Meet William, the visionary co-founder of Palapa, a restaurant dedicated to bringing the rich and vibrant flavours of authentic Indonesian fast food to Singapore. With a deep passion for culinary heritage and a mission to introduce bold and irresistible Indonesian dishes, William has played a pivotal role in crafting a dining experience that captures the essence of Indonesia’s street food culture.
Through carefully curated recipes and a commitment to quality, Palapa continues to delight customers seeking a taste of tradition with modern convenience.
What inspired you to start Palapa and why did you choose to focus on Indonesian fast food?
First of all, because both of us are Indonesian—Timothy, who is the lead partner and one of the co-owners, and me—we run the operation. We saw that while the Philippines has Jollibee and other countries have strong fast-food brands, Indonesia doesn’t have a strong fast-food brand yet.
Eventually, our vision is to create a globally recognised Indonesian fast-food brand. Personally, I also enjoy cooking, which is why the food business seemed interesting to me.
How do you ensure authenticity in your dishes while catering to diverse customer preferences?
Since we’re Indonesian, the recipes come from us, which ensures authenticity. We try as much as possible to stay true to the recipes. We also implement strict SOPs because, in F&B, people tend to take shortcuts after being in the business for a long time, but we don’t want that.
As a new brand, we want customers to know us for quality. Many recipes come from my mother and my partner’s family, ensuring they remain authentic.
What are some unique challenges you have faced, and how do you navigate them?
One challenge is that we don’t come from an F&B background. We’re just home cooks with aspirations, so the learning curve was steep. We have a partner who acts as an advisor and guided us before we opened to the public. We spent a month training to finalise proper SOPs and learn how to scale from cooking for one person to cooking for a hundred people a day.
Another challenge is that some menu names can be off-putting to Singaporeans. For instance, we sell coriander fried chicken, and many Singaporeans initially react negatively because they assume it uses coriander leaves. We have to explain that we use coriander seeds instead. We’ve also engaged food bloggers to help explain these distinctions to their audiences.
Additionally, because our food is unique, customers can be hesitant to try it due to unfamiliarity. Lime rice and coriander chicken aren’t mainstream yet, so we need to keep overcoming that challenge until we build a strong customer base.
What role does Indonesian culture play in shaping the brand and identity of Palapa?
Our company name, Palapa, is inspired by Indonesian history. If Indonesians went through formal education, they would know the “Palapa Oath.” About 700 years ago, an empire grew from a small region to encompass much of the modern Indonesian archipelago, including parts of Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, and Thailand.
The prime minister at that time vowed not to rest or enjoy good food until he achieved the goal of unifying the archipelago, and he succeeded. Because of this historical significance, the Indonesian government named its first communication satellite in the 1970s “Palapa.”
There’s also an underwater sea cable project called the “Palapa Green Project.” The identity of Palapa symbolises unity and growth, which aligns with our company’s vision. That’s why we named and branded our company this way.
One challenge is that we don’t come from an F&B background. We’re just home cooks with aspirations, so the learning curve was steep.
Can you share your signature dish at Palapa and its special meaning for you?
Our signature dish and bestseller is coriander fried chicken with lime rice. Lime rice is cooked with herbs and lime leaves, not the lime fruit. My late father loved lime rice, and my mother often cooked it in larger batches to share with his friends.
This dish holds a special place in our hearts. The coriander fried chicken recipe also comes from my mother. Fried food is replicable as fast food, so we thought this combination would make a great signature dish.
What strategies have you implemented to stand out in Singapore’s competitive food scene?
To stand out, we maintain high food quality because if the quality is good, customers will return. Our food is unique, which we hope attracts customers. Lime rice and coriander fried chicken are dishes you probably won’t find elsewhere in Singapore.
We also do marketing and promotions to stay relatable and keep costs low to ensure sustainability even during challenging times.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for Palapa’s growth, and do you envision expanding into other markets?
This year, we want to expand by finding franchisees who have tried our food and are interested in the F&B business with an established service system. We’ve been around for a few months and have solid SOPs in place. Growth and opening more outlets are part of our direction.
Expanding into other markets is also in our vision. Interestingly, we probably won’t expand into Indonesia because there’s no point in selling Indonesian food there, given the many great options already exist. We want to be unique in other markets.
Where do you see yourself, and what’s your vision for Singapore in the next five years?
For myself, I see my role as contributing to Palapa’s growth and pushing through challenges. I also hope to create job opportunities for more Singaporeans. Palapa will be my main focus moving forward.
For Singapore, we want to be recognised as a strong Indonesian brand. When people think of good Indonesian food, they should think of Palapa. Hopefully, within the next five years, we’ll have outlets across various locations, making us easily accessible. It’s a big dream, but we’ll work towards it.
Connect with William: Instagram and Facebook.
