“To become a well-versed and experienced wok chef takes years of training before they can even touch a wok. Plus, it is not an easy task to hold a heavy wok over a blaze of fire in extremely high heat for hours on end, so not everyone is willing to go into this Chinese cooking role unless they really want to preserve this culture. It is unfortunate because this is a tradition we can’t lose.”

Natalie Ngan

Founder of Shop B

Our Urban Explorer

Could you please introduce yourself to our guests?

Hi! I am Natalie Ngan, and I am the Founder here at Shop B and Pondi.

When did you first realize you wanted to pursue a career in the F&B industry?

When I went to Los Angeles for college, I had the opportunity to explore the restaurant scene and I immediately immersed myself in the culture and I loved every aspect of it. Whenever I dined at these restaurants, I would thoroughly enjoy the whole experience – from the unique and eclectic dishes served to the overall ambiance of its interiors – all within the time span of two to three hours. The moment you walk into a restaurant, you are immediately transported to a different place. And that is something that really speaks to me. The restaurant scene in LA thrives with creativity and I just knew then that I wanted to open my own restaurant one day and share different concepts with others.

Shop B dishes are inspired by Dai Pai Dong classic dishes while infusing their own modern twist. How did you come up with this concept?

While I was working at Pondi, the Thai restaurant next to us at the time decided to leave and asked whether we were interested in taking it over because we were right next door. My business partner George and I immediately hopped at the opportunity. With my love for delicious Chinese food, I always envisioned starting an elevated Dai Pai Dong-style eatery that provided guests with authentic wok-style dishes and a good vibe. Growing up in Hong Kong with a relatively more international background, having studied in international schools and the States, I just wanted to create something that could bring a melting pot of people together while preserving the local culture. I presented this opportunity to George, and he initially had some reservations since diners could just go to an existing Dai Pai Dong rather than an elevated one. Fast-forward two to three years later, we really brought this concept to life, and we are so proud of it. This has now become an inside joke of ours!

What does your typical day look like?

Every day is vastly different; it could go from getting a phone call at 4AM for a reservation to ending my day with another phone call at 12AM. The hours can be quite crazy! But generally, our kitchen starts prepping at around 1PM, and then we have a staff meal at around 5PM. On the floor, we get back at around 3:30PM to bar prep, clean, and set up before we officially start service at 6PM.

What does” Urban Explorer” mean to you both and how do you think you fit into it?

Urban exploration is really about having an open mind and learning new things, even within your own city. Though you may not be exposed to certain things, your curiosity leads you to learn more and drill deeper into a specific area of interest.

Preserving Tradition in Every Bite

Where do you find inspiration for coming up with these dishes and unique cocktails?

I will start with our beverage menu, which takes inspiration from our childhood memories! Growing up, one of my favourite drinks was Yakult – this sweetened probiotic milk beverage from Japan. Now that we’re adults, why not indulge in it together with a bit of alcohol? Rebina, the blackcurrant juice, was one of George’s favourites growing up so we took inspiration from this drink to concoct a high-ball version. *In terms of food, both George and I both do research and come up with new ideas that we could try out*. I also love cooking so I really enjoy working together with our kitchen to bring these concepts to life and figure out how we can utilise various culinary techniques for some of our dishes. For instance, the pigeon that we have on the menu at the moment, we marinate it with yogurt, so it breaks down the fiber and makes the meat more juicy. It is through continuous research and experimentation that allows us to be more creative with our dishes.

Who has been your greatest culinary influence?

I would have to say, my grandparents. I grew up living with them in the same household, so my grandma was always the person who cooked dinner for us every night. I have fond memories of just watching her in the kitchen, and I would always ask her if she needed any help. Now I’m the only person in the family who can actually cook a full meal! I just love that we can sit together as a family around the dinner table and unwind, reflect on our day, and have a great meal together.

There is always such a long queue of customers that frequent Shop B because of its delicious and homey Chinese dishes. On this topic, how do you think Dai Pai Dongs in the city have been embedded into Hong Kong culture?

At the core of it, Dai Pai Dongs are really comfort food and it is just something that everybody in Hong Kong has been exposed to their whole lives. There are numerous variations of classic Dai Pai Dong dishes across the city so there is such familiarity and comfort when eating these dishes, which has inherently become a part of our culture.

Cooking these dishes requires a particular skill set and many younger chefs today are not particularly keen on learning this. Do you think Dai Pai Dong culture can be preserved?

Becoming a well-versed and experienced wok chef takes years of training before one can even touch a wok. Plus, it is not an easy task to hold a heavy wok over a blaze of fire in extremely high heat for hours on end, so not everyone is willing to go into this Chinese cooking role unless they really want to preserve this culture. It is unfortunate because this is a tradition we can’t lose.

What is your favourite dish on the menu and why?

If I could choose only one dish, I would have to say the potato salad. I am very biased because I personally love potato salad. In fact, I requested that we have a potato salad on the menu! It is such a unique combination of flavours that blend so well together, and it consists of potatoes, Chinese sausage, Chinese pickled cucumbers, mayo, and onsen egg topped with diced red and brown Chinese sausage. I absolutely love it!

Exploring The City

What do you find travel inspiration?

For the most part, I use Instagram to look for travel inspiration, particularly their map search function. For more specific locations or places that I want to visit, I always ask my friends because they can provide real insights and recommendations that I won’t be able to find on an app.

What other destinations are on your bucket list?

I would love to visit Greece and the Mediterranean. India and Marrakech (which I have visited before but would like to go again) would be good options so I can explore more of the culinary scene there.

In 3 words, how would you describe Hong Kong?

Vibrant, Mean, Fusion (of old and new)

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