Latest news with #Ponderosa
Vancouver Sun
24-05-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Anthony Gismondi: A visit to Martin's Lane Winery to taste their 2022 Pinot noirs
Martin's Lane Winery, one of the biggest success stories in Canadian wine, inconspicuously blends into the slopes of South Kelowna. To the untrained eye, it's a winery on a hillside. To the observant, you notice that the winery's roofline matches the angle of its sloping vineyards surrounding it. At the same time, the tasting area, offices and ancillary rooms run level with the lake line — think details. The winery's exterior, rusty orange and brown, matches the Ponderosa pine trees that dot the landscape. Inside, it is a marvel of simplicity and style. It has six levels that operate without a single pump and various vats to accommodate any single lot of fruit size that arrives at the winery. Discover the best of B.C.'s recipes, restaurants and wine. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of West Coast Table will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. It takes a lot of discipline to work organically in the vineyards and even more restraint to do less when the fruit gets to the winery. Winemaker Shane Munn and his team meticulously inspect each bunch at the crush pad, then follow a minimal intervention approach until bottling. It's the only way to express the winery's focus on single vineyards and blocks that tell the story of where they originate from, Northern Naramata to West and East Kelowna. I caught up with Munn last week to taste his 2022 Pinot noirs, a vintage that he and many other Okanagan winemakers are ecstatic about. It is the most significant harvest since the wildfire smoke in '23, and a devastating deep freeze in '24. But back to 2022. Munn says, 'It's nearly as perfect a vintage as I have worked. The fall saved the vintage, turning an average to good vintage, into a great vintage. It gave us quality, but it also gave us volume, which gave us a chance to break out some new single-block wines because every vineyard gave us multiple ferments for the first time.' We began with the Dehart Vineyard Pinot Noir from Kelowna, the most accessible in 2022. That said, Munn's pinots sit at or about 13 per cent alcohol and have an elegance and drinkability that makes them highly attractive. Next, we headed to the north end of the Naramata Bench, some 42 kilometres south of Dehart, to taste the three very different pinots. In all, seven blocks go into the Naramata Ranch label, while the two single-block offerings — Zenith and Hieroglyph — are bottle separately, reflecting a more classic Pinot style with some mineral undertones. The third vintage of Zenith, a marginal site and always the last picked of all the Pinot sites, is as unique a plot as there is in B.C. Munn used 100 per cent whole bunch fruit this year, pursuing a high level of perfume. Still, at just under 20 years old and organically certified since 2019, what really makes it unique is that the site influence has begun to overpower the clonal influence. Hieroglyph is an all-Pommard clone and the most Oregon-like of all the Martin's Lane labels. It has the tannin of the Dehart, albeit chalkier and more refined, and the vivid fruit pitches dark cherry and cranberry fruit reminiscent of the West Kelowna Fritzi's Pinot. Next up in East Kelowna are Simes Vineyard and the new single-block Transcendence. Simes is a fresher, cooler version of Pinot, reminiscent of a lower-alcohol version of Central Otago style. Transcendence is a single plot inside Simes planted at twice the surrounding density. The result is a huge Pinot Noir reminiscent of the power of some of Burgundy's top Pommards. We finished with Fritzi's Vineyard just off the road up to Mission Hill. It is named after owner Anthony von Mandl's mother and has consistently been the best wine of most vintages. The older vines power this wine beneath an elegant surface of rich, brooding fruit. It is all about the details. You will find extensive notes on all these wines at . While expensive, these wines attract high-end travellers to B.C., who spend a lot of money in the wine country. Sorry, Mr. Trump, but we do have something America needs. But you, like everybody else, will have to join the club to buy most of the Martin's Lane offerings. $26.99 I 88/100 UPC: 726452017136 We like the consistency this sparkler displays from year to year. It is an 85/15 mix of Glera and Pinot Noir, grown over rock and clay. The addition of bubbles via the secondary fermentation, or Charmat method, is completed in a stainless steel pressure tank for two months. The colour is an attractive pale pink. The bubbles are relatively fine for Prosecco, and the flavours are a pleasant mix of fruity wild berries and black cherries that finish fresh and just off-dry — sold by select private retailers only. $13.99 I 87/100 UPC: 6001506900355 This is a Sauvignon Blanc that focuses on the tropical side. The nose and palate mix passion fruit, guava and ripe pineapple, with a gentle swish of citrus and grass and a pleasant bump of residual