OUE Restaurants seeks to deliver authentic dining experiences to a multitude of demographics and broad range of tastes. We make a reservation with Andrew Ing, COO, and discuss the range of innovative concepts that the company has developed.
BESTOWING CULINARY PLEASURES
The food and lifestyle division of OUE Limited, OUE Restaurants (OUER), is on a mission to meet and deliver new standards of exceptional dining that brings together a diverse range of clientele from across Singapore and overseas.
Its growing portfolio features a distinct host of restaurants and bars – from fine and bespoke, to fast and casual, aspiring to feed its customers in new and innovative ways.
Parallel to OUER’s impressive growth, Singapore has witnessed gradual and measured development, emerging as an internationally renowned city of commerce, with a constellation of prominent buildings now dotting its rapidly evolving skyline.
By both conceptualizing and operating a broad spectrum of dining and lifestyle concepts that were dreamt up with the aim of creating authentic and exceptional dining experiences that guests love, OUER, in a relatively short amount of time, has become a household name in Singapore’s bustling hospitality scene.
In this way, with a strong brand philosophy at its core, the company is striving to establish incredible new spaces for its visitors to create new memories, discover new and classic traditions, and to fulfil a complete spectrum of desires which guests love and will revisit time and time again.
NAVIGATING CHANGING TASTES
The hospitality industry in Singapore continues to battle global issues such as inflation, staff shortages, and the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, another issue that the nation has encountered comes in the unexpected form of the strength of its own currency.
The rigidity of the Singapore dollar means that when tourists visit from overseas, they often find services expensive and overpriced, which then effects restaurants and other establishments.
Singapore has a rising middle and affluent class of people with high disposable incomes, fueling the dining-out culture and demand for both everyday and fine dining. Food and beverage spending is now viewed increasingly as a lifestyle activity rather than simply a necessity.
Furthermore, across multiple income segments, eating out is now considered an important part of social and professional engagements.
“Now, in Singapore, we are seeing more fine dining restaurants and Michelin starred chefs opening casual concepts that are more affordable,” introduces COO of OUER, Andrew Ing.
“Value is the big thing for me now as a strategy for our company, because it doesn’t matter if you’re charging five dollars or 500 dollars, you still need to deliver value to that guest,” he elaborates.
THE ESSENCE OF STREETSIDE SINGAPORE
Today, synonymous with its world-famous chicken rice, OUER’s Chatterbox concept brings an authentic hawker dining experience to an elevated modern, convivial setting.
“Being the first to bring hawker food to a 5-star hotel, our dishes are made to be celebrated together in the spacious, light-filled comforts of today,” Ing reveals.
“We believe in the simple truth that food is the soul of society and eating is a sensorial affair. At the heart of each compelling dish is a history, a rich broth of heritage and culture,” he continues.
For over half a century, Chatterbox has upheld simple truths to bring joy to what it serves. The chefs select the freshest local ingredients and let their true colours shine – each element plays an important part in Singapore’s history.
Flash back to 1971, and the OUE dream was simple, but bold for its time: to bring authentic Singapore hawker food from the city’s streets, and into the comforts of a five-star luxury hotel.
Today, the company’s menu has blossomed into a freewheeling tour of the nation’s multicultural food scene, devoted to capturing the flavours of street-side Singapore.
“Our dishes are seasoned with stories of yesteryear as our recipe evolved into its own ritual over time. As legends go, our chicken rice recipe evolved into its own ritual over the years—fiercely guarded and unyielding to the passage of time, resulting in flavours and textures that have remained consistent in the last 50 years.”
Other signature dishes include OUER’s lobster Laksa and specialty king prawn hokkien noodles.
The concept provides a comfortable and contemporary space to ideally celebrate every occasion, be it a celebration, business meeting, or an intimate event, the private dining room is available for customers to gather and create lasting memories.
“We believe in the simple truth that food is the soul of society and eating is a sensorial affair. At the heart of each compelling dish is a history, a rich broth of heritage and culture”
Andrew Ing, COO, OUE Restaurants
REACHING NEW HEIGHTS
Elsewhere in OUER’s impressive portfolio is its HighHouse concept, a transcendent day-to-night nightlife and culinary destination where music, art, flavours, and conversations seamlessly intersect atop one of Singapore’s tallest buildings.
“Offering unparalleled views of the Singapore skyline, HighHouse spans across Levels 61 and 62 of One Raffles Place. Inspired by flavours that thrive where land meets the sea, we celebrate ingredients that are synonymous with communities from around the Pacific Coast,” Ing enthuses.
This impressive venue exists as the ultimate setting for meaningful connections, exceptional cocktail and culinary experiences, impeccable service, and memorable gatherings to flourish, coupled with a progressive soundscape by renowned and emerging music selectors from Singapore and across the region.
“The concept was developed by art, design, entertainment and hospitality industry visionaries to serve up exceptional experiences that push the boundaries of nightlife and dining,” he expands.
Specialising in Mod Pan-Asian flavours, HighHouse serves up a diverse selection of beverages and dishes that take diners on a diverse journey of cultures and dishes from all over South America, Oceania, and beyond.
This ground-breaking concept from OUER provides a perfect platform for a dynamic ensemble of emerging and established artists from across the globe and transforms HighHouse into a vibrant transmedia space.
In this way, it is the variety and diversity of concepts, and the ability to cater to all tastes that separates OUER’s portfolio and continues to truly set the company apart.
“After 40 years in the nightlife and food and beverage industries, working in a variety of roles across a variety of concepts, I have developed a strong foundation for the success of such businesses,” Ing divulges.
“This winning formula is based on three principles – applying a hospitality mindset to an organisation both internally and externally, adopting progressive human capital practices, and knowing how to build a strong brand,” he concludes.
Indeed, it is the strength of the OUER brand that continues to define its success and will surely lead to a continuum of prosperity heading into a bright future for the company.
