Chef Gwern Secrets

Chef Gwern Secrets Entrepreneur. Dreamer. Chef. I teach unusual insights on food, business and life.

23/11/2025

Create Once, Echo Forever

I don’t create videos to go viral.
I create them to echo.

One shoot. One story. Posted to various platforms.

Then I let it breathe. Seen once by one. Seen again by many.

Because when the message is out there, people know what you’re about.

That’s how I use social media for my business—
to build connection at scale.

🎬Create once. Be seen many times.

31/05/2025

The Secret Sauce to Success? Stack Value Until It Topples 🤩

A restaurant isn’t just about serving food; it’s about delivering experiences that people remember.

That’s why I believe in over-delivering. I don’t just provide a meal—I create moments, stacking value until customers feel like they’re getting far more than what they paid for.

Little things like this small printer, turning simple visits into treasured memories.

Because when you make people feel valued, they don’t just return—they spread the word, bring their friends, and fuel unstoppable growth.

Start stacking value. The more you give, the more you grow.

When a stranger message at one in the morning wanting to try your food, you know you’re doing something special.
22/04/2025

When a stranger message at one in the morning wanting to try your food, you know you’re doing something special.

19/04/2025

Your omakase experience is miles ahead—far more exciting than the one I recently tried," Anna, a guest at my restaurant, told me.

I love making small talk with my guests, and Anna was referring to a famous award-winning omakase restaurant chain from Taiwan, just a stone’s throw away.

She’s not the first to say this. Many—including a doctor who frequently dines at Michelin-starred restaurants—have said similar things.

So, what’s the secret?

The key lies in the unexpected. Surprise is everything. You can never WOW if something is predictable.

I’m spilling the beans on several ways to create excitement in food:

- If an ingredient is commonly sliced, cut it into cubes or rounds. Change the shape.

- If a dish is usually served hot, make it cold. Play with temperature.

- Make a dish taste different from how it looks. Hide or stuffed something. Experiment with unusual pairings.

- If an ingredient is usually fried, steam it instead. Manipulate the texture with techniques.

- Use exotic or rare ingredients. Combine expensive and humble ingredients together.

- Make it interactive. Let customers play with the food.

There are no rules—the only limit is your imagination.

This is the essence of high-end dining. Customers come to be WOWed.

Eat like a local. Embrace the local culture. Be adventurous.
13/04/2025

Eat like a local. Embrace the local culture. Be adventurous.

Received some beautiful baby squid yesterday. Fresh right out from the pristine blue sea. And I remembered one of my ear...
08/04/2025

Received some beautiful baby squid yesterday. Fresh right out from the pristine blue sea.

And I remembered one of my earliest mentor saying, “Showcase it when you have good ingredient.”

Put on the menu last evening.

Baby squid | Black Garlic | Edamame

“The most tender and flavourful squid I’d ever eaten.” ~ Lorraine, restaurant guest.

It takes courage to be simple.

Uncertainty and panic are in the air. Trump’s latest tariffs are shaking the global markets—stocks are crashing left an...
05/04/2025

Uncertainty and panic are in the air.

Trump’s latest tariffs are shaking the global markets—stocks are crashing left and right, like falling meteorites.

And when there’s uncertainty, there is always fear.

In the food business, cost are bound to climb. It may not hit immediately, but the ripple effects? Oh, they’ll come. It’s just a matter of time.

That’s why it’s wise to have different sources of supplies and marketing channels, relying on just one is huge risk.

You never know when things might spiral out of control. Let’s face it, there’s always someone unpredictable calling the shots.

As for me? I see this as an opportunity. When the world panics, I shop for great bargains. History proves it, and Warren Buffet said it best: “Be fearful when others are greedy. And be greedy when others are fearful.”

I confessed—it had been a long time since I paid to watch a movie in theaters. My mother-in-law works at Shaw and has pr...
30/03/2025

I confessed—it had been a long time since I paid to watch a movie in theaters. My mother-in-law works at Shaw and has privileges, so I rarely need to.

“What?! $16 per ticket?” My jaw dropped in disbelief. Clearly, I was out of touch with current movie prices.

I first heard about “Ne Zha 2” from my wife three weeks ago. She had seen a Chinese influencer recommend it on Facebook.

“Let’s go,” I mentioned casually.

“No free passes this time, so we’ll have to pay,” she said. “Sixteen dollars each.”

“What?! $16 per ticket?”

That was three weeks ago.

In the meantime, the film broke numerous box office records, becoming the highest-grossing animated film globally and the first animated movie to cross the $2 billion mark.

I was getting curious.

If the distributors refused to offer promotions or discounts, “There must be something to it. What am I missing out on?” I thought.

“Why don’t we go catch “Ne Zha 2” later?” I suggested to my wife.

Curiosity—and the fear of missing out (FOMO)—won. Two of the most powerful motivators in selling.

I parted with $48, something I hadn’t done in years.

The film? Not bad. Not bad at all.

I’m a caffeine addict, and my daily coffee fix is non-negotiable. I used to patronize this small coffee stall in Tanjong...
20/03/2025

I’m a caffeine addict, and my daily coffee fix is non-negotiable.

I used to patronize this small coffee stall in Tanjong Pagar and there was always a queue of at least 6 person in front of me every morning.

But last September, the stall raised its price from $1.50 to $2.20, touting a reusable “better” disposable cup as the reason.

The result? The queue disappeared—and so did I, choosing the stall opposite instead.

Why would I want to keep 5 disposable cups every week. Soon, I would have a mountain of cups filling up my cupboards. So, this “added value” is worthless to me.

I’m ALL for price increase for businesses. It’s the easiest and most impactful way to increase profits.

So, kudos to this stall for daring to do it. But, there are better ways of doing it.

Businesses fear losing customers when they raise prices, but the real question is:
how many customers can you afford to lose, and will the extra profit offset it? Will it be a net gain or lost?

Just increasing price alone won’t work well. Always seek to add value and there must be a perceived increase in value felt by your consumer for that extra charge.

Price hikes need thoughtfulness and there are clever strategies to present value in a way that resonates with consumers.

At the end of the day, customers decide if your added value justifies the extra cost.

There’s only one way to find out —test it.

What’s wrong with this sentence? (Circled in red)One guest, Stella, had an amazing meal this evening and would like to p...
07/03/2025

What’s wrong with this sentence? (Circled in red)

One guest, Stella, had an amazing meal this evening and would like to place a reservation again in May.

Stella WhatsApped my Guest Experience Director, A, and this is the screenshot.

I told A to remove the phrase circled in red for future correspondence. So what’s wrong?

Here’s the thing…

It’s not your customer’s job to make your job easier.

The way to rephrase is to show the benefit for them, not for us.

Then they will be happily smiling as they do it.

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