She commissioned Ves.studio to produce porcelain lamp sconces adorned with whimsical Keith Haring-inspired doodles designed by local art collective Ripple Root. “Creative communities are interconnected,” Ong muses. “Without artists, restaurants have no pe
SUSTAINING THE BUSINESS
Even as Ong and Lim are taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint of their restaurants, they have been steadily solidifying their presence in the local dining landscape. This is quite the feat considering that the cousins, who come from vastly different backgrounds, never imagined that their professional paths would cross one day.
Growing up, they didn’t see much of each other— except at occasional family gatherings. In 2013, Ong approached her Penang-born cousin, who had been a chef in hotels and restaurants for over a decade, to start Cicheti. Ong identified a gap in the F&B industry here for “hole-in-the-wall and off-the-beatenpath” concepts—something she enjoyed while living in London. Her father Ong Yew Huat, the former executive chairman of Ernst & Young Singapore, was an investor in Cicheti.
Being first-time collaborators in a cut-throat industry was challenging—ong provided the creative vision and ideas gleaned from frequent travels, while Lim, who hadn’t visited Italy till 2019, struggled to catch up. He turned to Youtube and social media videos to increase his exposure to pasta- and pizza-making and brought the ideas to life by “trial and error” in the kitchen.
And as it turned out, being not close initially was a boon for the duo. Ong reflects, “We trod lightly around each other when we disagreed and organically fell into a very good working relationship, while knowing that we are family, and would not screw each other over. There was this unspoken trust.” Over the years, they have become attuned to each other’s tastes and preferences.
As the group grows, Ong’s ethos of running restaurants has evolved to providing a platform to nurture home-grown culinary talents. She is spurred by the success of the group’s concepts that are run by a largely local kitchen team. She recounts, “Back then, some diners couldn’t believe that the head chef and co-owner is a Chinese guy—but why not? His team could nail the local palate down and tweak Italian dishes.” Lim hands the daily operations to his staff after the set-up stage of the concepts. “I want to ensure that there is progression for my chefs and that they can achieve their goals while working with me,” he adds.
Despite the pandemic, the group will roll out its fifth concept by early next year. It will feature a “truly talented local chef joining the group”. While Ong declines to divulge details, she says, “The partnership is extra special, given the organic nature of our forged paths and a shared obsession with dough.”
In an ode to Lim’s passion for dough-making, Ong plans to delve into this culinary art in the group’s concepts for the next two to three years. “Dough breathes life into our menus—it is the starting point for our pasta and Neapolitan pizzas,” she says. “Each new concept will start with dough, showcasing the skill sets of our kitchen teams in manipulating dough and bringing out our best interpretation of Italian cuisine.”
Pressing on with business expansion amid the uncertainties, Ong, who is based in Singapore, believes that it’s time to “roll the dice and be ballsy”. This comes after a year of hunkering down. With a smile, she says, “I don’t want the pandemic to dictate our growth. I want to fight against it—this creates hope and shows that, despite the difficulties, we are still in a place driven by passion and creativity.”