The Curious Case Of Yuan Oeij

Fitness fanatic. Avid reader. Advocate of a plant-based diet. The chairman of The Prive Group breaks all stereotypes to redefine the image of a modern-day restaurateur.

- Koh Yuen Lin

The best chicken rice to be had on this island – at least according to revered Hong Kong lifestyle publication Eat and Travel Weekly – is from a cafe that also sells spaghetti bolognaise and wagyu burgers. Yet the person behind it hardly eats meat. Such is the curiousness that surrounds Yuan Oeij.

As chairman of The Prive Group, the 49-year old is the man behind establishments spanning sunny, family-friendly Prive cafes, contemporary Chinese restaurant Empress, and high-end night club Bang Bang, where some of the city’s wildest parties are held. Judging by the group’s portfolio, one might expect Oeij to be the man about town; a charming devil who cuts cigars and pours cognacs for business kingpins during their off-hour soirees. If that’s your impression of a restaurateur, Oeij is the antithesis of it. If he is up and about in the wee hours, it is not to party, but to meditate at Fort Canning Park.

In fact, for somebody who works in the F&B sector, Oeij might be considered something of an anti-foodie (he dislikes the term “foodie” anyway). While the social media platforms of other chefs and restaurateurs are plastered with food images of either decadence or excess – think exclusive shipments of caviar or big sloppy bowls of lard-laden bak chor mee for supper – his Instagram account is filled with pictures of salads.

And, while others are cramming their holidays with meals at coveted establishments in the name of market research, he – as this story is being written – is sitting at a park in Santorini, dining on a medley of caper leaves, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, sorrel, artichokes, and onions that he pickled in his hotel room.

CLEANER PASTURES