Tiong Bahru Philippines recently opened its 6th branch in Alabang Town Center, bringing the Michelin-starred Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice to the palate of more people in the metro. It is set to open its seventh branch in Eastwood in Quezon City on March.
Tiong Bahru Philippines, the franchise of the Singapore hawker known for its Hainanese chicken, is co-owned by Kathryna Yu-Pimentel, the wife of Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.
Coming from the village of Tiong Bahru in Singapore, it opened its first international franchise in the Philippines in 2019 with Kathryna Yu-Pimentel and other partners Andrew Koh, Abel Manliclic, Danny Ngo, Milo Ramirez, Alvin Vega, Tony Moncupa, Alex Padilla and Ramon Garcia.
Yu-Pimentel recalls the seemingly ill-timed opening of the branch as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the globe soon after.
“It was a challenging time for any business, but fortunately, we found footing by harnessing digital marketing to continue running and providing for our staff,” Yu-Pimentel said. “Home delivery has become our strength. We deliver to all customers who like a very healthy dish that won’t hurt their wallets,” she added.
Now that the country is gradually recovering from the effects of the pandemic, MSMEs including the food sector are experiencing steady growth. “We are grateful of course to the Hainanese chicken lovers for their patronage, to our staff for their hard work, and to our partners for their trust. We promise to continue delivering satisfaction with our authentic Singaporean cuisines,” said Yu-Pimentel.
The Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken is a Michelin Bib Gourmand awardee for five years from 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022. Bib Gourmand is Michelin’s category for restaurants that give the best value for money.
