During that time, Joo Chiat, the café’s location, was one of the shadier parts of town, making it apt for Ah Kong gang’s legend to serve as the inspiration for a tantalising brand story.

In 1969, a gang fight ended with the arrest of most participants except for Roland “Hylam-kia” Tan and a few others who escaped to Amsterdam. Despite living in Europe for many years, Roland maintained his roots by speaking Hokkien. He also never lost his taste for Singapore food; flight attendants who knew Roland would bring him packets of hawker fare such as char kway teow, yong tau foo and laksa.  

The Ah Kong Den brand story and interiors take inspiration from Roland Tan’s story of bygone years, from naming and visual identity to spatial design. The cafe’s menu is also largely inspired by Roland’s love of local fare with an injection of trendy recipes to stay relevant to the target audience of tourists and locals alike.