Alex Yeo
In this interview, Alex Yeo, Co-founder of Da Bao in KL’s Chinatown tells the story of getting a restaurant ready for customers and some anecdotes from behind the scenes.
What do you do and how did you get into the industry?
I am one of the co-founders of Da Bao, a spanking new restobar specialising in baos and cocktails located in KL’s Chinatown. I also co-founded A Pie Thing, a café specialising in savoury and sweet pies based in PJ. It is perhaps not coincidental that both these places are very focused and conceptual. I come from a marketing and branding background having worked in a full-fledged advertising agency prior to joining the F&B industry. I love creating concepts and brands and wanted to do something of my own hence this is where I am today!
Share with us an interesting story from behind the scenes.
Perhaps it is due to my relative inexperience in F&B, but it is difficult to be truly 100% prepared when opening or starting a business. A day before our official opening, we only had about 50% or less of our recipes and SOPs locked down – there are many things which need to be picked up and implemented on the go.
What’s a food memory from your childhood that stands out?
My parents used to bring my siblings and me to weekly Sunday dim sum lunches at a Chinese restaurant not too far away from home.
What’s the best/ worst part of your job?
The best part is seeing customers’ positive reactions towards the food and concept that we built from scratch either through direct feedback, online reviews or word-of-mouth. The worst part will probably be the fact that this industry is very labour-intensive and requires you to be very hands-on hence you probably you do not have much time for anything else, especially at the start of the business. Although I must say the reward is worth every second spent.
What’s your favourite food and beverage pairing?
Salt and vinegar fries with a pint of iced cold beer.
Alex Yeo’s perfect day off for would be…
A day lazing off in bed, working out, socialising with friends, and not thinking or doing anything work-related to truly recharge and get back to work all guns blazing.
What do you do for fun?
Occasionally, I play badminton on my off days and I enjoy hanging out with close friends.
What’s something you’d like guests to know about Da Bao?
Da Bao was inspired by similar brands overseas who successfully married modern takes on classic Asian food such as Momofuku in the US, Little Bao in Hong Kong, BAO in UK London, and Belly Bao in Australia. We wanted to try diversifying and elevating the F&B scene in KL similar to how these brands did in their respective countries.
What’s something you’d like people to know about being a co-founder as a profession?
That the work never truly stops. Previously when I was working for a corporation, I had an aim to leave all my work in the office, and not bring it home both physically and mentally. After I founded my first business, I realised this was practically impossible as I was thinking of the business 24/7. For example, before I sleep, I was thinking of the list of things that need to be done for the business or ways to improve it, etc.
What’s your view on the food scene in KL?
It is probably the most cliché and overused word but in one word – diverse. It truly is. It is not often when you can get a diverse array of cuisines all within the same vicinity that are both culturally authentic and ‘localised’ at the same time. Not to mention delicious and flavourful. If there is one thing that can be improved on, it is the fact that we should be seeing more appreciation of flavours and ingredients by both consumers and restaurants alike that is seen in some other countries. Nevertheless, the trend seems to be leaning towards that in recent years.
What’s in store for you in the upcoming months?
My main mission is getting Da Bao stable in terms of revenue, quality consistency, and daily operational matters. Stay tuned for more interesting flavours and ideas either from within the restaurant or beyond!
Find more interviews similar to this one with Alex Yeo here. And, stay up to date with the latest food and beverage happenings in KL here.
Dim sum on weekends. How nice! When we were young, we never heard of dim sum – our Sibu Foochow kampua mee was our special Sunday treat – 59 sen with meat, 30 sen without.