No Surprises from Ding Tai Fung and Why that is Good...

During our dinner in Ding Tai Fung, I was amused to hear some of the friends complain, "This feels exactly like Ding Tai Fung in Singapore. What's so special?".

Just yesterday, Mr Chang was explaining why Formosa Chang had chosen to close down their franchise operations and focus on slowly expanding their DOS in order to ensure consistency. Today, a successful example exhibits itself in Ding Tai Fung.

Everywhere I went, be it in Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand or Hong Kong, Ding Tai Fung practiced consistency to perfection. The menu, the uniforms, the restaurant decorations, the service and the food quality is a replica of the first outlet in Xinyi District. A fact that is illustrated perfectly in my friends' complaint. 

When I see a waitress from Ding Tai Fung, with her standard smile, in that black and white uniform, serving up a basket of all too familiar xiao long bao, my mind wonders. How much effort had been poured into building SOP, training, sourcing and the strength of mind that insists on 18-folds to deliver a consistent bite of xiao long bao - every time, everywhere.

Just how do they do it?

Relocating the Battlefield : How Formosa Chang tackle Rising Food Cost

Formosa Chang is a homegrown Taiwanese brand with humble beginning. They serviced blue collar workers as a roadside stall selling cheap and good food. Braised meat rice, a simple meal-in-a-bowl that promises to fill the stomach, is Formosa Chang’s star product. Mr Chang revealed that the texture of the meat in the famous braised meat rice is so good because they only use the best cuts, which inevitably, will cost more. 

It was reported that food cost in Taiwan rose by 28% last year. (http://www.chinanews.com/tw/2014/03-04/5905475.shtml) Formosa Chang would have faced the same pressure. Mr Chang, the CEO of Formosa Chang, has an uncompromising attitude towards quality, passed on from his father. Facing the challenge of rising food cost, I observe that Mr Chang strategically target the tourist market. The strategy seems simple: Product mix to include products with lower COGS, Branding to appeal to tourists who have more spending power. Maintain the price of signature products with minimal adjustments to retain loyal customers.

How did Formosa Chang Pursue Tourists?

Ending Thoughts:

What is the next steps for Formosa Chang?

Perhaps taking inspiration from Vigor Kobo : Building Taiwan Tourism is the Road to Building Vigor Kobo.

Or in the words of Mr Chang himself : Cultivating Partnerships with Competitors; Creating Alliances with Industries.

Creating Luxury in Wang Steak

What is a brand? Is it merely a name as the video suggest? 

Wang Steak is a part of a premium restaurant group in Taiwan, famous for offering affordable fine dining experience. 

I feel that although Wang portrays itself as a classy restaurant, its target market is not the elite and exclusive. Instead, Wang Steak is targeting the mid to high income level. By creating a luxurious brand image, Wang Steak convinces the customers to pay a premium for the experience of fine dining. 

The Brand
Brand Benefits	Luxurious fine dining experience at affordable price (NT 1350)
Brand Personality	The rose. Beauty and Elegance. Signature of romance in the west. A token for a loved one links to slogan: “Only for the most important person in life”
Brand Experience	Set Menu for a full fine dining experience. Online guide to communicate the etiquette of fine dining Slogan associates the dining experience with the act of pleasuring a valued person. This emotional association imbues priceless value to the product, justifying the premium pricing. Service focus creating special moments for the guest through personalized services and surprise moments.
Brand Promise	Good Food. Enjoyable dining experience.

The Experience
Senses	Triggers	Impression
Sight	Warm lights; Wood panels	Cosy
	Red embellishments	Sensual
	Reflective metal embellishments; Sparkling ceramic surfaces	Expensive
Hear	Light instrumental music	Western
	Low chattering	Conscious
	Soft mellow introductions from waitress	Personalized
Smell	neutral	Clean
Touch	Stepping on soft padded floor	Comfort
	Smooth satin tablecloth	Sensual, luxurious
	Cold cutleries and plates	Clean, classy
Taste	Food served course by course	Need to savor
Feel	Constant asking “Do you like this dish?”	Important
	Waitress paid attention to my preference	Special

In the end, I do not remember what food I had. I remembered that I had a good time in Wang Steak. 

A Pre-Trip Musing

This is the last day before our trip to Taipei and I can't wait to hop on that plane.

However, at the back of my mind, a nudging voice, "the proposal is incomplete, the report needs updating and have you got the weeklies covered?".

Times like this makes me grateful for a perfect iced latte. Robust top notes that hits the olfactory backed by earthen scent of milk that slides down your throat.

An unconventional coupling?



My breakfast:

Bread, with ikan billis and sambal, wrapped in pandan leaf.
Savoury and spicy with soft bread that tastes slightly sweet. Somehow, the pandan leaf infused the bread with an aroma that screams Singapore.

Breakfast with a view?

We sometimes refer to this as the canary. The green seems to lure unwary small birds. A live display.

This is why I look forward to coming in office every morning.
Now let's get to work and bye bye BreadTalk. See you next week.

Hello. Taipei.

Tribute to The Little Prince

"All men have the stars," he answered, "but they are not the same things for different people. For some, who are travelers, the stars are guides. For others they are no more than little lights in the sky. For others, who are scholars, they are problems. For my businessman they were wealth. But all these stars are silent.

You—you alone—will have the stars as no one else has them—"

"What are you trying to say?"

"In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars were laughing, when you look at the sky at night... you—only you—will have stars that can laugh! And when time soothes your sorrows, you will be content that you have known me... And your friends will be properly astonished to see you laughing as you look up at the sky! And they will think you are crazy. It will be a very shabby trick that I shall have played on you...”
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