Tang Tea House’s founder on starting a beloved halal dim sum and zi char-style restaurant chain, with love behind every dish

Growing up, I always looked forward to our yearly reunion dinner — one of our most exciting family events. That’s because we’d gather at the same restaurant every year: Tang Tea House at Changi Village. 

It was our thing — Tang Tea House was our go-to spot for momentous get-togethers, and all the children were allowed to order what they wanted (we would pick the heftier seafood dishes and stuff ourselves silly). 

My family has been coming here for over a decade, so in a way, it’s a place that I grew up with. Some of my fondest childhood memories were spent here, running around its spacious compound and open field with my cousins, playing hide-and-seek, while we waited for the food to be served.

It was our relatives who first introduced the restaurant to us all those years ago. The draw: Its handmade halal dim sum and wide range of zi char-style dishes. “It tastes similar to those posh Chinese restaurants,” they’d say. “And at a fraction of the price, too!”

Perhaps it’s nostalgia, but I recall Tang Tea House’s wares being a hit across the board. Whipped up with precision and love, every dish that we ordered was as delicious as the next.

Plus, with so many items to choose from (there are more than 300 dishes on the menu), you’re well spoilt for choice — picky eater or not. 

It’s one of the reasons why Tang Tea House is so beloved among its diners — there’s always something different to savour, each time you swing by.

Tang Tea House turns 20 next year and for me, it holds plenty of nostalgic memories and the food always tastes like home. So, you can imagine my excitement when I scored an interview with Sylvia Ler, the cheery 67-year-old lady boss. 

She’s a veteran in her own right, touting about 50 years of experience in the F&B industry. And despite owning a flourishing restaurant chain, she remains incredibly humble. 

While many would be inclined to set up bolder, swankier concepts, Sylvia chooses to stay true to the cuisine she knows and loves — Hong Kong-style dim sum and zi char-style dishes made with halal ingredients.

How Sylvia entered F&B 

Before she was the proud founder of Tang Tea House, she was in the bakery and confectionery trade for 30 years. 

“When I was young, my family started a confectionery business,” she recalls. “That’s how I got into the F&B industry.”

She declined to name the business, as it has since been sold. 

Sylvia recalls long hours churning out orders of bread, cakes and biscuits, but it was also during this time that she learned the ins and outs of working in a busy kitchen.

It was also when her passion for pursuing a career in F&B blossomed. 

Sylvia aspired to start a business of her own, too. “I’ve always loved dining out with my friends,” she adds, with a smile. “So, I wanted to open a place where I could bring friends together.” 

With that goal in mind, she was determined to create a space where she could dole out comforting delicious fare to diners, and they, in turn, could gather and bond over a shared love for food.

How Tang Tea House came to be 

In 2005, Tang Tea House was born.

The brainchild between Sylvia and her husband, Johnny Tan, 69, it was built on the concept of making Chinese cuisine accessible and affordable for all.

She had realised that there was a gap in the F&B market — it lacked a variety of halal-friendly options, not to mention halal-certified Chinese restaurants. 

“I was thinking of a way to bring people from all races together,” Sylvia says. “That’s why I came up with Chinese food prepared with halal ingredients.” 

She tweaked her recipes to this effect, so that diners across different races and cultures could enjoy her favourite dishes, sans any dietary restrictions. 

Besides halal-friendly zi char-style dishes, her Muslim friends had also encouraged her to specialise in halal dim sum, which wasn’t so common in Singapore, back then. 

The latter is now a well-loved specialty on Tang Tea House’s menu.

On keeping flavours consistent

Tang Tea House isn’t your run-of-the-mill restaurant — with a jaw-dropping selection of more than 300 dishes on the menu, it trumps competitors with its expansive variety of halal-friendly fare. 

But with so many dishes up for grabs, how does the team ensure its quality and flavours are consistent? 

“We have a central kitchen to prepare all the basic ingredients and sauces,” says Sylvia. “They’re then distributed to all the outlets in the morning.” 

“All the chefs at Tang Tea House also follow set recipes to maintain consistency in our food,” she adds. “They’re trained to ensure that the quality is up to standard.” 

At Tang Tea House, the food is meticulously prepared by a team of expert chefs who’ve been with Sylvia for more than a decade, some of whom had previously cut their teeth on the hotel industry.

You don’t have to worry about your favourite dishes selling out when you’re there, either.

