Peranakan food stall Kokoyo Nyonya Delights shutting down in November after S$50,000 in losses

“It’s quite a pity, it’s like I failed. But I gave it my best shot,” said the hawker, who opened Kokoyo to honour his Peranakan grandmother’s recipes.

Kokoyo Nyonya Delights will shut down in November 2026. (Photos: 8Days, Kokoyo Nyonya Delights)

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Kokoyo Nyonya Delights, a stall selling Peranakan food including blue pea nasi lemak, ayam buah keluak and beef rendang, is closing after two years in business. Its last day at Hougang Mall’s fourth-floor food court is on Nov 2.

Co-owner Ernest Ang, 25, told 8days.sg that the business has accumulated an estimated S$50,000 (US$39,100) in losses since February this year. Sales have also fallen by about half, with business becoming particularly difficult since September.

While the Kokoyo brand is closing for good, Ang and his brother, co-owner Irwin Ang, 29, are staying put. They plan to launch a seafood porridge concept in the same space called The Porridge Stall. The siblings hope this comforting dish will help turn things around.

The brothers announced Kokoyo’s closure in a video posted on the brand’s Instagram page on Oct 21.

They explained that footfall at the food court was initially healthy when there were fewer dining options elsewhere in Hougang Mall. Following renovations and the arrival of more eateries on other floors, they found it increasingly difficult to draw customers up to the fourth floor.

“It’s been rough these past few months, foot traffic to the food court has dropped drastically compared to when we first entered,” said Ernest Ang.

With monthly rent of S$11,000, the drop in sales has been difficult to sustain.

“The rent is high, so the breakeven point is high,” Ang told 8days.sg. “There has to be a benchmark we need to hit every day, but then the footfall is not good, so it’s directly related.”

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Kokoyo first opened as a standalone eatery in Serangoon Central in 2024, before relocating to Jelita Mall as a food court stall on Holland Road, then to Hougang Mall in February this year. Ernest Ang said the business had already begun incurring losses at Jelita Mall, and earlier earnings had gone towards covering those losses.

So why take another risk at Hougang Mall? Ang, who lives in Hougang, said he was initially confident about customer traffic there. He estimated that food establishments made up only about 30 per cent of the mall when Kokoyo moved in.

What he hadn’t anticipated was the extent of the mall’s refurbishment under an asset enhancement initiative. As more eateries gradually opened, competition for diners increased.

Ernest Ang with his grandmother, whose Peranakan recipes inspired Kokoyo, in 2024. (Photo: 8Days/Kelvin Chia)

When 8days.sg first featured Ernest Ang in 2024, he was a fresh electronics engineering diploma holder who had stopped job hunting after six weeks to open his own eatery.

His grandmother contributed S$40,000 – half the initial investment – while he funded the rest with savings from part-time jobs. She also taught him her closely guarded Peranakan recipes, tasting and approving dishes before they went on the menu.

Her involvement extended beyond sharing recipes: when Kokoyo first opened, she made around 200 pieces of nonya kueh daily from home for the eatery. Ang shared that she has since stopped supplying them due to mobility issues.

Even the brand’s name was a tribute to her: Kokoyo came from the way she pronounced “coconut”, while the cartoon logo was also modelled after her.

His older brother Irwin, who has a degree in marketing, has also been involved in the business since the start. Hougang Mall is their only remaining outlet, and the brothers work at the stall daily.

Kokoyo co-owners and brothers Irwin (left), 29, and Ernest Ang, 25. (Photo: Instagram/kokoyosg)

For Ernest Ang, giving up the brand means letting go of a business he started to honour his grandmother’s cooking.

“It’s quite a pity. It’s like I failed, but I gave it my best shot, so that’s all that matters,” he shared.

His grandmother has taken the decision in her stride. According to Ang, she feels that if the business isn’t working, they should “stop the bleeding”.

For those hoping to visit before the closure, Kokoyo’s current menu centres on blue pea nasi lemak. Its Nasi Lemak Kosong (S$4.90) comes with a fried egg, ikan bilis, peanuts, cucumber, achar and sambal.

Other options include the Inchi Kabin Berempah Set (S$7.50), featuring spiced fried chicken, and Ayam Buah Keluak Set (S$7.50). There’s also a Fried Pork Belly Set (S$8.50) and Beef Rendang Nasi Lemak (S$11.50), featuring beef slow-cooked in a spiced coconut gravy.

À la carte dishes include Homemade Ngoh Hiang (S$5.80) and Nyonya Chap Chye (from S$4.80), while sharing sets for two start at S$20.50.

