Yeoh Siew Hoon checks out a new salad bar started by the father and son team of Daniel and Adrien Desbaillets.
Daniel Desbaillets (right) and his son, Adrien, in business together
In the last few years, I have seen several hoteliers retire. Some disappear quietly, some leave whimpering, some leave fighting and then return to a similar job, still others leave and return, re-energised and taking on a new form.
Take Daniel Desbaillets, the man who was president of InterContinental Hotels Group in the 90s and who then went on to work with owner hotel groups including Millennium & Copthorne and TLC Group of Thailand.
Daniel has teamed up with his Cornell-educated son, Adrien, to start a group of salad bars in Singapore called SALADSTOP!
The first one opened in Marina Square (#02-06 between One Raffles Link and the Marina bridge) and I attended the opening early this month with hotelier friend, Michel Geday. Daniel was his usual hospitable self – he’s a second generation hotelier, he was born in a hotel room after all – and kept bringing us item after item to taste.
SALADSTOP! at Marina Square
“I came for a light, healthy meal,” said Michel, but he couldn’t stop himself from trying the Hungarian Ghoulash which he pronounced “absolutely delicious”. Then he tried the Tandoori Chicken Wrap, which he also polished off without effort. “Very good.”
Then together we tried a few salads – the real reason for us being there, after all. Knowing my penchant for Thai salads, Daniel offered me the Thai noodle salad (yum woon sen) – very tasty, the right tanginess – and the Thai papaya salad – very good as well, crunchy and flavoursome. These come from the “takeaway” section where you can grab and go.
I then went to the salad bar (pictured left) and found myself at a loss. The bar is decked with a vast array of salad items and all kinds of dressings. Everything looks good and fresh. You can create your own salad and choose your own dressing, or you can order from the menu which offers creations such as Oh Crab Lah!, Hail Caesar, Jai Ho!, Go Geisha, B-Aware and Big Bird.
I opted for Go Geisha simply because I liked the name. The combination of crunchy snow peas and soft tofu, with a sesame-based dressing, is perfect.
So how does it feel to be an entrepreneur after such a long time in the corporate world, I asked Daniel, after I had eaten more than I should.
“Wonderful, it’s so fulfilling to work with my son,” said Daniel, his eyes glowing with pride. The father and son do make a good team. Where Dad is bouncing with energy, Son is pretty cool – greeting customers and explaining what’s on offer in a low-key manner.
Daniel and Adrien decided on a salad bar concept because they felt there were not enough places in Singapore offering a good choice of salads. Fresh, fun and fabulous, they call their salads.
Pictured right: The fridge containing takeaways
But they both know it is a tough and competitive industry. Rents are high, staff are hard to come by and customers are fickle and demanding. Yet that hasn’t prevented the father and son team from planning their expansion – they will have three outlets by January next year.
Food & beverage is not new to Daniel of course. He’s opened a few restaurants within hotels in his time. The processes and disciplines are similar, he says, just that now he’s doing it on his own and the money, well, it’s his own.
“That makes things very different, of course,” he laughs. “But it’s exciting and challenging and,” looking over at his son, “rewarding”
• Photos courtesy of SALADSTOP!
