School of Architecture, Building and Design Foundation in Natural and Built Environment [FNBE] English 2 [ENGL0205] Ms. Cassandra English Final Project – Research Assignment Report FNBE July 2013 Group member : Sharon Lim Yu Jung 0313377 Tan Ling Rong 0315645 Tan Chiew Nee 0303531 Angoline Boo Lee Zhuang 0316144 Tan Chee Siang 0315159 Tay Jia Jian 0315508 1
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School of Architecture, Building and Design
Foundation in Natural and Built Environment [FNBE]
English 2 [ENGL0205]
Ms. Cassandra
English Final Project – Research Assignment Report
FNBE July 2013
Group member :
Sharon Lim Yu Jung 0313377
Tan Ling Rong 0315645
Tan Chiew Nee 0303531
Angoline Boo Lee Zhuang 0316144
Tan Chee Siang 0315159
Tay Jia Jian 0315508
1
Table of Contents
No. Title Page number
1. Artistic cover
2. Cover page 1
3. Table of contents 2
4. Key Summary 3
5. Research report
a. Description of the history of trade.b. Description of the business.c. Comparative Analysis.
4 – 56 – 9
10 – 17
6. Recommendations 18 – 20
7. Bibliography 21
8. Appendices 22 – 34
9. References 35
2
Key Summary
In this assignment, we did an analysis about Dim Sum business industry in two of
Malaysia’s highest Chinese population region, which is Penang Island and Klang
Valley. In a group of six, we interviewed two of the region’s most recommended
Dim Sum restaurants which had been operating for more than 10 years, which is
Tho Yuen restaurant at Jalan Cintra, Georgetown, Penang and Clan Dim Sum
Restaurant at Jalan Radin Anum, Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur. We researched,
analyzed, compared and contrasted both businesses in terms of businesses’
descriptions, businesses’ history of the trade, comparative analysis of the
businesses’ competitive traits and recommendations for the businesses.
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a. Description of the History of Trade
.
Initially, it was an exclusive luxury made for the Royals in the palace at Northern
China. The Manchurian Empire’s descendants passed their time by frequented
dining, further established the formation of tea houses that rivaled with restaurant
by offering Dim Sum in wide varieties. Due to its high popularity, it was then
introduced to the tea houses peppered at the city and also the pivotal Silk Road
where commodities of trade flourished and people from all over the continent
would pass by. Usually, the travelers would visit the tea houses to relax and dine,
thus had contacts with Dim Sum. Therefore, the tradition of Dim Sum is spread to
other parts of China and eventually anchored at Canton due to its availability to
fresh food supplies and rich ingredient selections, brought by its strong economic
status. Because of its fineness, Dim Sum restaurants soon became a prestigious
business.
Since the 10th century, about 2000 different varieties of dim sum have been
invented, largely catered in restaurants and festive occasions. In the 20th century,
when the Chinese immigrants started to disperse across the continents, the
heritage of Dim Sum was too spread to other places, including Malaysia. So the
business was expanded and diversified at new places throughout the world.
Nowadays, some restaurateurs even established their brand and franchise
branches such as Taiwan Dim Sum franchise, Din Tai Fung which has branches
at North America, Asia and Australia.
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In Malaysia, the history of trade of Dim Sum is considered relatively young as it
was first introduced to this land during the early 1900s by the Cantonese clan.
During the time, the businesses were mostly family ran and small sized until the
independence of Malaya, whereby the Chinese was encouraged to expand their
business in order to boost the new nation’s economy. Nowadays, the industries
grow significantly with few well-known cross nation chains such as Dragon-I and
also local medium-sized restaurants such as Kam Xuen and Clan Dim Sum or
small-sized family run restaurants such as Tho Yuen.
