Collagenic: Mother of two opens takeaway kiosk to share convenient & nourishing collagen-rich food with the CBD crowd

Tanjong Pagar office denizens might have noticed Collagenic, a new kiosk that opened in the basement of Guoco Tower last week.

It’s located beside Boost and is done simply up with minimalist whites and warm lights, and is manned by the lady boss, who looks like she could be in her late twenties.

You might be surprised to hear that the demure owner is actually 35 this year and also the mother of two kids.

One of her secrets to that youthful appearance? Collagen-rich food. 

And as a self-professed lazy person and former corporate slave, she empathises with her compatriots roaming the CBD looking for healthier, but still tasty, lunch options.

And that’s how Collagenic was born.

Lazy beauty

Collagenic is the brainchild of Yeo Min Qi, who had left her corporate job a few months ago. This is her first foray into F&B — Min Qi previously worked in real estate development and also taught barre.

These days, she spends her days taking care of her kids, while also running Love Juno Gems, a brand that crafts bespoke jewelry out of sentimental objects such as breast milk.

As a mother of two, she knows, all too well, how important it is to nourish your body. 

“After two children, I felt I was getting old!” she says, jokingly.

She notes how important collagen is for your body, and while food might not have the same amount of collagen as certain supplements, it’s still good to have it in your diet.

Collagenic’s origins can be traced back to her first pregnancy in 2019: “I had my first child during the height of Covid-19’s work-from-home era, so I had the luxury of cooking nutritious food.”

Then, it was back to the office during her second pregnancy. On top of that, she had to take care of her first baby.

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That made it harder to keep up with what her body needs to rejuvenate, especially with the chaos of work pushing her towards a more unhealthy diet — she felt guilty towards the second baby.

“I was breastfeeding for years and felt I needed something high in protein to help with my recovery,” she says.

“It felt like all of the collagen was leaving my body, so I took collagen supplements. But I’m lazy and also busy, so I kept forgetting!” She admits, cheekily.

That gave her the idea to provide convenient “lazy beauty” meals for working professionals — in fact, the “lazy beauty” tagline is visible on the packaging for Collagenic’s signature collagen chicken soup.

She also really relishes creature comforts, such as soups and stews, and thought it would be great to provide a more Asian alternative to the usual “healthy foods” market in the CBD.

For her, Collagenic has been quite the journey: “It’s such a different experience for me. I never thought that one day I would be getting down and dirty in the kitchen and staying past midnight to supervise renovations.”

“But it’s been very rewarding so far!” she adds.

Former barre instructor’s instinct

While “lazy beauty” was the basis of Collagenic, Min Qi’s past experience as a barre instructor also gave her some insight into the lifestyle and pain points of fitness junkies. She has since tailored a significant part of her business to address these issues. 

For example, packaging at Collagenic is a nifty takeaway box that separates rice and stew compartments. Each dish also comes with separate sticker labels on them.

These labels dive into the important macros that would be helpful for the health-conscious folks: Protein, calories and collagen.

“I know I’m not the only lazy person around and I know there are a lot of health conscious people around — so we’re a great intersection!” she says. 

To ensure quality across the board and also to give the best collagen-filled meals to customers, Min Qi also keeps Collagenic’s menu trim and fit, with only three mains offered.

That’s the signature chicken collagen soup, chicken collagen curry and chicken collagen rendang — all priced at S$13.90.

Collagenic’s comfort food

That’s the gist of the story behind Collagenic but, let’s be honest, a spoonful speaks a thousand words, so obviously we had to judge for ourselves.

And we can safely say that Collagenic’s signature chicken collagen soup is something that’s worth adding into your office lunch rotation, especially if you’re already a soup lover.

Min Qi says the soup is slow-simmered for days and you can taste it. 

It’s tremendously comforting in flavour, and thick and creamy in texture, coating your mouth nicely with collagen, while the chicken richness is deftly contrasted with a peppery finish.

And it’s not just the soup — the drumstick itself is also tender with smooth, silky skin.

The other two dishes — the rendang and the curry — are also quite satisfying, both similarly hearty and fragrant with succulent chicken. But personally, we took a liking to how the chicken collagen rendang sauce paired with the rice.

More importantly, these usually heavy dishes aren’t as jelak as you’d expect — though those who prefer the traditional flavours might crave a little more heft.

Speaking of the rice, it’s actually one of the little details that make Collagenic’s meals that much more enjoyable.

Japanese rice is made extra fragrant by infusing a secret blend of aromatics and collagen bone broth. Plus it’s fluffy, and not too moist, so you can add gravy without it turning soggy.

If you need additional protein to meet your macros, Collagenic’s Crazy Soft chicken breast (S$3.90) is also worth adding on. It’s just as the name says — it’s super tender and not dry at all, unlike your usual chicken breast.

While protein is probably what most people would focus on, we also suggest getting a portion of the hand-peeled two-days marinated cherry tomatoes (S$2.90) on the side. 

It might sound like a trivial little snack, but the house-fermented tomatoes are absolutely delicious, each bursting into a deluge of tanginess and sweetness!

One-for-one opening promo

If you’re working in the area and want to get some nourishment for your hectic day, good news: Collagenic is offering one-for-one on the mains for its opening promo!

There’s no hidden catch — the promo will run while stocks last and it runs until Jul 10. Sounds great, right?

But this is only the beginning for Collagenic, as Min Qi says: “We hope to expand to all parts of Singapore to provide our convenient and nutritious food to everyone.”

She’ll also be looking to introduce frozen convenience pots and collaborating with gyms and fitness establishments to link Collagenic up with its health conscious audience — so look out for that.

This was a hosted tasting.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on McDonald’s new chilli crab burger and Din Tai Fung’s cool cocktail cocktail bar concept.