Yang Kaiheng This post was written mainly for my prison friends who I’ve kept in contact with since coming out from prison. Thank you for the regular meet-ups and coffee session. And to the majority of my friends, who are not ex-cons, don’t be a dick like Ms Lena, CEO of Ministry of Food. ----------- For the first time in 5 years, I truly felt openly discriminated as an ex-con and I share here to encourage anyone facing discrimination: Don’t let it stop you. Try even harder to find your own success. The world is so big, you don’t need to be brought down by those who still insist on denying you opportunities in this day and age. When I submitted a Letter of Intent (LOI) to rent a unit and handed over a goodwill deposit cheque for $16,000 to the master tenant, Ministry of Food Pte Ltd (MOF) in December 2019, I was excited to be taking the first step in getting ready to open Takagi Ramen’s 5th Outlet in April this year. However, despite accepting the LOI and banking in my cheque, it turned out MOF was unable to give the terms requested in the LOI. (We had requested a fresh lease with the mall landlord, as the sublease from MOF would only last 1.5 years and would be void suddenly if MOF moved out). Since MOF couldn’t grant this, according to the LOI, MOF should have immediately refunded the goodwill deposit. But MOF delayed and dragged and repeatedly missed deadlines to refund the money. After 3 missed deadlines and over 3 weeks of waiting for the return of the goodwill deposit, I finally lodged a police report (attached below) and emailed Ms Lena Sim the CEO of MOF directly to again, more firmly, request the money be returned. Instead of simply refunding the deposit money which by this stage undisputedly, legally belongs to Takagi Ramen, Ms Sim penned a scathing email , digging up my case from 5 years ago and using it to label me, today, as a serial liar (full email attached below). She clearly suggested that ex-cons are incapable of changing and sent the email to the mall landlord, who also owns several other mall spaces that I am interested to expand to in the near future. Her email demonstrates her bias and disgust towards ex-cons and I can only hope that the mall landlord does not reject me from other leasing opportunities in their malls in the future due to Lena’s discriminatory email. While it is clear that Ms Lena Sim from Ministry of Food holds a highly discriminatory opinion of ex-cons and myself, my conscience is clear. I am running an honest business with Takagi Ramen. Everything I do today is to serve average Singaporeans. Takagi Ramen serves quality, thick Tonkotsu broth ramen from just $6.90NETT in an aircon setting and we absorb the GST. We run on low margins and work like crazy, serving over 500,000 bowls of ramen last year with less than 50 staff across our 4 outlets. We strive to serve our customers through affordable, quality food. We welcome ex-cons to join us and we share a significant portion (more than 10%) of our profits with our staff every month. We also make an effort to give back to society whenever possible. Even The Real Singapore was started with the naive purpose of promoting free speech. Its tagline Voices for the average Singaporeans meant specifically for those who can’t write eloquently and therefore feel silenced because they can’t share their thoughts on other media platforms. Contrary to the distorted picture the media painted of the website, TRS was not created to ‘stir hatred’. In fact, seditious tendencies were highlighted in just 7 of over 30,000 articles on the website. Nevertheless, I was naive to think that such an approach to free speech could work in Singapore, and I know that I definitely did not do a good job of controlling what the editors and writers posted. I'm apologize to those who were offended by the page in the past; fyi I already did my time in prison for pleading guilty to sedition charges. Digging up what happened with TRS over 5 years ago and suggesting that this is the same me today is simply not true. I’ve started TRS again, now as The Royal Singapore to share motivational and inspiring stories of average Singaporeans, to spread positivity and shine light on the good things happening around us. It’s true that ex-cons do face discrimination. When I read this scathing, hatred filled email written by someone who actually owes me money, it cuts deep and it was the first time I had experienced such discrimination so openly and so directly. Even though you know in the back of your mind that people quietly choose not to work with you, the hurt is so much worse when it is penned so clearly and in your face. I was just trying to get my goodwill deposit back but was slapped in the face with this instead, and to date, the money has still not been returned. At the end of the day, I have to remind myself that despite all the good work that Yellow Ribbon and other similar organisations are putting in, dealing with discrimination is simply another hurdle that ex-cons need to overcome to get back on track. To all my friends who I got to know in Prison, we should take such hurdles as positive challenges. Each hurdle we overcome is another testament to our determination to lead a better life. Don’t lose your way just because a few people put you down or label you for what you did in the past. You are certainly still entitled to your rights. As long as you persistently do good, eventually, good will come to you too. This quote helped me and I hope it can help you if you ever feel like the odds are stacked too high against you: “If you have been hurt and you still know how to smile, it’s proof that you are strong.”
I can definitely sleep well tonight!
Good riddance that bitch Lena Sim is now officially history.