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b. Description of Business
Tho Yuen Dim Sum Restaurant
Tho Yuen Dim Sum Restaurant is a well-known restaurant in Penang, which
gained its popularity from their delicious pastries, especially their festive seasonal
handmade Moon cakes. Tho Yuen was established in 1936 by Mr. Hu Mei, with a
single notion of sustaining the traditional Chinese heritage of making fine Dim
Sum. After running his business for about 40 years, he migrated to Australia with
his family so he sold the restaurant to the next owner, which is the current owner
of Tho Yuen, Mr. Liong Jin Zhao. It’s been over 30 years since Mr. Leong took
over the restaurant.
Tho Yuen Restaurant is located at an old double-story traditional Peranakan style
building painted in green at Campbell Street, Penang. It is the second shop from
the cross junction of Campbell Street and Cintra Street. To ensure optimal
ventilation in the hot humid weather, the restaurant was punctuated with an air
well in the middle hall that facilitate air circulation, so that the customers can
enjoy the delicacies in comfortable ambience. Its ceiling is comparatively tall and
installed with sufficient number of ceiling fans. This restaurant has 15 workers
and all of them including the Chef are locals. Most of the workers work here since
the previous owner started the business. Tho Yuen produces more than 20 types
of traditional dim sum such as the prawn dumplings, “Siu Mai”, “Char Siew Pau”
and etc. daily and among all, prawn dumplings (“har gao”) and “Siu Mai” are the
bestsellers. The estimation number of customers per day is around 200 to 300
customers.
There are 3 competitors around the area, which are Da Dong, Long Ji and De Tai
Tong, but all of these restaurants have shorter business history compared to Tho
Yuen Restaurant. To reinforce their status as first choice restaurant among the
customers, their strategy to compete with other competitors is by creating their
own signature dishes. For example, their signature steamed chicken rice and
special noodle called “Hong Tu Noodle”, which yee mee and porridge are cooked
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together with seafood and minced meat. Besides, they offer rational prices and
maintain close connections with old customers. Their customers ranged from the
locals of all age and international tourists. The number of international tourists
increase sharply after Tho Yuen is nominated by Trip Advisor on the net.
Although Tho Yuen has already been operating for more than 70 years but the
owner has no plan of expanding the business and the only expansion they did
was buying the shop next to them and introducing the famous Chicken Rice stall
beside their premise into their business.
7
Clan Dim Sum Restaurant
Clan Dim Sum Restaurant is also known as Da Jia Cheng Dim Sum Restaurant.
This restaurant is well-known for their Gai Woh Bao which is also known as
Chicken Nest Bun. It was founded in 2001 by Mr. Nie, the owner of the Clan
Restaurant. Since young, motivated by strong passion and interest in
quintessential Dim Sum, Mr. Nie started to learn about how to make dim sum
since young. Sparked from a little dream in a boy’s imagination, the dream has
turned into a reality and his business has stood the test of time for 13 years.
Clan Dim sum is located at Jalan Radin Anum, Sri Petaling Kuala Lumpur.
Before this, the first shop was actually located at Alam Jaya as a humble stall.
After 3 years of struggles amidst its poor business, Mr. Nie decided to take a
brave pace, to move to a more strategic place where human converge. It’s a
combination of two shop lots in a double-story building with extended roof and
premise. Typically, Dim Sum Restaurant only open in the morning, but Clan
Restaurant open throughout the day until 2am.
The approximate number of customers per day is around 500 to 600 due to its
strategic location at the town’s heart. It’s always crowded especially in the
morning, brunch time and midnight. Due to this, they hired more workers,
washing the dishes, pushing trolleys and carts filled with piping fresh dim sum
from the kitchen, preparing the most anticipated handmade Dim Sum at the
kitchen and etc. Their target of market ranged from young adults to their loyal old
customers. Besides local food lovers, the restaurant also attract patrons from
outstation, thanks to the ubiquity of internet, whereby Dim Sum connoisseurs’
high recommendations leave their trails in the viewers’ hearts.
