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Constance Song Partners HK Couple To Open Cha Chaan Teng In Charming Shophouse

The actress loved the original Friends Café at Upp Thomson so much, she partnered the couple behind it to open a fancier outlet at a conservation shophouse on Neil Road.
Constance Song Partners HK Couple To Open Cha Chaan Teng In Charming Shophouse

When veteran actress Constance Song first met freelance make-up artist Vicky Lee, 33, on the set of Mediacorp show Tanglin, she probably never expected to go into business with Vicky and her husband Keith Wong, 35, a former civil engineer, someday.

In 2021, the Hong Kong-born couple opened the quaint Friends Café at Upper Thomson. “A courageous move during the pandemic,” says Constance. She became a regular at their popular cha chaan teng because she likes their “authentic Hong Kong” taste and brought her friend, Derick Wong, there for lunch. While chatting with Vicky, they casually asked if she was keen to expand the business.

“Wah, she was very serious about it,” laughs Constance, who also co-owns Spanish joint Bam! Restaurant. She and Derick – he’s in the logistics business and invested in Friends Café as a present to his missus who dreamed of going into F&B – became the couple’s new sleeping partners. Following feedback from customers that their first outlet’s location is too ulu, the quad opened the fancier second branch at the more central Neil Road in mid-April. “The Upper Thomson branch isn’t very crowded on weekdays because it’s too far away for most people’s convenience,” explains Vicky, who says they haven’t fully recouped their cost from the 20-month-old first branch despite the initial long queues.

“Vicky and Keith are super hardworking, capable and innovative; they’re very productive,” gushes Constance. The couple runs between the two outlets and Keith cooks in the kitchen alongside his crew. He honed his cooking skills while working at Chinese and Western restaurants and even a lobster farm while studying in Perth for seven years. He also helped to run Vicky’s parents’ kopitiam selling HK roast meats and dim sum in Upper Thomson. Vicky still takes bridal make-up bookings. “These are usually early in the morning so I have the rest of the day for the cafés,” says the perky mum-of-three. 

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