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Tell me if you’ve felt like this before — you’re fed up with the monotonous grind of working for your boss and seek a drastic career switch. This feeling led 25-year-old Tan Xiang Long to open his hawker stall, Dragon Curry in Golden Mile Food Centre.
Xiang Long has the hawker trade in his blood. He was inspired by his mother, who operated a cai fan stall when he was a child. This led him to pursue a Diploma in Baking & Culinary Science at Polytechnic.
He joined Jumbo Seafood to fulfil his scholarship’s 2-year bond as a Management Associate, working his way up the line until he became a 2nd Wok Chef at the restaurant’s Clark Quay outlet.
Xiang Long dreamed of opening his own restaurant, as many chefs do. But after 3 years of working at Jumbo Seafood, he realised he wasn’t making enough to support his ageing parents. “In my head, I just thought, if I don’t start now, I’ll never be able to, as I would be too busy taking care of my parents,” he said.
Thus, Xiang Long applied for NEA’s Incubation Stall Programme (ISP) and eventually opened Dragon Curry on 3 Nov 2025.
At Dragon Curry, Xiang Long serves up his favourite childhood dish, curry rice. He chose the dish after discovering that his favourite curry rice stall in Maxwell Food Centre had closed down. His Signature Chicken Cutlet Curry Rice (S$5.90) is a comforting treat.
The curry has a hearty kick, being slightly starchy but not clumpy, and aromatic from the lemongrass he adds. Xiang Long isn’t afraid to switch it up either, swapping the traditional oily fried egg for an ajitama egg.
You also have different protein options, like Red Beancurd Pork Belly Cutlet Curry Rice (S$5.90), Chicken Drumstick Curry Rice (S$5.90), and Sambal Fish Curry Rice (S$6.90).
If you’re a curry rice fan like me or just want to support young aspiring hawkers, head down to Dragon Curry in Golden Mile Food Centre. The stall is right in front of the stairs leading to the hawker centre’s basement, a super convenient location!