Sylvia prides herself on maintaining a well-stocked pantry, so that all the dishes on Tang Tea House’s menu are available for order throughout the day. 

“We never have a problem of dishes selling out,” she says. “We replenish ingredients when they run low, so the fridge is always stocked.”

Signature dishes

For first-timers who haven’t been to Tang Tea House, Sylvia recommends that you start with the handcrafted dim sum, which is made from scratch daily.

“Not only is our dim sum handmade, they’re only available at Tang Tea House’s outlets,” she says. “We don’t distribute them or sell them wholesale.” 

The bite-sized morsels, which feature chicken as the star protein, are also prepared with secret housemade recipes to replicate the same juiciness and flavour that you’d savour in its classic, pork-based counterparts.

A bestseller is the Shanghai steamed chicken dumplings (S$5.50 for four pieces) — Tang Tea House’s riff on the traditional xiao long bao (steamed buns filled with pork filling and soup) dish. 

“The soup is prepared with chicken bone and chicken feet,” says Sylvia. “We leave it to boil for about four hours, then we freeze the broth to create a rich, jelly-like aspic and remove all starchiness.” 

She adds: “The chicken is also brined and mixed with different ingredients for flavour. The sifu (chef) will then wrap the filling in a delicate skin, just like a xiao long bao.”

The result is a rotund, succulent chicken filling swimming in a warm and hearty chicken broth. It’s no wonder it’s a hit with the crowd — every bite bursts with umami, while the meat soaks up the comforting broth well.

The Golden Sand buns (S$5 for three pieces) are another popular item, which sees vibrant, orange-hued pillows stuffed with a creamy salted egg filling. Gently tear the bun apart in half, and an ooey-gooey lava filling oozes out — it makes for the perfect ’gram-worthy shot.

Embracing modern ways of dining

Tang Tea House currently has five outlets under its wing that span different locations in the west, northeast and east.

For those who aren’t fortunate enough to live near one of these stores, good news: Tang Tea House is available for food delivery, only on the Grab app — so, you don’t have to set foot out of your home just to relish its fare!

“We joined GrabFood in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic,” Sylvia recalls. “We wanted to hop on food delivery so that we could reach more diners.”

And what a good thing it was, too. During the pandemic, Tang Tea House saw a dramatic spike in sales — when everyone was staying at home and food deliveries were at their peak. 

Even now, Sylvia has observed that some customers still do enjoy the ease and convenience of dining in the comfort of their own homes, and would make regular GrabFood orders from Tang Tea House.

At present, only a handful of Tang Tea House’s signature dishes are available on GrabFood.

Think: Savoury oats prawns (S$33.93 on GrabFood), pan-fried crispy bee hoon (S$14.75  on GrabFood) and rojak (from S$6.60 on GrabFood), among a few others.

Sylvia adds that they travel long distances well, without going soggy, and are handier, fuss-free dishes to enjoy at home.

But Sylvia has plenty more delicious eats on her menu to try, so she hopes to expand this shortlist soon. 

“I plan to include the soft-shell crab and Indonesian prawns,” Sylvia says. “There will be dim sum as well, such as the multi-flavoured buns and barbecued chicken buns.” 

Sylvia also notes that all orders via the Grab app are packaged in a secure warmer bag while waiting for the rider to arrive, so that they’re kept as warm as possible en route to your doorstep.

Tang Tea House is on Grab Signatures!  

Good news for those who hate travelling in the heat — you don’t have to venture to the east (or northeast) just to get your dim sum fix. All you have to do is simply open the Grab app and place an order. 

Tang Tea House is part of the Grab Signatures programme, which features exclusive merchants that can’t be found on any other app and are delivered only by Grab. 

Check out hot, Grab-exclusive brands such as Saizeriya, Mr Coconut, Tim Hortons, Fong Sheng Hao, and more on the app today!

And if you’re a GrabUnlimited subscriber, all the better — you can stretch your dollar with up to S$3 off delivery fees!

This article was written in partnership with Grab. 

Hungry for more deals? Check out our guide on how to savour dishes from your fan-favourite brands without braving the heat and our curated list of 5-Star Eats on GrabFood. 

Place your Grab Signatures orders with the GrabFood delivery service and enjoy free delivery (up to S$3 off with GrabUnlimited). 

Do explore the new GrabFood Dine Out service for awesome deals. 

You can also book a ride to Tang Tea House on Grab.