Items on Kokoyo's menu. (Photo: Kokoyo Nyonya Delights)

The Porridge Stall will take over the space after Kokoyo closes. Staying at the same spot is a practical decision – their existing lease runs until February 2027.

He settled on seafood porridge after visiting eateries in Malaysia in search of a new concept. He describes his version as Guangdong-style porridge, with a consistency somewhere between thick Cantonese congee and the looser Teochew style.

The base will be a broth made with chicken and pork bones. The opening date has yet to be confirmed.

Ang hopes the switch will help the brothers reach a wider customer base.

“I just want to go for a very mass market dish. I don’t want to go for something very niche like Nyonya food anymore,” he said. “I believe for many people in Singapore, porridge has a childhood connection.”

He also saw a gap in the mall’s food offerings. According to him, there are four nasi lemak sellers, including Kokoyo, but no dedicated porridge stall.

“I feel the success rate will be higher, and I think it’s worth a gamble rather than not doing anything about it,” he said.

If the new concept does well, the brothers are open to continuing the business beyond their current stall’s lease.

Would Ang consider getting a corporate job if things don’t work out?

“I will study the numbers and make a decision,” he mused. For now, he prefers to stay in F&B and may try his luck at another location.

Why stick with a notoriously punishing industry that hasn’t been kind to him?

“I feel like this shouldn’t be the end of my journey. I’m not the type of person that gives up easily,” he reasoned.

He added that building a brand is something both he and his brother enjoy.

And what do his dad, a technician, and mum, who works in HR, think of their sons’ rocky F&B ventures?

“My parents are pretty chill about it [despite our losses],” said Ang simply.

Kokoyo Nyonya Delights’ last day of operation is on Nov 2. #04-11 Hougang Mall, 90 Hougang Ave 10, Singapore 538766. Open Mon–Fri, 11.30am–8pm; Sat & Sun, 11am–8pm.

This story was originally published in 8Days.

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“真是太可惜了，感觉就像失败了一样。但我已经尽力了。”这位小贩说道，他开设 Kokoyo 是为了纪念他娘惹祖母的食谱。

Kokoyo Nyonya Delights 将于 2026 年 11 月关闭。（图片来源：8Days、Kokoyo Nyonya Delights）

这段音频是由人工智能工具生成的。

经营两年的娘惹美食摊位Kokoyo Nyonya Delights即将歇业，该摊位位于后港购物中心四楼美食广场，主要供应娘惹菜，包括豌豆椰浆饭、黑果鸡和牛肉仁当等。最后一天营业时间为11月2日。

合伙人之一、25岁的Ernest Ang告诉8days.sg网站，自今年2月以来，该店已累计亏损约5万新元（约合3.91万美元）。销售额也下降了近一半，自去年9月以来，生意尤其艰难。

虽然Kokoyo品牌即将永久关闭，但Ang和他的弟弟、29岁的合伙人Irwin Ang决定留守。他们计划在原址开设一家名为“粥摊”（The Porridge Stall）的海鲜粥店。兄弟俩希望这道暖心美食能够扭转局面。

10 月 21 日，兄弟俩在 Kokoyo 品牌的 Instagram 页面上发布了一段视频，宣布 Kokoyo 关闭。

他们解释说，当后港购物中心其他地方的餐饮选择较少时，美食广场的客流量最初很好。但随着翻新以及其他楼层更多餐饮店的入驻，他们发现越来越难以吸引顾客到四楼来。

“过去几个月很艰难，与我们刚开始经营时相比，美食广场的客流量大幅下降，”Ernest Ang说道。

由于每月租金高达 11,000 新元，销售额的下降难以持续。

“租金高，所以盈亏平衡点也高，”Ang告诉8days.sg。“我们必须每天达到一个业绩指标，但客流量不好，所以这两者直接相关。”

在 Instagram 上查看此帖子

Kokoyo最初于2024年在实龙岗中心以独立餐厅的形式开业，之后搬迁至荷兰路的Jelita购物中心美食广场，并于今年2月入驻后港购物中心。Ernest Ang表示，Kokoyo在Jelita购物中心的店面已经开始亏损，之前的盈利都用于弥补这些亏损。

那么，为什么要冒险在后港购物中心再开一家店呢？住在后港的Ang表示，他最初对那里的客流量很有信心。他估计，Kokoyo入驻时，餐饮店只占该购物中心30%左右的份额。