Ministry of Food winding up, fails to pay debt of $200,000
SINGAPORE - Home-grown restaurant chain Ministry of Food is winding up after failing to pay a debt of $200,000.
The sum was a friendly, interest-free loan from Mr Chua Ngak Hwee to the company in 2019.
Mr Chua, co-founder of medical device company Healthstats, sued Ministry of Food last month when it failed to repay the debt.
On April 9, the High Court granted an application from Mr Chua to wind up Ministry of Food, which owned a slate of restaurant chains, including MOF, Hanssik, DaeSsikSin and Ju Hao.
A search by The Straits Times showed that an application was filed with the High Court in January to enforce an arbitration award of $4.8 million by Korean businessman Lee Je Young and three others, in the same manner as a judgment or order to the same effect.
Mr Tam Chee Chong, director of Kairos Corporate Advisory, who has been appointed as the liquidator, told ST on Wednesday (April 21) he is aware of the $4.8 million claim against the company.
Mr Tam said all the restaurants under the Ministry of Food have been shut.
But ST found that DaeSsikSin Korean BBQ Buffet at Orchard Gateway was still operating on Wednesday, albeit under Master Kitchen Concepts - a different business entity.
Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra) records showed Master Kitchen Concepts was incorporated in December last year. It is owned by Dr Ting Choon Meng, a Ministry of Food director from 2016 to 2018. Dr Ting also co-founded Healthstats with Mr Chua, who sued the company.
Ministry Of Food founder Lena Sim could not be reached for comment.
At its height, Ministry of Food had about 80 restaurants across the island, with the first MOF outlet in Marina Square opening in 2006.
Around March last year, the number of restaurants had whittled down to 26. In an interview with ST then, Ms Sim blamed the coronavirus pandemic and a Mareva injunction freezing her assets which led to a lack of funds to pay rent and staff wages.
In 2017, Ministry of Food was sued for an outstanding debt of $4.8 million for its purchase of a chain of Korean restaurants.
Ms Sim had apparently agreed to buy the chain that year for $5.5 million. She paid $700,000.
More at https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/ministry-of-food-winding-up-fails-to-pay-debt-of-200000
https://www.mothership.sg/2020/03/ministry-of-food-closed-down/
Responding to queries from Mothership, Sim said that the plaintiff’s accusations were inaccurate.
For example, she clarified that her mother is actually literate, unlike what the Korean partners stated.
She said: “My mum is super literate, just that she’s Chinese-educated. She’s from River Valley, how can she be illiterate?”
What does this mean ar?
LOL seems to me she was planning to abscond with whatever that's left whilst leaving behind her poor mama to bear the full brunt of the escalating crisis surrounding her businesses - that fenshui master excuse proffered was spectacularly lame.
Ms. Lena Sim / Lessons FROM JAPAN (2014 article)
Lena Sim, founder and CEO of Ministry of Food is a true survivor. Abandoned by her parents as a baby, she grew up poor but that didn’t deter her. After leaving her first job, Lena traveled to Japan where she convinced the founders of an old Japanese dessert chain to expand to Singapore. The rest is history.
Although my first full-time job was in the finance industry, I’ve always been interested in the F&B sector. I believe that food and dining plays a big role in Asian culture, especially in Singapore. When we meet up with our friends, the first question we usually ask is, “Have you eaten?”
After leaving my job as a trader, I started traveling in earnest and found myself in Taiwan. That was where I first tried a heavenly green tea ice cream from an old Japanese dessert chain. It was light, creamy, and had a certain “wow” factor. After returning from Taiwan, I wrote to the Japanese headquarters numerous times, asking for a franchise opportunity. When I finally got a chance to present my business plan to them in Tokyo, I showed them what I used to earn as a trader and offered to work for free as a management trainee for three months. I was determined to show them I was serious.
When I first started, I had to work in the central kitchen, just like any other employee. I did everything from taking inventory, preparing ingredients, washing dishes, and even clearing the sink or drainage system whenever it choked. It was tiring but I learned a lot about discipline and dedication from my Japanese counterparts. Everybody was always multi-tasking. No one was ever idle! After about a month, the franchise owners were impressed by my commitment as well as the detailed business expansion plan that I had drawn up, and accepted me onboard.
Having successfully brought the brand to Singapore, I was determined to retain the Japanese spirit of quality service in all my restaurants. The Japanese truly put their hearts into doing even the most simple and routine jobs. As a fan of Japanese desserts, I am always impressed by how the Japanese take so much pride in preparing even a simple dessert. For example, the ice cream seller will take pains to carefully squeeze out the soft serve ice cream so that it looks perfect when he serves it to you.
Currently, over half of the Ministry of Food restaurants in Singapore serve mainly Japanese cuisine and there are plans to to expand the Ministry of Food brand to other parts of the region. Apart from bringing great-tasting and affordable Japanese cuisine to the masses, I also hope to spread the Japanese culture of impeccable service.
https://www.oishii.sg/article/1233/
MOF in happier times......
