This project combined a relocation announcement with a brand refresh and an itty bitty teaser about a new venture, for a Franco-Asian bistro concept.

The goal was to craft a strong brand narrative drawing from the chef-owner’s stories and philosophies, and to also shape from them messaging pillars that would connect seamlessly.

The process: research, Q&As with the client, organising background information, and integrating all ideas in carefully chosen word.

About The Masses

• The Masses is named after a vision of bringing an affordable, quality dining experience to all; to spread joy among the masses.

• The name also refers to a philosophical cycle of happiness between a chef, his team, and his guests, each symbolised by the repeating element “人” in the Mandarin character for “masses”, “众”. “人”, denoting “people”, defines the pulse and purpose of The Masses: spreading joy and forging connections among guests.

• The bistro concept is Chef-Owner Dylan Ong’s inaugural independent venture, following the expansive success of his first partnered business, Saveur. He builds upon 14 years’ worth of experience in pursuing culinary excellence and keen business acumen.

• The Masses began with Contemporary French cuisine. On their third menu refresh — occurring every four months — the team realised that they had been steadily incorporating Asian influences. By Menu 8.0, it became clear that a 70-30 Franco-Asian blend best suited the establishment’s identity and appealed most widely to guests.
  • The core of the cuisine is French, complemented by elements of Asian heritage drawn from childhood memories, Chef Dylan Ong’s hawker background, and team members’ unique experiences with food.

• The culinary philosophy at The Masses is one that prioritises flavour, textures, acidity and fat, price, plating, and an “X factor” (a particular quality that lends to distinctive appeal). Every successful dish must consistently deliver on these fronts.

• A creative blend of modern and traditional techniques are employed to bring the best out of quality ingredients.

• Cost and menu engineering is a principal activity at The Masses, to continually strive for the goal of sharing food as a blessing.
  • Given that the routine menu changes coincide with the turn of seasons, efforts are made to source and showcase the best seasonal produce.
  • Menu refreshes are intended to maintain a level of excitement for returning guests, as well as to fine-tune offerings based on an evolving understanding of diners’ preferences. At the same time, the opportunity is taken to assess and keep prices low.

• The space at The Masses is carefully designed to be warm and inviting, with a relaxed and intimate ambience.
  • The mix of handpicked décor meaningfully represents different aspects of the intended experience: fun, chic, and classy food, dedication to craft, sincere hospitality, and the personality of the team.

About Chef Dylan

Early Life

• Chef Dylan grew up alongside 6 step-siblings in a tight-knit blended family. The family ran two hawker businesses a stone’s throw away from their home in Whampoa. Dylan and his siblings were relied upon to help the family earn a living. Starting from when he was about 7, Dylan was fully immersed in hawker culture, experiencing first-hand the long hours and hard work that went into the business.

• While studying Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at ITE, he held some odd jobs in F&B — an industry he knew would allow him to secure a job without undergoing formal interview processes. Given his background, it was also easy for him to adapt to the rigours and demands of the F&B industry.

• Knowing the difficulty and tedium of work in the F&B industry, and witnessing the strife that the stresses of running a business caused between his parents, Dylan had little intention to pursue a career as a chef.

• At 18, Dylan lost his father to sickness. Around the same time, Dylan ran into trouble with the law. This was a point at which he felt he had to cement a purpose and turn his life around.
  • He decided to acquire a diploma, the first step taken to reroute his life. While ruminating on what to pursue, Chef Dylan was watching several cooking programmes such as Yan Can Cook and other productions starring Jamie Oliver. He was inspired to replicate the recipes shown, and struck with the idea that food was something he could turn to.
  • The resistance to following in his parents’ footsteps wore off, and Dylan saved up to enrol in a culinary course at SHATEC.
  • This was when food turned from interest to an obsession for him. In the way it engrossed him, it was a form of escape; it also imparted much needed hope as something that could be his to take hold of and build upon, when it seemed that life so far had left him with nothing.

