Ngoh Hiang Home Business Opened by Former Korean Restaurant and Bak Kwa Factory Owners

Last Updated on 2021-03-01 , 1:22 pm

The effects that COVID-19 wrecked upon our economy which affected our workforce can still be felt deeply despite the situation improving, with the closure of many businesses.

No matter what field of profession you’re in or had expertise in, the pandemic provides us all with a commonality – the opportunity to start up unique home businesses with endless possibilities as to what you can sell.

From selling quirky modern products such as mask straps to familiar baked desserts, traditional food has managed to find its way into the mix as well – just as these two brothers are whipping up.

Started Selling Ngoh Hiang After Printing Business Was Affected By COVID-19

Ah Ma’s Ngoh Hiang has joined the ranks of booming home-based businesses here in Singapore, created by two brothers who have a passion for food.

Desmond, 40, and Melvin Kang, 44, was inspired to sell ngoh hiang as it was their grandmother’s speciality, leading to the name.

Their printing business had been severely hit and forced into closure by the pandemic, so the pair needed to find another way to generate some income – and what better way than to work from home?

Desmond spent his time quarantined at home indulging in his hobby of cooking.

He experimented with over a hundred dishes before giving in to his father’s request of making ngoh hiang, which can be pretty time-consuming.

The family then suggested that they try selling their ngoh hiang, and the rest was history.

“We thought we’d give it a try, so we started selling ngoh hiang with no expectations,” Desmond said.

Previously, the two brothers were relationship managers in banks before quitting in 2009.

Since then, they ran a printing business for close to ten years. 

The printing business specialised in printing brochures and catalogues for companies, with a forte for unique neon and gold coloured red packets.

The pandemic was quick to wreck the success of the business that they had been enjoying for years, with customers ceasing operations.

Digital catalogues are also trending as of late, prompting the brothers to focus on the F&B business instead.

They Once Owned A Korean Restaurant, Too

True businessmen don’t only look into one area, as it seems.

Desmond and Melvin later opened up a Korean restaurant in Amoy Street named K-Towers in 2016 with some leftover profit from the printing business.

The Korean restaurant sold towers of seafood amongst other ingredients over a pot of steaming soup.

It had always been their childhood dream to open up an F&B business, but for those who had no prior experience, it was not an easy feat after all.

The first few months rendered the brothers sleepless, as they went around conceptualising the business, hiring workers and setting everything up only after they had signed the lease.

Unfortunately, they were also unable to see their children because of the hectic schedules.

They sacrificed their usual weekend dinners with the family to work in the restaurant, which became busier on weekends.

Desmond has two daughters aged five and nine, while Melvin’s daughter is 14 and his son is 11.

After being approached by a Chinese investor in October 2017, they decided to sell the business after considering if they would be able to carry on with this life, choosing their family in the end, Desmond shared.

Then Moved On To Open A Bak Kwa Business

However, they did not give up on their dreams of staying in the F&B sector, although Desmond was initially hesitant about it.

They were introduced to the owner of popular Malaysian bak kwa brand Hock Wong through a friend, who wanted to expand the business into Singapore. 

They decided that this opportunity was too good to pass up on.

August 2018 was when the agreement was signed as the brothers prepared for the Chinese New Year period less than five months away.

It was challenging, and frankly impossible-looking, yet they managed to pull through.

“We started a factory from scratch, got the licensing and produced enough stock for the whole CNY period in under five months without any relevant experience at all. This is something we’re really proud of,” Melvin recounted.

The stint came to an end in September 2019, although the brothers were able to get back their original six-figure investment.

And Finally, On To Ngoh Hiang

Ah Ma’s Ngoh Hiang was launched in June and has since seen a hearty welcome and rapid growth in business since then.

They even had to place four chest freezers in their home to store their endless orders.

Desmond and Melvin live with their family and parents in a spacious Punggol condo unit, housing ten people under one roof.

It also means that more people are helping out with the home business, which the six adults handle.

Eventually, they aim to move to a central kitchen and go commercial by supplying their ngoh hiang to zi char stalls and the like.

The family takes on different roles in the “factory line” at home, with some weighing the fillings, some wrapping the rolls and others frying them.

Their day usually begins at 7 am and ends at 5 pm during the festive season, with only Desmond, Melvin and their parents in charge of production for the day – their wives help out only on weekends as they hold full-time jobs.

Still, they manage to churn out a whopping 80 boxes a day.

Desmond sticks to a very strict SOP aligned to his standards, which his family gladly follows as they understand him well.

And now, for the million-dollar question – how did these two brothers manage to work together as business partners so seamlessly all these years, since sibling fights are commonplace?

“We know each other inside out,” says Desmond. “He knows my temper. He knows my style and I know his. We can make compromises more easily.”

While Desmond is a natural-born leader, Melvin is more patient and can take a step back, achieving a good harmony between the two.

They are happy to still be living together with their families under the same roof, just like how they grew up sharing a room.

Crispy Ngoh Hiang, Prawn Pancake, And More

Alright, now that you know of the two brothers’ long and eventful journey to get to where they are today, you’re probably the most curious about their food.

Their signature ngoh hiang consists of ingredients like minced pork, prawns, chunks of turnips, carrots and onions.

Despite the lack of water chestnuts in the mixture, the ngoh hiang remains crisp in one’s mouth – attributed to their preparation and marinade methods.

Drools 

18 pieces of ngoh hiang will set you back by only $19.

Besides their famous rolls, they also sell prawn pancakes, which are made with prawn meat blended into a paste, then mixed with carrots and spring onions before being fried.

You can purchase three pieces of pancakes at $22.

Similar to their ngoh hiang but without prawns, their rolls also take the form of juicy fried meatballs, which sells in a box of 10 that you can enjoy for $6.

They’re currently accepting limited orders on their Facebook page here.

Update: As of 1 March 2021, it seems that Ah Ma’s Ngoh Hiang and prawn pancake are sold out. 

Feature Image: (Facebook) ahmangohhiang