More Ministry Of Food outlets shut down over owner's financial woes
SINGAPORE - Home-grown restaurant chain Ministry Of Food is in trouble, hit by a double whammy of the coronavirus outbreak and a Mareva injunction freezing the owner's assets. At its height, Ministry Of Food owned a slate of restaurant chains, including MOF, Hanssik, DaeSsikSin and Ju Hao, with 80 restaurants across the island, but it is now whittled down to 26, after five more outlets shut this weekend. On Monday (March 2), 11 stalls at SingPost Centre Platform M could potentially be repossessed by the landlord if Ministry Of Food chief executive Lena Sim is unable to pay the rent. "If by Monday, I cannot find enough funds to give the landlords what they want because all my funds are frozen by the banks, they will seize the outlets. The reason given is they are very scared of the Mareva injunction," Ms Sim told The Sunday Times on Friday (Feb 28). Ms Sim was sued in 2017 for an outstanding payment of $4.8 million by Korean businessman Lee Je-young and three others - Ms Soh Sow Hoon, Huh Suk Kyung and Lee Pil Young - for the sale of a chain of Korean restaurants. She had apparently agreed to purchase the chain of South Korean restaurants that year for $5.5 million. She paid only $700,000. The injunction freezes her assets of up to a value of $4.8 million. Ms Sim said she had told Mr Lee that she would buy his restaurants only if she could resell them together with her other restaurants to a Thai conglomerate in 2017. At that time, a Thai conglomerate had shown interest in acquiring the Ministry of Food and hired an accounting firm to go through its business records, said Ms Sim, who opened the first MOF outlet in Marina Square in 2006. But the deal fell through and she found herself entangled in a legal battle. Because an arbitration clause was incorporated as part of the sale-and-purchase contract, the dispute was not litigated in a court, said Ms Sim, who is in her 40s. Earlier in February, the plaintiff's lawyer, Mr Chia Boon Teck, obtained a Mareva injunction against Ms Sim. Ms Soh, a shareholder of the Korean restaurant chain, said: "When our lawyers found out that she replaced herself with her elderly illiterate mother as the sole director of her 20 companies and put up her Wilkinson Road bungalow for sale, we decided to freeze all her assets in case she dissipates everything and leaves us with a useless paper judgment." Ms Sim said she had done so at the advice of a fengshui master after her business took a dive. "After the acquisition fell through, my business went through a major revamp. I shut down about 40 outlets last year," she said. "With the manpower crunch, I decided to shut all table-service concept restaurants which are no longer viable in Singapore's food and beverage landscape. By the last quarter of last year, my company was operationally profitable." But with the coronavirus outbreak, sales at eight of her outlets plunged by 80 to 90 per cent. However, some outlets were still doing well and overall group performance dipped by about 35 per cent. Then came the Mareva injunction in February, which saw the banks freezing her accounts. Ms Sim said she was unable to make payments to her food suppliers and landlords. Some suppliers have already stopped delivering ingredients to her restaurants. On Friday night, two of the chain's outlets - Ju Hao at Bukit Panjang Plaza and MOF Izakaya at Lot One - were repossessed by CapitaLand after she failed to pay rent. That was the last MOF outlet. "For the past week, I have been going from one bank to another, trying to explain how the injunction came about, but the bank's management still decided to freeze my accounts," said Ms Sim. "How do you expect me to pay my rent? It's a ripple effect. Even my personal accounts were forcefully terminated. The injunction did not require that. I find it unreasonable and I find the banks over-reacting. "The injunction blocks me from disposing of my assets, but it's not supposed to disrupt my daily life and business operations." Last week, she was also questioned by the Ministry of Manpower and had her passport impounded after she failed to pay wages to her staff. She said her biggest concern now is the livelihood of her almost 400 staff. "With the closing of every outlet, 15 to 20 people lose their jobs. "I hope the landlords can look beyond an injunction which will be lifted once there's an outcome for the case in two to three months' time."
More at https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/more-ministry-of-food-outlets-shut-down-over-owners-financial-woes
To be honest, Takagi Ramen also serves fare that tastes like shit.
I have never eaten at MoF or its subsidiary brands; then again after this incident I will probably never ever pay them a visit. Nuff said.
Only $16K and you refuse to return? Why so stingy? Lena ah you are damn xia suay!
Is this Lena Sim a Sinkie in the first place? Boy she sure talks damn weird.....
Yo bitch if you ain't planning on ever returning the money just say so at the onset, why dredge up someone's past (which btw has no relevant bearing on the situation) to use as a monumentally pathetic excuse?
Stir ah stir!!!!!!!