They are also few competitors around the region, some are just a stone’s throw
away from Clan. For example, Fortune Dim Sum, Foo Yuan Dim Sum Restaurant
and World of Dim Sum. Clan Dim Sum Restaurant has invented many new
special dishes which successfully won the hearts of many such as their famous
Chicken Nest Bun, Liu Sha Bao, Yam Bun. Their highlight is Gai Woh Bao
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(Chicken Nest Bun), with its tender bread in a shape of a ‘nest’ stuffed with
5. What are the signature dishes in your restaurant?
The signature dish of our restaurant will be our very own specially
made dish called “Gai Woh Bau” (Chicken Nest Bun). We have been
interviewed by media for this dish.
6. How many branches do you have?
So far I have only two branches, one which is here and another one is
located at PJ C8.
7. How many workers do you have?
25
I have around 20 plus of workers working here and most of them are
locals.
8. What is the estimation number of customers that visit your
restaurant daily? (Approximately)
I have more than 500 customers daily, most of them come in the
morning or afternoon for breakfast and brunch. We even have
customers during midnight.
9. How is your business operating so far? Is there any circumstance or
obstacle?
Not really, I don’t have much problems in handling the business so far.
10.What is your future plan for the business?
I have no plan of having new branches now.
11.Who are your competitors around this area?
Actually there are many other dim sum restaurants around this area.
For example, Dim Sum Fortune, World of Dim Sum and Restaurant
Foo Yuan Dim Sum.
12.What strategy do you use to compete with your competitors?
I don’t use any strategy but to work hard for my own business, just do my
best for everything that’s it.
Appendix 3 : Photo26
Shop name: Tho Yuen Restaurant
Date: 16 May 2014
Time: 1.30PM - 3.30PM
Photo 1: The main entrance of Tho Yuen Restaurant.
Photo2: From this photo, we can know this restaurant is well known enough as it even attracted tourists from overseas to come over.
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Photo 3: The wife of the owner of Tho Yuen Restaurant.
Photo 4: All of us were paying full attention to the lady boss during the interview and we have also recorded and written down all the important details mentioned.
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Photo 5: After the interview, we had our lunch over there and the lady boss recommended few of their signature dishes for us to try out.
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Shop name: Clan Dim Sum Restaurant
Date: 24 May 2014
Time: 12.00PM - 3.00PM
Photo 6: The outlook of Clan Dim Sum Restaurant.
Photo 7: The signboard of Clan Dim Sum Restaurant with their signature dish Gai Woh Bao (Chicken Nest Bun).
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Photo 8: As recommended by the owner and the worker there, we have ordered their most liked dishes.
Photo 9: Gai Woh Bao (Chicken Nest Bun), their most well known and signature dish with glutinous rice cooked with chicken and wrapped in a layer of dough.
-Discuss about the types of business that we would like to research in Penang and Klang Valley and further narrow down the scope.
-Search the internet to find more about the businesses which has been operating for 15 to 20 years in Penang and Klang Valley.
CONCLUSIONSFew of choices such as Cafe, Seafood Restaurant, Dim Sum Restaurant and Kopitiam
-Dim Sum Restaurant was chosen because Penang and Klang Valley are both cities with high Chinese population who usually enjoy Dim Sum and there are lots of old traditional Dim Sum restaurants at these regions.
ACTION ITEMS PERSON RESPONSIBLE DEADLINE
Camera, note books, stationary All members 13 May 2014
1 HOURS DISCUSSION OF QUESTIONNAIRE LIST TAN LING RONG
DISCUSSION
-Discuss the interview questions about the business in Penang and Klang Valley.
CONCLUSIONS22 questions about history, founder, marketing strategies, branches of business, challenges of business, scale of business and future plans of the restaurateurs.
Based on the sample questions provided by Miss Cassie, we further developed a few more questions in order to have a more holistic approach about the business.
ACTION ITEMS PERSON RESPONSIBLE DEADLINE
Questionnaire list, Camera, note books, stationary All members 15 May 2014