One is a creative type with a reputation as a suave manager in the nightlife business. The other, from a family of doctors, rebelled by taking the entrepreneur route. With their easy confidence and suave eloquence, it would be easy to dismiss Jonathan Shen (picture, right) and Chris Hwang (picture, left) as rich kids who lucked out on a golden product idea: salted egg crisps.
In four years, they went from a two-man operation where Shen and Hwang hand-cooked everything at a rented kitchen facility, to a 150-strong company that sold over a million packets of snacks in 2018. Yet while you crunch through their highly addictive offerings – like the original salted egg potato chips and a spicy mix of dehydrated mushrooms, fish skin crisps and dehydrated beancurd sheets coated in “mala” (Chinese for numbing heat) seasoning – contemplate the fact that the joy they bring to snackers around the world didn’t come without hardship.
This story is from the December 2019 edition of The PEAK Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2019 edition of The PEAK Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
From Screen to Store
Heini Zachariassen, founder of global wine rating app Vivino on how its first retail store in the world brings data-driven curation to wine lovers.
In the Dining Spotlight
Renowned Dutch chef Sergio Herman, whose name has been associated with the Michelin Guide in the Netherlands and Belgium, is expanding his Asian footprint with his Singapore outpost, Le Pristine in Grand Hyatt Singapore.
All for One
How would you navigate a corner if you were hearing-impaired or enjoy school if you were on the spectrum? These architects posit that inclusive design must be part of mainstream standards to improve overall living environments.
Pods and Swirling Staircases
This quirky and playful home designed by Park Associates is shaped after its owners, a young family with three children.
Stories Behind the Kebava
Sufiyanto A. S., one half of the duo behind the Kebaya.Societe Instagram account, has had enough of seeing Malay identity erased and forgotten.
Good to Go
Driving classic Jaguars on the legendary Goodwood Motor Circuit is all the magic a motorhead needs.
Seasons of the Snake
Japanese architect Tadao Ando once again works his magic for Bvlgari, with the Serpenti Tubogas as an artistic canvas for nature's cyclical transformation.
Phoenix Rising
One gutsy retired pharmaceutical executive rescued two-century-old Swiss watchmaker Bovet, and today, its presence is stronger than ever in Southeast Asia.
Con Amore, Leggiero, Presto!
Chan Weitian injects new insights into Presto Drycleaners, blending operational innovation with time-honoured values.
Preserving Paradise
Gaya Island Resort takes eco-tourism beyond the expected, blending conservation efforts with authentic luxury.
