Heritage foods are finding new life through two Singapore family businesses: Lee Wee & Brothers and Munchi Pancakes are reinventing traditional snacks – otah and min jiang kueh, respectively – with modern flavours and updated formats, going beyond hawker centres to reach younger consumers.
[SINGAPORE] Munchi Pancakes is jazzing up traditional min jiang kueh, aiming to raise the pancake’s profile as a national snack, and to become the region’s go-to brand.
In 2014, during their retirement, Calvyn Ng’s parents started a min jiang kueh stall in a coffee shop in Yishun. But within a few years, they started looking for someone to take over the physically demanding business.
In 2018, Ng and his friend Au Wei Sheng stepped in and took over, managing the stall alongside their day jobs.
The stall originally served the traditional pancakes filled with coconut, peanut or red bean, in a folded half-moon shape. But when Ng and Au took over, they introduced a round version which they later dubbed the “Munchi pancake”.
“From an operational and employee perspective, the traditional shape of min jiang kueh was tiring to make because one would constantly have to clamp it,” said Ng. “The Munchi pancake is more costly, but easier and less tiring to produce.”
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He added: “It also allows more room for fillings, which customers like.”
These fillings have evolved as well. Chocolate rice was replaced with Belgian chocolate, and crushed peanuts, with peanut paste. Both these tweaks were aimed at improving quality and aligning with what customers wanted, said Au.
In 2019, the duo began experimenting with new flavours. Some were based on customer suggestions, such as black sesame, and others came from suppliers such as Biscoff.
One new flavour was introduced each year, with the line-up now including kaya and hazelnut.
Some flavours are available for both the Munchi pancakes and the traditional min jiang kueh, which the brand still offers today. Others, such as custard, are only available in Munchi pancakes, which are suitable for such cold fillings.
The idea was not to reinvent the traditional pancake completely, said Ng, but to introduce a new version that would appeal to younger customers while improving operational efficiency.
Surviving the pandemic and scaling beyond
The Covid-19 pandemic hurt many food and beverage businesses. But Munchi Pancakes, which was takeaway-only, weathered the storm.
This resilience prompted Ng and Au to consider expansion. In 2021, they opened a second outlet in a hawker centre in Fernvale.
With sales staying strong, the pair quit their day jobs in 2023 to commit fully to the business.
However, it was difficult to find workers willing to put in long hours at a hawker centre; the hawker stall format also had limited economies of scale.
Ng observed broader shifts in consumer behaviour as well: “Coffee shops used to be the main hangout spots. But now shopping malls are where people go.”
Shopping malls also house new, attractive concepts from overseas, he noted.
So in 2024, Munchi Pancakes opened its first outlet in a mall: City Square Mall.
Today, its 26 outlets are split fairly evenly between malls and hawker centres, which enables the brand to reach a broader audience while retaining its roots.
To maintain customer interest, Munchi Pancakes also introduced a “limited-time offering” model. Since 2021, it has launched a seasonal flavour every three months, from pineapple cheese to bandung.
If a flavour proves popular, it is added to the permanent menu, with blueberry being an example. Said Ng: “This keeps customers coming back and gives us a chance to try out new ideas.”
The menu today reflects a mix of traditional and modern flavours. Around 60 per cent of sales still come from traditional min jiang kueh, with the rest split between Munchi and mini Munchi pancakes.
Future expansion
Munchi Pancakes’ revenue doubled from 2023 to 2024, enabling the brand to expand. Ng and Au aim to open 20 more outlets by the end of 2025, most of them in malls.
While the business remains fully consumer-facing, the team may consider business-to-business sales once it hits about 80 outlets in its local network.
Another idea being considered is having a central kitchen to improve consistency and efficiency. However, Ng and Au are cautious, noting that others in the industry have faced significant losses due to high costs and underused space.
Branded merchandise – starting with tote bags – will be launched later this year, and a dine-in Munchi cafe concept is being explored for 2027.
The company is also looking to collaborate with polytechnics to find ways to vacuum-pack or package Munchi Pancakes so that foreign tourists can bring them home – though these efforts will be costly, said Ng and Au.
A regional vision
Beyond Singapore, Munchi Pancakes is eyeing neighbouring markets such as Malaysia and Indonesia. There, traditional snacks such as apam balik and martabak are similar to min jiang kueh, which may make the local market more receptive to Munchi.
Ng and Au’s long-term goal is for Munchi to become the go-to brand when people think of pancakes – not just in Singapore, but eventually across South-east Asia.
To build brand awareness among overseas consumers, Munchi Pancakes has opened outlets in high-traffic tourist spots such as Lau Pa Sat in 2023 and Jewel Changi Airport in 2025.
As for the risk that their pancakes might be a passing trend, Ng acknowledged the concern, but said the team is always innovating to “maintain that hype”.
“Some snacks never go out of style,” he added, pointing to household name Old Chang Kee and its curry puffs.
Au echoed this: “So as long as we continue to provide consistency, customer service, fair pricing and something new, we are here to stay.”
