Dylan Ong’s childhood was the chaos of growing up alongside six step-siblings, packed into a flat in Whampoa — a stone’s throw away from the hawker centres in which the tight-knit family operated two stalls. He began helping out at his parents’ Kway Chap stall when he was just 7. Behind the counter, it was an endless drill of cleaning offal, slicing and packing chilli and other condiments, skimming broth, and blanching rice noodle sheets. Immersed fully in the arduous life of a hawker, working into the wee hours and sleeping rough at the stall were routine.

When Dylan was 14, illness forced his father to stop working; and being the only child cohabiting with his parents at the time, Dylan took on the role of primary caregiver. Meanwhile, his mother juggled three jobs to feed the family. Between nursing his father and tending to the stall, Dylan had little time for study. In combination with the emotional and identity turmoil typical of someone his age, this gave rise to a felt lack of direction that lured Dylan into rebellion.

To keep going, Dylan pursued engineering studies at ITE while odd-jobbing in the food and beverage industry. Being familiar with the rigours of the trade allowed him to take to these jobs easily. At the same time, having first-hand experience of the tedium and toil meant he had little desire to seek a future in that field.

At 18, Dylan lost his father, and ran afoul of the law. These events were a shock to his system — he knew then that he had to take control of his life and turn it around. He decided to acquire a diploma as a preliminary step, but was at a loss for the exact programme to enrol in. Glimmers of inspiration came from the cooking shows he had been watching on television; he wanted to replicate the recipes demonstrated onscreen, and the idea that food was something he could do began to take shape. Then, out of the blue, an acquaintance gifted Dylan a set of chef’s knives. The gesture felt to him like a timely calling, crystallising a vision of his future. With newfound clarity, he enrolled in a culinary course at SHATEC. Food had transformed from functional necessity and burden into an obsession, an escape from his worries, and most importantly: a path of hope. He took to studying cookbooks “like they were the Bible”.

As part of the Industrial Attachment programme at SHATEC, Dylan completed stints at Raffles Hotel in the fine-dining kitchens of Raffles Grill (French fine- dining), Long Bar Steakhouse (Western), and Doc Cheng’s (Contemporary). From 2008 to 2009, he continued to cut his teeth in modern European cuisine at FLUTES.

French was the cuisine of the moment, and small local establishments were falling into a trend of “democratisation”, offering French food at much lower prices than the restaurants. Intrigued, Dylan visited one of the more well-known “democratisers”, and found that the food, while good, was not really that affordable.

The germ had been planted in his mind that he, too, could attempt something like that — and do it better. So came Saveur, which Dylan opened with a business partner in 2010. Run in a hawker stall, the idea was to bring quality French food to a wide audience at accessible prices, to share the blessing of food with all. The early months of the business were not rosy, but many friends came to dine in support, highlighting to Dylan the immeasurable value of community and bolstering his spirits. Even when profits remained slim and doubts crept in, Dylan stuck to his ethos of accessibility and his vision of an authentic French experience for all. He went to the lengths of laying out tablecloths in the hawker centre.

In 2011, Saveur received positive coverage in the local press, attracting droves and spiking in business. It relocated to Purvis Street in 2012, and within six months expanded its premises. Further outlets opened in quick succession — Far East Plaza in 2013, The Cathay in 2014, and ION Orchard in 2015.

Following the sterling success of his first partnered business, Saveur, Dylan launched his inaugural independent venture, The Masses, in 2017. As chef-owner, Dylan’s bistro concept at Beach Road built upon the years of experience in cuisine and business Dylan had accumulated, to truly realise his vision and ambition. It proved another hit.

Leading the team, Dylan oversaw constant menu changes to ensure fresh experiences for returning guests. Menu updates coinciding with the turn of the seasons allowed him to source the freshest, best seasonal produce for the table. And as cost engineering is key, routine menu reviews have been an opportunity to reassess prices and keep them as accessible as always.

Now, with its new, larger incarnation at Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski, The Masses consolidates its successes and looks to bigger horizons. To Chef Dylan Ong, The Masses is more than just a restaurant — it is the means to share the blessing and joy of food with the widest possible audience, a space for one and all to gather and connect, and a manifestation of constant progression.

Testament to this enterprising spirit is the newly opened Choon Hoy Parlour (CHP), serving Singapore Soul Food: heirloom recipes, heritage fare, and hawker classics that tug at the heartstrings. Chef Dylan named the concept after his mum, Mrs Ong Choon Hoy, in gratitude for her lifelong love, support, and guidance; shaping him into who he is today. Beyond a personal ode to family, CHP is a return to Chef Dylan’s roots — a showcase of sincere, honest cooking and Singapore’s multicultural culinary heritage. As with The Masses, one and all will find warm welcome at this casual eatery and enjoy quality food at good-value prices.

Chef Dylan’s goal, purely and simply, is for everyone to eat well. Really well.