他始料未及的是，在资产提升计划的推动下，购物中心进行了如此大规模的翻新。随着更多餐馆陆续开业，食客之间的竞争也日益激烈。

2024年，Ernest Ang与他的祖母合影，祖母的娘惹菜谱启发了Kokoyo的创作。（图片：8Days/Kelvin Chia）

2024 年，8days.sg 首次报道了 Ernest Ang 的故事。当时他刚获得电子工程文凭，六周后便停止了找工作，决定开一家自己的餐馆。

他的祖母出资4万新元——相当于初始投资的一半——其余部分则由他自己用兼职积蓄支付。祖母还传授给他她珍藏的娘惹菜谱，每道菜上桌前都会亲自品尝并确认无误。

她的参与不仅限于分享食谱：Kokoyo餐厅刚开业时，她每天都会从家里制作大约200个娘惹糕点供应给餐厅。Ang表示，由于行动不便，她现在已经停止供应娘惹糕点了。

就连品牌名称也是对她的致敬：Kokoyo 源自她对“椰子”的发音，而卡通标志也是以她为原型设计的。

他的哥哥欧文拥有市场营销学位，也从一开始就参与了家族生意。后港购物中心是他们仅存的门店，兄弟俩每天都在摊位上工作。

Kokoyo餐厅的共同所有人兼兄弟Irwin（左，29岁）和Ernest Ang（25岁）。（图片来源：Instagram/kokoyosg）

对于 Ernest Ang 来说，放弃这个品牌意味着放弃他为了纪念祖母的烹饪而创办的事业。

“真是太可惜了。感觉就像失败了一样，但我已经尽力了，所以这才是最重要的，”他说道。

他的祖母平静地接受了这个决定。据Ang说，她觉得如果生意做不下去，就应该“止损”。

对于那些希望在关门前光顾的人来说，Kokoyo目前的菜单主打蓝豌豆椰浆饭。其招牌椰浆饭（4.90新元）配有煎蛋、江鱼仔、花生、黄瓜、腌菜和叁巴酱。

其他选择包括香料炸鸡套餐（7.50 新元）和黑果鸡套餐（7.50 新元）。此外还有炸五花肉套餐（8.50 新元）和牛肉仁当椰浆饭套餐（11.50 新元），后者以慢炖的牛肉配香料椰汁为特色。

单点菜品包括自制五香卷（5.80 新元）和娘惹杂菜（4.80 新元起），双人套餐起价为 20.50 新元。

Kokoyo餐厅的菜单。（图片：Kokoyo娘惹美食）

Kokoyo关门后，粥摊将接手原址。继续留在原地是一个务实的决定——他们现有的租约要到2027年2月才到期。

在马来西亚探访多家餐馆寻找新概念后，他最终决定做海鲜粥。他将自己的版本描述为广东风味粥，口感介于浓稠的粤式粥和稀薄的潮州粥之间。

汤底将以鸡骨和猪骨熬制而成。开业日期尚未确定。

Ang希望这一转变能帮助兄弟俩接触到更广泛的客户群体。

“我只想做一道大众化的菜肴，不想再做像娘惹菜那样的小众菜式了。”他说，“我相信对很多新加坡人来说，粥承载着童年的回忆。”

他还发现商场的餐饮选择存在不足。据他所说，商场里有四家椰浆饭摊位，包括Kokoyo，但却没有专门的粥摊。

“我觉得成功率会更高，与其什么都不做，不如冒险一试，”他说。

如果新模式效果良好，兄弟俩愿意在现有摊位租约到期后继续经营。

如果事情进展不顺利，Ang会考虑去公司上班吗？

“我会研究一下数据再做决定，”他沉思道。目前，他更倾向于继续留在餐饮行业，或许会尝试在其他地方开店。

为什么要继续待在一个以残酷著称、对他并不友好的行业里呢？

“我觉得这不应该是我旅程的终点​​。我不是那种轻易放弃的人，”他解释道。

他还补充说，打造品牌是他和他的兄弟都喜欢做的事情。

那么，身为技术员的父亲和从事人力资源工作的母亲，对儿子们坎坷的餐饮创业之路有何看法呢？

“尽管我们遭受了损失，但我的父母对此却很淡定，”Ang简单地说。

Kokoyo Nyonya Delights 的最后营业日为 11 月 2 日。地址：新加坡后港 10 道 90 号后港购物中心 04-11 号，邮编 538766。营业时间：周一至周五，上午 11:30 至晚上 8:00；周六和周日，上午 11:00 至晚上 8:00。

本文最初发表于《8Days》杂志。

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