To some, the saying ‘food is a blessing’ may be a tad too earnest, even old-fashioned. Yet, in the hands of Chef Dylan Ong, it transforms into a compelling personal mission to delight and excite with unique takes on the well-loved, bringing to the everyday diner the best quality at unrivalled value. It becomes a manifesto for radical rethinking, and a blueprint for spreading joy.

Chef Dylan and his team see all guests as friends and family. And for seven fulfilling years, this is what they have built at 85 Beach Road — connections, which they seek to weave more of at their new home in Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski.

In 2017 Chef Dylan opened a restaurant on Beach Road, aptly named ‘The Masses’, to which he brought to bear his spirit, his talent, his life’s lessons, and his focus and determination — to cook ‘for the people’. The Masses began with Contemporary French cuisine, later morphing to Franco-Asian: an intriguing offering of a cuisine with a French core harmoniously layered with Asian elements, drawn from Dylan’s childhood memories and his team’s personal culinary inspirations. Underlying this was a culinary philosophy thoughtfully prioritising flavour, texture, the balance of acidity and fat, price, plating, and an ‘X-factor’ elevating a dish to distinctiveness.

This approach struck a chord with diners because it was driven by the chef’s authentic self, resonant with the deepest yearnings of Dylan’s formative years. Growing up in straitened circumstances, Dylan’s journey began with early mornings and late nights helping at the family’s hawker business from the tender age of 7. Later, he shouldered the responsibility of caring for his ailing father at 14. Rebellion, identity confusion, and continued hardship left Dylan disillusioned and aimless in youth. Following the loss of his father and a run-in with the law, Dylan resolved to turn his life around. At this pivotal point in his life where he began to search for direction and seek a brighter future, he was serendipitously gifted a set of chef’s knives. This was when Dylan found his answer in food.

Between his early toils at the family’s hawker stall and years spent holding down odd jobs in the food and beverage industry, food had never really left Dylan’s life. But now he saw it in a totally different light — no longer a burden or reminder of hardship, nor just a functional necessity; instead, a promise and a blessing to be shared with the widest possible audience. He pursued his chosen profession with formal training at SHATEC, and before The Masses came to be, he launched Saveur in 2010.

Dylan helmed Saveur through its years of growth, relocation, and expansion; first overseeing its operation from a humble hawker space at East Coast, then upscaled at Purvis Street. Subsequently, he led outlets opened at Far East Plaza (2013), The Cathay (2014), and ION Orchard (2015). But it was with The Masses at Beach Road that Dylan saw his vision truly come to life, a cosy space in which all could gather, sharing the joy of food. Yet with just 28 seats, he felt his reach still limited. The move to Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski allows The Masses to seat 90 — more room for diners to ‘wine, dine, and be blessed’.

The anthropomorphically drawn restaurant logo — ‘众’, Mandarin for ‘masses’ — speaks to Chef Dylan’s people-centric approach. As grace was given him in his hour of need, he would do the same for others. Committed to always delivering the best value, Dylan and his team challenge the market’s climate, setting The Masses apart from the status quo, and galvanising change in the industry for the greater good.

Every recipe served is personally loved and dearly shared. Dylan believes that food comes alive in the connections it forges between people. And a large part of that is accessibility, in every sense of the word. The restaurant is now more convenient to get to; and while a better location usually means more expensive dining, the old prices are maintained through astute cost engineering, thus ‘beating the curve’.

While the new setting stylistically balances the casual and the refined, the atmosphere remains warm and welcoming. Towering palm trees and an al fresco feel add to a relaxed ambience. Within the contemporary scheme, posters and objects, some moved from the previous restaurant, bring a homely continuity. These are joined by more handpicked prints of fun, quirky art and photographs, alongside other keepsakes and décor that Chef Dylan has collected over time. Music from a playlist of the chef’s favourite tunes adds to the laid-back, unfussy ambience of a restaurant dedicated to the enjoyment of accessible, ‘democratic’ dining.

The ethos of The Masses remains the same: to offer exceptional food at accessible prices. The signature Franco-Asian cuisine continues in a menu assiduously tuned over time to appeal as widely as possible. Guests can look forward to holdovers from the previous restaurant, including the Duck Confit and the Purple Cabbage. Other favourites like the C&C&C&C&C Pasta, and the Foie Gras, will be updated with new layers of flavour and served alongside new dishes and weekly specials.

This relocation allows Dylan and his team to put into practice all their learning and experience to date, to grow and to mature. The Masses at Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski embodies what came before and what will be; as such, it is seen as a constant work in progress. As The Masses continues to evolve at its new home, with eyes always set on ‘the right thing to do’, Chef Dylan and his team look toward a long, bright road ahead. Future endeavours include the upcoming Choon Hoy Parlour, set to tug on the heartstrings with a curation of modernised heirloom dishes that celebrate heritage and heartfelt memories. With this ambition, they hope they will contribute to the vibrancy of the local culinary scene and the community at large.

Food for the People

Over the years, Chef Dylan has noted the trend of meal costs rising. He also observed that many French dishes popular with diners are rarely available under one roof. The Masses’ menu has been developed in response to this: offering a collection of diners’ favourites, at inexpensive prices.

At Beach Road, menu changes were routine; this exposed the kitchen to a wide variety of ingredients and cooking techniques — old and new — and allowed them to gain proficiency. The menu is now in its 17th iteration, and the team is confident that the current selection represents the best they have to offer.

Diners can look forward to a repertoire of mainstays, as well as a weekly rotation of three to six specials built around select seasonal ingredients. The philosophy focusing on flavour, textures, acidity and fat, price, plating, and an ‘X factor’ continues to lead the programme and ensure consistent quality. Dishes feature the finest produce the team can get their hands on, and everything is executed with the utmost dedication to craft.

Above all else, Chef Dylan and his team want everyone to eat well. Really well.