Originally Created For ‘Office Ladies’, $7 Herbal Chicken Soup Served In Ulu Mall Cafe Unexpectedly Attracts Gen-Z Crowd
This no-frills ‘aunty’ cafe recently became TikTok-famous with the Gen-Z crowd. It now serves trendy matcha lattes alongside its herbal chicken noodle soup and more.
Walk into musty Textile Centre in Kampong Glam, and you'd think you've stepped back into the ’80s. The worn out corridors have few visitors browsing old fabric shops and scattered eateries. But head to #01-33B and you'll find a nondescript-looking fusion cafe run by a couple that's become the accidental centre of Gen-Z's soup obsession.
Belli Cafe, owned by former payroll specialist Mabel Chia, 50, and ex-project engineer Ivan Chong, 49, started as just another Western fusion café in 2020. They opened shop in 2020 with zero F&B experience, in the thick of the pandemic.
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
From office lady to cafe lady serving OLs
The compact eatery – with just two tables and a long bench inside seating up to eight, plus an outdoor dining area for another five to eight pax – creates a somewhat cosy if no-frills vibe.
"I didn't formally learn how to cook. I [simply] watched my family members cook since I was young, and I had a passion for eating," Mabel laughs. Her herbal chicken soup was her “own creation used on weekends while I was working. I usually used the leftover soup for steamboat!"
The decision to leave her corporate job wasn't easy. “I wanted to try something new with food while I am still mobile," Mabel explains with humour. "To make sure I won't go hungry! So after years of working [in an office], I took this big step. Though a little old and late, I wanted to just try it out."
The Covid struggle
Their location choice was strategic. "Before Covid, the rent at Textile Centre was quite cheap, so we decided to give it a go," Mabel reveals. They took over a previous cafe, inheriting a mixed Chinese-Western menu before gradually making it their own.
But, their timing couldn't have been worse. "One month after we opened, Covid began. Some days, we had totally zero customers though we were open from 9am to 6pm. I lost almost all my savings for three years. I regretted my decision [to go into F&B] back then".
She admits she nearly gave up – but was “stubborn” enough to keep going. “Many of my customers were super supportive, so I continued. After three years, my husband joined me full-time. I have a bad knee and can’t squat or bend, so I told him, ‘You come help me lah.’”
The decision to plunge fully into their F&B biz meant a big pay cut. “This small shop definitely can't earn as much as our previous salaries,” Mabel says. “But it's enough for us to spend [and live] simply.”
Herbal Chicken Soup, $7
But it’s their 12-hour Herbal Chicken Soup that brought them internet fame sometime last year.
“Our chicken soup is slow-cooked overnight, and simmered for more than 12 hours,” Mabel explains. “That’s why the broth is so rich. We use chicken bones, dried dates for sweetness, and ground herbal powder.”
Salt is added to taste, but the real magic, she says, is in the generosity of the ingredients. “The ingredients must be quite substantial to create a good flavour. That’s where most of our cost go also. But since we’re surrounded by rental flats, I try to keep prices lower for customers while still giving them good food.”
Teriyaki Chicken Chop
Started off with Western grub
Belli Cafe started off serving Western food, but soon evolved into a fusion concept based on customer feedback. “We slowly expanded to add more Asian dishes,” says Mabel.
Their menu today is refreshingly varied. Beyond their now-famous Herbal Chicken Soup ($7), there’s Fish Soup, Chicken Chop, Spicy Ramen, and plus Chicken Katsu with Mayo ($7.50), Double Beef Burger ($10.50), and Fish and Chips ($9). Mabel’s homemade Korean Spicy Chicken Cheese Ramen ($6) has also become a favourite.
“We try to keep things hearty but simple,” she says. “I like it when my food has a lot of ingredients. Who doesn’t know how to cook Maggi noodles? So I add stuff to make it more satisfying.”
Limited bowls served daily
Each bowl comes with a whole chicken leg, plus three to four slices each of carrot and mushroom, and a choice of rice, mee sua, Koka noodles or thick bee hoon. Only about 40-50 bowls are available daily to prevent wastage. Once sold out, tough luck.
Korean Spicy Chicken Ramen with Cheese
New Gen-Z customers
Initially created as a comforting “office lady soup” for older customers and office workers, the herbal chicken broth unexpectedly blew up among Gen Zs after a young customer posted about it on TikTok.
The generational crossover happened by accident. "I didn't think of [Gen-Z customers] at the start, because I added this soup to cater to the older generation," Mabel admits. "Subsequently, after a customer posted on TikTok, more youngsters came to eat it."
The young crowd brought their own preferences: "They typically eat it with Koka noodles or mian xian."
Now, the café that sits in what many call a dead mall, gets packed by noon. "Some office ladies will call to pre-order the soup before coming later to collect it."
Bridging generations with matcha lattes
She has also added matcha lattes and other trendy drinks for the younger crowd. “They helped bridge the gap when Gen Zs started coming.”
At the end of the day, husband and wife aren’t chasing massive profits. “Honestly, we don’t earn much here – mostly only from drinks, and those don’t even sell that well,” Mabel admits. “But if people can eat good food, and we can survive – that’s enough.”
Belli Cafe is located at 200 Jln Sultan, #01-33B Textile Centre, S199018. Open Mon to Sat, 9.30am - 6pm. Tel: 9109 5978. More info via Instagram & Facebook.
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
Watch Now
Related Stories
Shopping
