Dim sum in Orchard Road is usually a pricey affair, but Mark Lee has opened an eatery there serving the delightful teatime snacks from just $1.50 a pop. After bringing Malaysian coffee giant OldTown White Coffee to Singapore, his latest F&B venture is Nam Heong, a popular 60-year-old casual diner from Ipoh which sells a range of dim sum, rice and noodle dishes.

“We sold OldTown [White Coffee], and Nam Heong asked if I was interested in bringing [its brand] in, so I said okay,” Mark tells 8days.sg in Mandarin. According to Nam Heong’s website, it currently has 15 outlets in Malaysia, including one at Mid Valley Southkey mall in Johor Bahru.

Other than Nam Heong, Mark is also the boss of chicken rice chain 13 Stages, which had thrived during the Circuit Breaker when he quickly pivoted to focus on delivery orders.

Nam Heong’s sole Singapore branch first opened in 2019. “We took a break during the Circuit Breaker and reopened in June last year,” shares Mark. The open-concept outlet is located at the Food Republic food court in 313@Somerset mall.

Mark chose to set up shop in a food court as it involves lower costs. “We don’t need to spend too much on renovations, furniture, crockery and kitchen equipment. The deposit is already a lot of money,” he explains. “When we start earning more, we’ll consider opening a standalone shop.”

But he’s already looking at opening a second food court outlet for Nam Heong this year. “We may open in another Food Republic food court, but we’re still looking at locations like Ion Orchard and Isetan [at Shaw House],” he says, adding that he is also observing the economic climate and manpower situation before he decides on further expansion.

While Nam Heong’s menu in Malaysia spans a selection of dim sum, rice and noodle dishes as well as beverages like coffee and tea, the local food court outlet is focusing on dim sum and noodle options like Prawn Mee and Assam Laksa for now. “Our signatures are our Egg Tart and Chicken Sou [puff],” says Mark.

Prices for the dim sum menu start from $1.50 for the Ipoh Kaya Puff to $3.90 for picks like Chicken Glutinous Rice, Chicken Feet with Chilli Black Bean and the char siew Supreme BBQ Bun. The Nam Heong Chicken Sou goes for $2.20 each, while a Nam Heong Egg Tart costs $1.80. Other dim sum highlights include the fried Ipoh Crispy Turnip ($3.50), Crispy Yam Puff ($3.60) and Supreme Prawn Mai ($3.50).

There’s also a Chee Cheong Fun Series where you can get the rice rolls in five flavours like Classic Ipoh Style ($3.50) with pickled green chillies, fried shallots and red sauce, Chicken Curry ($3.90), Minced Meat & Mushroom ($3.90), Mild Ginger ($3.90) and Homemade Assam ($3.90).

You can also order noodle dishes like Prawn Mee, Assam Laksa and Superior Hor Fun (all $4.20 for mini bowl, $5.50 for main bowl).

Assam Laksa