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Some hawkers give up within months for reasons like hard labour or poor footfall. But Mr Dominic Neo, owner of Liang Ji (梁記) adopts a ‘never give up’ attitude and has shifted yet again — for the tenth time, to be exact. This time, he has finally fulfilled his dream of having his very own hawker stall at Chinatown Complex Food Centre.
Dominic is often seen donning a full yellow outfit, including spectacles, watch, and slippers as a personal branding choice. It’s linked not only to his son’s obsession with Pikachu, but also his personal journey of learning from past mistakes, improving his hawker business, and a reminder to keep working hard. For his latest stall at Chinatown, he even dons a Naruto Uzumaki cap with yellow hair to complete the ensemble.
He isn’t exactly the most well-liked person in Singapore, often becoming the target of keyboard warriors and online trolls who hurl unpleasant remarks, but he presses on and refuses to let it faze him.
His passion for bringing local hawker food to greater heights has been the same since I first met him at Waterloo Street in 2022. Now that he is at Chinatown, he plans to introduce them to more tourists, too.
His dishes haven’t increased in price from the previous location at Bukit Merah. Enjoy the classic Teochew Char Kway Teow (S$5/S$7) or the savoury Penang Char Kway Teow (S$5/S$7). You can also order the Legendary 3 in 1 (S$10 for small, S$20 for large),which has white carrot cake, fried oyster and char kway teow, all thrown onto a single plate.
If you’re a cockle lover, indulge in the Humful Char Kway Teow (S$8/S$12) for a generous crowning of see-hum. You can also enjoy Japanese Oysters (S$15 for 5 pieces).
His relentless journey doesn’t stop there. Dominic also launched a brand-new concept, Liang Ji Mee Pok, at 177 Toa Payoh Central, just a week before opening his new Chinatown stall. He has imparted his skills to a protégé who will help him run the stall.
The menu includes heartwarming broths like the Prawn Paste Soup (S$6) and Mixed Ball Soup (S$5), as well as noodles such as Liver Mee Sua (S$5.50) and No. 1 Noodle (S$5). Is opening 2 stalls at one go a smart move or just impulse thinking? As the Chinese saying goes: 开心就好 (all that matters is that you’re happy). I salute his gung-ho spirit and wish him all the best in his hawker journey.
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