Har cheong gai, the iconic Singaporean fried chicken dish, takes centre stage at Har Har Chicken!, a new takeaway kiosk specialising in har cheong gai-focused menu items.
For the uninitiated, har cheong gai is also known as fermented prawn paste chicken. Aside from the classic dish, Har Har Chicken! also offers several items in the form of standalone wings, burgers, rice boxes, and more, all centred around har cheong gai.
According to the press release, the world’s fastest-growing poultry markets are South Asia and Southeast Asia, with a combined total growth forecast of 30% between 2023 and 2030.
“The fried chicken market in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, is experiencing substantial growth due to growing demand for convenient food options,” the release added.
Leveraging this, the team’s mission is to build accessible Singaporean food brands with the potential for regional scalability.
Armed with this mission, Har Har Chicken! debuted at Bishan, Junction 8 on July 5.
Meet the founders
The business was founded by four friends—Bevin Desker (Chief Executive Officer), Han Liguang (Chief Product Officer), Lennard Yeong (Chief Marketing Officer), and Tay Jianli (Chief Operating Officer).
Each boasts quite the resume, with Bevin Desker being the former head of corporate development at TiffinLabs, a food tech company. Han Liguang, who also goes by LG Han, is the patron chef of Labyrinth, a one Michelin-starred restaurant.
Meanwhile, Lennard Yeong is the food personality and chef you might recognise as @lennardy on Instagram.
Last but not least, Tay Jianli is a restaurateur who also ran the now-defunct seafood restaurant Momma Kong’s.
The team declined an interview with Vulcan Post, but according to Channel News Asia, each of them has had connections to fried chicken.
For one, Tay’s restaurant Momma Kong’s served zi char-style har cheong gai wings before it closed in 2021. Desker has launched fried chicken brands like Phat Fingers, La Takorea, and Southern Soul during his time at TiffinLabs.
LG, Tay, and Desker have known each other since their university days in the UK. Coming together, the three decided to focus on har cheong gai, with Han bringing Lennard onboard, too.
8days reported that it took two years for the team to craft their concept, and they went through 10 to 12 rounds of recipe testing.
More than financial support
Following its debut, on July 17, the har cheong gai brand announced that it has raised funding led by Southeast Asia-centric venture capital firm East Ventures.
Wesley Tay, Principal at East Ventures, shared, “Har Har Chicken! is powered by a strong founding team, with Bevin, Liguang, Lennard, and Jianli each bringing unique prior experiences that we think will combine to great synergy in the F&B space.”
The size of the funding was not disclosed, but according to a press release, the fresh funds will primarily be allocated to supply chain optimisation to ensure consistent quality for customers.
But more than just a cash injection, this funding from East Ventures is also a strategic one.
Founded in 2009, East Ventures is a pioneering and leading sector-agnostic venture capital firm. It’s a holistic platform that provides multi-stage investment for over 300 tech companies across Southeast Asia.
East Ventures claims to be the most active investor in the region and is an early backer of prominent tech companies in the region such as Tokopedia, Traveloka, Ruangguru, ShopBack, Waresix, Xendit, IDN, KoinWorks, Sociolla, and more.
Named the most consistent top-performing VC fund globally by Preqin, the VC is clearly one that has access to a vast network with a wealth of information.
“The guidance and support from the East Ventures team were invaluable as we embarked on this entrepreneurial journey,” CEO Bevin Desker said.
Clucking ahead
Focusing on its prawn paste chicken offering, Har Har Chicken! plans to expand its presence to a total of three outlets, including Junction 8, Vivocity, and ION Orchard.
From there, the team plans to increase their number of outlets across Singapore in 2025 and expand regionally in the near future.
While har cheong gai is commonplace in Singapore, it’s evident that there isn’t a major, well-established chain for the dish. This is especially true when it comes to single servings of the dish for individual diners.
This gap was what the team had recognised. LG pointed out to 8days that at zi char restaurants, the dish comes in big portions. Thus, Har Har Chicken! sets itself apart through its flexibility in portion sizes as well as their accessibility.
The mall kiosk format is no random decision—it’s so that customers can easily order their food to-go.
Bolstered by a well-defined market gap, VC funding, and an experienced team, Har Har Chicken! appears poised to become a notable purveyor of har cheong gai in Singapore and perhaps even beyond.
- Learn more about Har Har Chicken! here.
- Read other articles we’ve written about F&B businesses here.
Featured Image Credit: Har Har Chicken!
