin Sng/ Rui Ji Chicken Rice
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Speaking to 8days.sg, Joseph explains that he had promised Jass, 48, to employ people with disabilities at his new restaurant outlet. “She’s a person with a disability herself — she got into a car accident in Malaysia and injured her leg. Most F&B companies wouldn’t give disabled candidates a chance, ’cos customers find these staff too slow. But I would like to give them a job so they can still earn an income,” he opines.
But he still encountered resistance from some customers at his Ubi shop. Joseph notes: “They are impatient and don’t want to wait too long for their food.”
Unfortunately, due to poor footfall, he is considering closing the Ubi restaurant next month. “Our rent is $7,000 a month, and adds up to over $10,000 with utilities. But we earn just over $1,000 a day, sometimes $800 to $900. The sales volume is just not there, and I cannot sustain further and bleed money every month,” he shares.
His aim, Joseph says, is to make enough to keep the restaurant afloat and continue his hiring initiative. He explains: “I spent a lot of money opening this outlet and I don’t ask for much, except to employ staff with disabilities.”
Blk 305 Ubi Ave 1, #01-179, S400305. Tel: 9674-3355. Open daily 8am-8pm. Facebook
Photos: Yi Lin Sng/ Rui Ji Chicken Rice
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
8days.sg is now on #tiktok! Follow us on www.tiktok.com/@8dayseat
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