Professional Development

• While at SHATEC, Chef Dylan worked at Raffles Hotel as part of the school’s Industrial Attachment programme. He trained in the kitchens of fine-dining concepts such as Raffles Grill (French fine-dining), Long Bar Steakhouse (Western), and Doc Cheng’s (Contemporary). From 2008 to 2009, he continued to cut his teeth at FLUTES, fostering more familiarity with modern European cuisine.

• Dylan’s culinary journey was put on pause by enlistment in National Service. However, during that time, he noticed that the business of homegrown brand ASTONS was booming, and that a local Tze Char joint had made it in the New York Times. This was also a time when French cuisine was trendy in Singapore’s food scene. There had been an emerging pattern of establishments “democratising” French cuisine, by offering it at substantially lower prices than in restaurants.
  • Intrigued by these prospects, Dylan visited French Stall, one of the well-known businesses “democratising” French cuisine. He felt that though the food was good, the prices were still quite steep.
  • Collectively, these observations sparked the idea that he too could start and run a business of his own.
  • He arrived at the conclusion that there were two paths he could take: fly to France and immerse himself in the culinary scene there, or strike out here at home. He ultimately decided on the latter, as the other option would be more difficult to fund and sustain.

• In 2010, Dylan opened Saveur with a business partner. The idea was to bring quality French food to a wider audience at accessible prices, to share the blessing of food with all.
  • Business was difficult in the earlier months, which led to him questioning his choices and career path. However, many of Dylan’s friends from church came to visit and support the business, fostering a deep sense of connection and gratitude for others. This in turn fuelled his dedication to the pursuit.
  • Though profit margins could be slim, Dylan kept to the ethos of accessibility and bringing an authentic French experience to diners. They went to the lengths of laying out tablecloths for patrons within the coffeeshop.
  • In 2011, Saveur was featured in the newspaper. Thereafter, people came by in droves. Popularity of the business continued to spike with subsequent features.

• Saveur relocated to Purvis Street in 2012. In 6 months of re-opening, they expanded to include a neighbouring space. Subsequently, outlets of Saveur were opened within Far East Plaza (August 2013), The Cathay (2014), and ION Orchard (2015).

About The Masses 2.0

Concept

The ethos of The Masses remains to share the blessing of food with all. Sincerity and diners’ happiness are paramount to the team.

The relocation will allow Chef Dylan and his team to realise their vision of reaching a wider audience and elevating the dining experience they offer, bringing to people a larger, perfected menu along with an expanded wine list in a bigger space — all at lower prices than before.

Space

The roomier space at The Capitol Kempinski Hotel will allow for greater freedom to display décor Chef Dylan has acquired over the years, in the manner one would decorate a home with keepsakes. The same homely feel from The Masses at Beach Road is retained, featuring posters and more moved from the original space. More prints of fun, quirky photographs join the collection.

Compared to the first space, the restaurant’s new interiors find a more polished balance between casual and refined, continuing to reflect the vision of providing accessible, high-quality dining experiences.

Food

Over the years, Chef Dylan has noted a trend of increasing costs for meals, and that many French dishes popular among diners typically cannot be found at a single location. Responding to these observations, Chef Dylan and his team thoughtfully curate The Masses’ menu to reflect a collection of diners’ favourites at inexpensive prices.

• At Beach Road, routine menu changes have allowed Chef Dylan and his team to grow familiar with handling different ingredients, and to acquire proficiency in new techniques. Now, on the 16th iteration of the menu, they are confident in having discovered the best of what they can offer. They maintain a repertoire of mainstays.
• The culinary philosophy focusing on flavour, textures, acidity and fat, price, plating, and an “X factor”, continues to guide the team in achieving consistent quality and producing specials.
• French and Asian culinary elements continue to be combined 70 to 30, a well-established “sweet spot”. The cuisine is Franco-Asian — the core of the cuisine is French, layered in harmony with elements of Asian heritage drawn from childhood memories, Chef Dylan’s hawker background, and the team’s experiences with food.