In May 2024, Singaporean Chef Dylan Ong opened Choon Hoy Parlor (CHP) at Beach Road as a tribute to his beloved mother, 春花 (Mdm. Ong Choon Hoy). The restaurant drew inspiration from her humble life, and offered a casual dining concept serving up the dishes she lovingly prepared – and more. Through these soulful flavours, and the sentiments behind them, Choon Hoy Parlor captured the hearts of many.
This June 2025, CHP relocates to Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski, next to sister concept The Masses. Choon Hoy Parlor 2.0 (CHP 2.0) opens with a bigger space, expanded menu, and the largest baijiu collection in Asia outside of China that can be had with a new cocktail bar experience. Also upcoming are new services such as delivery, catering, private dining, and retail of frozen signature items.
This new chapter in Chef Dylan’s journey is rooted in his Chinese and hawker heritage, and the grace and values imparted to him by his mother. With purpose renewed, he aims to put Singapore Soul Food on the global map in hopes that this distinct culinary genre reflective of our food history is recognised by a local and international audience, inspiring future generations.
Singapore Soul Food, a multi-cultural cuisine showcasing heirloom recipes and hawker classics, are presented by Chef-Owner Dylan Ong and Head Chef Benji Chew at CHP 2.0. Together with the team, they bring a dynamic synergy to the table; sharing ideas, recipes and cultural inspirations, to create a vibrant tapestry of Singapore food stories underpinned by the ‘3H’ – Heritage, Heirloom & Heartstrings.
‘3H’ is an over-arching philosophy that honours the past while reinventing it. ‘Heritage’ envisages the classics redefined by preserving authenticity while exploring new and modern expressions. ‘Heirloom’ speaks of the generations – of keeping nearly forgotten recipes and traditions alive through memory. And ‘Heartstrings’ is an evocation of nostalgia from these flavours of the past.
The new menu features the return of favourites so loved at CHP 1.0. Like before, the team crafts flavours that resonate across the generations, while keeping an eye to thrilling the younger and the more contemporary-inclined. Diners will see a greater diversity of dishes presented with a modern impulse. It is Yesterday’s Flavour, Today’s Flair.
On the cards are a la carte offerings and value-packed set menus that tantalise and delight. Designed for sharing, the a la carte menu ranges from cold and hot appetisers (from $3++) to house-brewed soups (from $10.90++); rice (from $3++); vegetable, meat and seafood dishes (from $15.90++); and desserts (from $10.90++).
New a-la-carte highlights include the Oriental Charcuterie Board ($25.90++), a bold reinterpretation of Western charcuterie featuring five types of Asian-style cured meats like pork lap cheong and waxed duck meat; Morel Silkie Chicken Consommé ($14.90++/pax); and the Trio of Orh Ni ($12.90++), a recreation of the popular dessert served with taro balls, ginkgo nut, coconut ice cream, and a pork lard tuille. Signatures have also undergone a refresh, such as Mocha Prime Pork Rib ($25.90++); 6G Kampung Chicken ($17.90++); and Claypot Dry Laksa ($18.90++/2pax).
A weekday Local-style Set Lunch offers a 3-course option ($18.90++, 2 starters 1 main) and 4- course option ($24.90++, 3 starters + 1 main). For groups of three or more, the Communal Menu ($59.90++/pax, minimum 3 pax) offers a curated selection of highlights from the a la carte menu, available for lunch and dinner.
In the spirit of reviving time-honoured traditions and reshaping them for the future, CHP 2.0 has expanded with a new cocktail bar experience and is home to the largest baijiu collection in Asia, outside of China, with 30 labels and growing.
Curated in partnership with Benson Tong and Jo Sunafri – baijiu specialists, the menu demystifies this traditional Chinese liquor and allows diners to discover and enjoy it authentically, accessibly and approachably. Baijiu house pours start from $8++ for 20ml, with bottles from $26++. CHP 2.0 also serves a selection of baijiu cocktails with options such as their Jing & Tonic and High Balls available from $12++.
Bridging the past and present, the relocation to a double-storey 64-seater venue within the charming sunlit atrium of Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski brings with it interiors luminescent with an immersive retro-modern vibe. With elements drawn from Singapore’s ‘kopitiam’ culture and Chef Dylan’s childhood home, there is a revitalised impetus in nostalgic storytelling.
Looking ahead, the team will also launch Silk Road-themed collaborations with like-minded restaurants and chefs across the region – exploring cultural kinship through shared culinary heritage, as embodied in the connections made over centuries by the significant trade route.
This year, CHP 2.0 also intends to introduce new services including delivery, catering, and private dining to bring the warmth of Singapore Soul Food to a wider community. In addition, a selection of frozen retail items, including their signature Teochew Dumplings, Teochew Duck, Baby Pomfret, Fried Nian Gao, and Pig Trotter Soup, allows the flavours of CHP to be a part of the home dining experience.
Chef Dylan Ong considers ‘food as a blessing’ – whether creating or sharing it. As a chef, it has been his personal philosophy and ethos. And so, accessibility is cardinal to CHP.
Everyone is welcome to his ode to Singapore Soul Food. Dylan continues to strive to democratise good food – as he does at The Masses – with familiar flavours and low, good-value prices. He calls this ‘beating the wave’ – where he cost-engineers the system, looking for lower costs and greater value wherever it can be found; and honing his team’s skills at curating a menu that appeals widely to diners at the most friendly prices.
In finding inspiration from his mother, Dylan builds continues to build a legacy – his mother’s, his own, and for Singapore Soul Food – one plate, one story, one memory at a time … from the CHP family to yours.
