Can Johor’s fine dining restaurants thrive without Singapore customers during the pandemic?
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Can Johor's fine dining restaurants thrive without Singapore customers during the pandemic?
These are challenging times to exist in the fine-dining business organisation – especially in low-cal of the second MCO – to say the to the lowest degree, but Johor's leading restaurants remain undaunted and, in fact, upbeat.
Located in the Taman Sri Sentosa neighbourhood, Sushi Shin is a zen oasis serving up the finest omakase in Johor (and some say Malaysia). (Photo: Sushi Shin)
sixteen Jan 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 09 Jul 2022 01:20AM)
With restrictions on gatherings and dining out, restaurants the world over are among the businesses hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. For fine-dining purveyors, which rely heavily on the quality of the experience, the difficulties are amplified. In Johor, where fine-dining restaurants are oft reliant on the incoming Singapore dollar to be profitable, this dilemma is all the more urgent.
Hither, 3 establishments share their experiences of going through the first lockdown – known every bit the Motility Control Order (MCO) – in March 2020, also as the latest MCO, which came into effect on January 11 and will last through Jan 26. In this round, like the first, no dine-ins are immune, but restaurants may remain open with the option of offering takeaways and deliveries.
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INITIAL OFFERING
In suburban Taman Molek, Initial is a cozy venue where chef Koh Chin Hong serves up modernistic cuisine shaped by his various preparation spanning Copenhagen (Noma) and Tokyo (L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon).
The business had been stabilising since it opened in April 2022 with Koh's highly personal cuisine garnering fans from Singapore to partake of his seasonal degustation card.
In early 2020, things were looking bright with Koh in talks with chefs from Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo to collaborate on a serial of four-hand dinners. Merely then came the get-go MCO.
"Nosotros had to shutter for six weeks considering our food is such that commitment options were not possible. Information technology was a hard time for united states of america as this meant zero income," recalled Koh.
As the regime gradually relaxed the MCO and allowed for dining-in within guidelines, things slowly picked up. In fact, the restaurant even hosted events for companies like Standard Chartered, which wined and dined their private banking clients, all with the requisite Standard Operating Practices (SOPs) in place, of course.
"Despite the loss of our core clients, who were Singaporeans, we've institute that local customers are appreciating our food too. Nowadays we are doing fifty-fifty ameliorate than earlier with an almost 50 per cent increment in revenue compared to [before the pandemic]."
With the onset of the second MCO, the eatery is shuttered again – at least until Jan 26. Merely Koh said that in one case the MCO is lifted, he volition resume talks with Kuala Lumpur chef Jun Wong of Kikubari fame to host a four-easily dinner.
Located in the weather-beaten Taman Sri Tebrau neighbourhood of Johor Bahru, Sushi Shin is a zen oasis serving up the finest omakase in Johor (and some say Malaysia).
This bijou 12-seater sushi restaurant helmed by chef John Chang honours the omakase ethos of serving the freshest produce. Thank you to his Nobu pedigree, Chang imbues the menu with fusion flourishes. The restaurant had only opened its doors in February 2022 and was making waves among the Johor royalty and foodies when the MCO came into force.
"Business organisation was doing very well from day ane then we were in the process of planning event dinners and inviting guest chefs from Japan," recalled owner Ben Yeoh.
Even though the restaurant offered a commitment service when the first MCO was implemented, revenue promptly dropped 30 per cent to 40 per cent. All the same, every bit restrictions eased and restaurants were allowed to open again albeit with strict guidelines, Sushi Shin followed suit.
"We kept to the SOPs strictly such equally sanitising our outlet after every service, providing disposable towels and booze swipes before [diners] start their dinner. Our staff also wear paw gloves and masks at all times and are reminded to sanitise themselves equally ofttimes as possible," said Yeoh.
As Sushi Shin adapts to this new normal, Yeoh opines that the biggest impact the pandemic had to operations was in terms of reservations. "We used to [run] 2 dinner services but with the change in business hours during the RMCO (Recovery MCO), we can only practise one service a nighttime," he explained.
"Our guests have had to arrange their reservations to suit this but they've been very good-natured about this and been extremely cooperative. Even so only having i service a night has seriously affected acquirement."
Yet, Yeoh and his team remain optimistic even with the onset of the 2d MCO, during which they have reverted to doing deliveries.
"The fashion to approach the business has changed but we're even so very passionate about it, pandemic or non. In fact, nosotros are in the midst of preparing our new outlet specialising in yakitori." This, he added, will open as soon as restrictions are lifted.
"The style to approach the business concern has inverse merely we're nonetheless very passionate about it, pandemic or not." – Ben Yeoh
FILLING THE VOID
For Shawn Shum, founder and executive chef of KIOKU in Sunway Citrine Hub, Iskandar Puteri, reopening after the initial MCO was a calculated risk.
Shum, who had fabricated a reputation for himself at ane of Johor's commencement destination dining outlets, Rowan & Parsley, had opened VOiD at the then-new Sunway Citrine Hub in 2018. The area was ideal for his manner of fusion cuisine served omakase style, which was still a novel concept in Johor then. But there was a set up audience – Iskandar Puteri is populated by international expats and a number of Singaporeans who maintain a second home near the 2d Link.
VOiD shuttered in early 2022 to work out internal issues but Shum fabricated the conclusion to reopen in September 2022 with a new proper name and refreshed menu.
"Although many people thought it was the worst time to restart a business, I felt the COVID-19 crisis was a turning bespeak," said Shum. Even though 70 per cent of his regular customers had been from Singapore and unable to patronise the new incarnation, Shum pivoted to target locals grounded in Malaysia.
"Instead of spending their money away, Malaysians are now willing to spend [money locally]. It's actually good for F&B businesses in this situation every bit nutrient connoisseurs have more opportunities and time to explore fine-dining restaurants locally," enthused Shum.
But with the change in demographics, Shum made slight changes in the menu to cater to more local tastes. This included using more premium ingredients, such as uni and truffle, to cater to customers who were more inclined to indulge.
The eating house has been doing well since its opening, Shum reported. They volition remain open throughout this second MCO, every bit they are located in a mall, with takeaways (but not deliveries) available.
"We are doing fine with our current business model and believe that whoever can get through this pandemic successfully will exist the better for it. Nosotros foresee that things should exist more stable in the 2nd half of 2021. Allow'south hope for the best for all of us."
"We foresee that things should be more stable in the second half of 2021. Allow'due south hope for the best for all of united states of america." – Shawn Shum
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/experiences/johor-fine-dining-restaurants-pandemic-246756
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