British Hainan burst into the F&B scene in 2013 and went on to become an award-winning restaurant. It was most recently crowned Winner in the Best Asian (Casual Dining) category at The Epicurean Star Awards.

The repertoire of food offerings were so popular that two more outlets were opened at Kallang Way and Purvis Street, in addition to its flagship restaurant at Joo Chiat. The unique recipes that patrons of British Hainan enjoy today have been passed down to 64 year old Owner & Founder, Frederick (Fred) Puah, by his father, the late Mr Phua Kioh Say, who worked as a resident cook for a British family during the colonial era.

Column Editor, Angela May Tan, sat down with Fred to find out more about the story behind his business.

SGLS: Being in the cut-throat world of F&B, how did you stay in the game for so many years? Do you experience “entrepreneur fatigue”?

Fred: I have been running businesses for 21 years. Prior to establishing British Hainan, I was in the business of audio-visual technology and events. Running businesses rejuvenate me and hence I don’t find it tedious at all. I treat all my customers as friends. The slogan printed on the t-shirts that my employees wear says, “Welcome Home”. And I mean it. When I have customers coming back to dine at British Hainan, they feel right at home. Quite often, I’d sit and chat with them (COVID safe management measures permitting of course).

SGLS: You mentioned that your father was the inspiration behind British Hainan. How did he end up as a cook? What were your favourite dishes?

Fred: My father, like many Hainanese migrants, was a late immigrant to Malaya (which Singapore was part of before we became independent in 1965). By the time the Hainanese arrived, most of the jobs were already taken by the Cantonese, Hokkien and Teochew migrants. Hence, the only jobs available were that of sailors or cooks. My father took on a job as a cook for a British family. His employer was diabetic, so my dad had to think of ways to reduce sugar and carbohydrates in his daily cooking. For example, my father’s Braised Oxtail Stew recipe was made entirely sugar, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and additives free. He used sweet potatoes in the stew, which has a low glycaemic index. This humble root vegetable gives our Oxtail Stew a natural sweetness and yet doesn’t cause blood sugar levels to spike.

I love my father’s Braised Oxtail Stew, Hainanese Pork Chop, Herbal Mutton Soup and Rosemary Lamb Shank. Due to our unique recipes, we do not use food additives.

A few weeks back, an Irish patron came by and ordered our Braised Oxtail Stew. He liked it but told me his recipe was better. So we had a friendly cooking challenge and got some of my patrons to be jurors. British Hainan’s recipe won hands down.

SGLS: British Hainan has three outlets in Singapore located at Joo Chiat, Kallang Way and Purvis Street. Why did you open so many outlets within a relatively short span of time? Was your business affected by Covid? If so, how do you cope?

Fred: It is interesting that you asked. My first outlet was at Joo Chiat. I started it as I wanted a place to showcase all my vintage items. I have been a collector of items of nostalgia for decades and I was running out of space to house them. So the British Hainan outlet at Joo Chiat was the perfect location. My wife, children and I made sure the ambience was homely and interesting to our patrons.

British Hainan at Kallang Way was set aside as a social enterprise as I felt a calling to give back. It is now a safe haven for ex-offenders to work and learn new skills, be it in the kitchen or as a front of house.

The newest outlet at Purvis Street was opened in 2020, right smacked in the middle of the pandemic. The restaurant space was made available then and I found it very serendipitous as the area was once a Hainanese enclave. Hence the birth of British Hainan at Purvis Street. My daughter, Amelia Puah, manages this outlet and she does an amazing job.

Due to the support from our regular patrons, who spread the word about our food to their family and friends, British Hainan is doing well.

SGLS: If you were given an opportunity to share a meal with someone famous, such as a politician or celebrity, who would it be? Why?

Fred: Mr George Yeo. Actually, he came by with his wife for a meal just before Christmas and we felt really honoured to have him as a patron. Even though he has been a high profile politician and officer bearer in both public and private sectors, he is a very humble person and is respectful to everyone, even our service staff. He is someone I look up to.

SGLS: What advice would you give to a fledgling entrepreneur in the F&B sector?

Fred: Be prepared to work hard and be without a stable salary for a period of time. When I started British Hainan, I called for a family meeting and got my wife and children’s blessings in investing time, money and energy to our family business. Our monthly salary for a year was SGD500 per month. We worked hard but we were happy and fulfilled.

Also make sure you do your due diligence when you choose your location. Spend some time hanging out at the area at lunch hour and on weekends to observe foot traffic. This is especially important if your food offerings are more suited for dining in. Be nice to people, especially your own employees. You need them more than they need you.

Also, last but not least, put a lot of love in your work. My passion for the business was borne out of my love to keep my family recipes alive.

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British Hainan is located at the following venues:

British Hainan (Joo Chiat)
75 CARPMAEL RD, SINGAPORE 429812 | For reservations, WhatsApp +65 96338122

British Hainan (Kallang Way)
158 KALLANG WAY #01-06 PERFORMANCE BUILDING, SINGAPORE 349245 | For reservations, WhatsApp +65 90226233

British Hainan (Purvis Street)
23 PURVIS STREET #01-01, SINGAPORE 188600 | For reservations, WhatsApp +65 83220389

Find out more about British Hainan at www.british-hainan.com

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Interview by Angela May Tan, Column Editor & Writer, SG Lifestyle.

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