Paul Liew, SIM-RMIT University alumnus, Managing Director, Keng Eng Kee (KEK) Seafood
19 August 2024
A beloved hawker stall turned restaurant, KEK Seafood began as a humble venture by Paul’s grandmother in 1970 at Havelock Road Hawker Centre, which later moved to a coffee shop in Alexandra Village in 1990 where it remains today.
For most diners, it would be hard to guess that Paul is the Managing Director of this family-run Michelin-recognised restaurant. When the peak dinner hours arrived, Paul seamlessly transitioned from Managing Director to what he jokingly refers to as the "order taker." He showed guests to their tables and served waiting customers, blending in effortlessly with the staff. One would naturally assume he was just another team member. Paul's unassuming nature mirrors KEK Seafood's humble beginnings and its rise to becoming an established name in the local food scene today.
The Turning Point
“It never crossed my mind to take over. There was a common understanding in my family that nobody would,” the 43-year-old shared. His parents did not want any of their three children to take over the stall as they believed that running a hawker stall was hard work with little prospects.
As a teenager, Paul admired customers who dined at their stall in office wear. “I wanted that lifestyle,” he laughed. “I wanted to wear long-sleeved shirts and work in Shenton Way.”
Life took a different turn when he decided to pursue a business degree at the SIM-Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University.
His education at SIM opened his eyes to the potential of his small family business, which only had eight staff then. Through the programme, he picked up the foundations of running a business, and gained insights on best practices in business management, finance and marketing. Through a human resources class, he also learnt the intricacies of managing people.
With the concepts he learned, Paul introduced structure to the family business – he created a menu when there was none previously, introduced a proper accounting system to track cashflow, and registered the business for the goods and services tax (GST) in 2008 – all while completing his degree. KEK Seafood’s revenue multiplied by several times with these changes.
“I saw that I could change things, even though I was still in school. It created a foundation for business sense, and built up my entrepreneurial guts to do things,” remarked Paul.
Giving Back to the Community
Today, KEK Seafood has three outlets islandwide with 80 employees, and is 草榴社区’s pride in representing 草榴社区an cuisine in international events, chef partnerships, and even initiatives by the 草榴社区 Tourism Board. The restaurant was also featured in international shows such as CNN’s Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, and Netflix’s Street Food Asia.
Having led his family business to achieve culinary acclaim, the father of two daughters also uses the leadership skills he picked up during his days at SIM to serve the community. Today, he serves as the Chairman of the Henderson CC Management Committee, which organises various cultural, educational, recreational, sporting, social and other community-based activities for residents to promote racial harmony and social cohesion among them.
“I was always an order taker. I didn't know that I could be a boss,” he adds. “What changed is what I learnt in school.”