Meet the duo behind the Singapore dessert stall selling 'Gangster Ice'
Owners Ewan Tang and Calvin Ho are the duo behind unique local dessert “Gangster Ice”. While the name of the dessert might call to mind links to shady activities, the background of this dessert is far from that.
But we do have to admit that it was rather ‘fierce’ of them to come up with such an innovative sweet treat, consisting of shaved ice, evaporated milk, cubes of mango and a fresh scoop of durian.
Here’s how the “gangster” name came about: The duo had initially wanted to name the dessert “Liu Lian Mang Guo Bing” since “Liu Lian” means durian in Chinese, “Mang Guo” means mango and “bing” means ice. But, they decided to shorten it to “Liu Mang Bing” to make it catchier. Coincidentally, “Liu Mang” also happens to mean gangster in Chinese. So there you go, “Gangster Ice”.
“When I first heard it, I thought it was such a good idea and I loved it!”, Tang shared with Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore during an interview on Thursday (31 August). The former disc jockey added that he had even registered the name “Gangster Ice” as a trademark. “Gangster Ice” is priced at $3 a bowl, the most expensive dessert at the stall.
Tang, 39, and Ho, 54, sell “Gangster Ice” at Jin Jin Dessert, in Bukit Merah’s ABC Brickworks Market and Food Centre. They also serve up a string of other refreshing desserts including their famous “Power Chendol”, which uses gula melaka syrup that is cooked fresh by the duo each day.
While the prices of regular desserts from your common ice kacang stalls may go up to S$4 a bowl, Tang and Ho have kept their desserts at nearly half that price.
“I am keeping my price as low as possible as I want my food to reach out to as many people as possible – even the cardboard aunties and tissue lady – that’s why it is so cheap”, shared Tang. “We are located in a heartland area, and so we need to reach out to the everyday people here.”
Tang and Ho’s road to success was a rocky journey that involved them quitting their jobs, picking a location on impulse and shutting the business for two years before reviving it again.
Before opening Jin Jin Dessert in 2003, the duo had initially dreamed of opening a beer garden since Tang had prior experience with working at an establishment that sold alcoholic beverages during his stint as a DJ, and Ho loved to drink. But that idea was shelved when the then-entrepreneur rookies discovered that they would need a liquor licence. Furthermore, the stall they had rented at the food centre had a Halal-certified kitchen, which meant alcohol is prohibited.
The name Jin Jin Dessert had belonged to the stall’s predecessor, who was eager to transfer the tenancy to them. From then on, the duo learned to make simple red bean- and green bean-based desserts and running their new business for two months before closing it temporarily due to poor sales.
During the break, Tang explored dessert shops across the island for inspiration. “When I tried desserts from other shops, I always asked myself, ‘Why can’t I do it, too?’. It was really challenging,” Tang recalled.
“Technology in those days wasn’t so advanced yet, and there was no Google, so I’d go to bookshops like Borders and Kinokuniya to read up more on making desserts,” he shared.
Tang and Ho relaunched their business in late 2003 only to discover that the market would be close for a year for renovations. However, instead of letting their circumstances continue to dampen their spirits, Tang remained positive about his predicament and saw it as an opportunity to continue with his business research, this time exploring overseas in places like Taiwan and Japan.
“I tried to modify the ideas from the desserts I tried overseas and incorporate it into my own recipe”, Tang shared. “In fact, I am still doing it until today, as it is important to innovate and adapt.”
Thanks to his travels, Tang was able to come up with a new dessert menu that included “Mount Fuji”, “Green Tea Grass Jelly”, “Red Bean Durian” and “Volcano”, among others, when Jin Jin Dessert reopened in 2005. As a business partner, Tang was mainly in charge of coming up with ideas for desserts and the business’ branding while Ho focuses on daily operations.
“I work everyday including weekends and public holidays. Every cent earned is hard-earned”, Tang said. He even shared that if he wanted to buy a S$100 pair of running shoes, he would have to sell more than 50 bowls of chendol in order to do that.
Today, Jin Jin Dessert has earned accolades including the “Singapore Favourite Food” Award and is frequented by many local food bloggers. The duo also have big expansion plans up their sleeves and some of these include expanding to other heartlands such as Ang Mo Kio, Bedok and Hougang, as well as other countries such as Japan and South Korea.
“I hope that one day we can bring out authentic local Singapore food overseas”, Tang shared. “So far, only Bee Cheng Hiang has done it successfully. I hope we can be the second brand to achieve that”.
Jin Jin Dessert is located at ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-20. It opens daily from noon to 10.30pm.
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