sugar. Soft acidity invites you to chill it well and serve it on a warm patio all summer. It's the anti-New Zealand style at a giveaway price. We like it with any spicy dishes, especially sushi. $18.99 I 88/100 UPC: 628055147732 Pristine Sauvignon was grown in Washington State's Horse Heaven Hills AVA, Columbia Valley at McNary Vineyard. The rest is all Bartier. Fresh, precise, zippy, clean and the winery suggests you put a second bottle in the fridge. We like the subtle gooseberry, fresh-cut pears and green apples splashed with citrus. Goat cheese and a patio are all you need. Love the price. $21.49 I 88/100 UPC: 696852145374 Poplar Grove has created a much fresher, more interesting, zippy version of Washington Sauvignon Blanc than most American versions. It is palate-cleansing and food-friendly but without an aggressive acidity. The mix of pear and grapefruit with a dash of minerality lends a drinkability that will attract a crowd on a summer patio. $29.00 I 89/100 UPC: 696852189774 In Washington State's Yakima Valley, Den Hoed Vineyard is the source of this replacement wine made at Spearhead Winery, winner of the WineAlign 2024 National Winery of the Year award. The wine is clean and fresh with that Spearhead purity. Subtle gooseberry and passion fruit notes mix with grapefruit, lime zest, and some light phenolic notes. The winery likes this with a Thai green papaya salad, and fresh chèvre or feta cheese. • The Terrace Restaurant at Mission Hill Family Estate is open for the season, continuing to spotlight ingredients harvested just steps from the kitchen. The estate's expanded botanical program now features a rotation of edible flowers and culinary herbs, and an enhanced in-house charcuterie program. All the dishes complement Mission Hill's wines and reflect the estate's commitment to seasonal cooking. This year's dinner menu allows guests to choose a three-course rotating menu paired with two estate-made wines ($99 per person) or the signature five-course Chef's Tasting Menu with wine pairings for each course ($195 per person). Lunch service is a curated two-course menu with estate wines ($70 per person). Beginning June 1, dinner service is seven days a week, while lunch continues from Thursday to Monday until June 23, when lunch and dinner will be available seven days a week. Reservations are strongly recommended via OpenTable . • I have long wondered about wines by the glass poured behind the bar and not at the table. The Drinks Business Daily News reports staff at Parisian restaurants anonymously told Le Parisien that they were swapping out wines ordered by some customers for less expensive ones. According to the report, their bosses instructed servers in Paris bars, particularly in tourist spots, to make the switch to protect their margins. An undercover investigation into the claims found that at one venue, an €8.50 glass of Chablis had the characteristics of a Sauvignon Blanc. Elsewhere, a €7.50 glass of Sancerre on the list tasted more like a generic Sauvignon Blanc in the glass. Servers told the French outlet that their bosses regularly instructed them to serve a different wine than that which was ordered, so as not to open a new bottle of a more expensive label and risk wastage. $26.99 I 89/100 UPC: 00063657031513 Winemaker Jason Jones characterized 2021 as 'a great year for BSV.' It is a savoury, leafy, black and red fruited wine, with a richness that belies its warm vineyard site. The textures are soft, with strong notes of baking spices mixed with sweet vanilla and light tannins. At 14.5 per cent alcohol, it is easy to sip for a red and tailor-made for barbecue meats all summer. $17.00 I 88/100 UPC: 083085611293 Veramonte Sauvignon reflects the cool Casablanca valley, pitching herbaceous notes with lime leaf and green pepper notes. On the palate, green apples, some garlic lees, citrus and gentle herbal notes line the wine from front to back. It finishes clean and with some persistence. Veramonte is committed to sustainable viticulture, and this wine is certified organic. The classic match is goat cheese or perhaps a favourite ceviche dish.
Buzz Feed
18-05-2025
- General
- Buzz Feed
People Share Major Generational Shifts In Parenting Trends
Like all things, childraising trends differ from generation to generation. If you have children of your own, chances are your parenting techniques have been influenced (for better or for worse) by the way you were raised by your own parents. Here, they explain some of the major differences between modern day parents and the previous generation of parents. "A lot of boomers took note of their kids' weaknesses and put them in situations to correct them, whether that he clubs or sports or whatever. I feel as though today a kid's weakness is 'just who they are,' and what could be dealt with early and easily is turning into massive anxiety by their teenage years." —Woodit "My parents were young Boomers, both born in the very late 50s, and I was born in '83, and my biggest gripe with parents my age today is they seem to just be dragging the kids along for whatever adults-only event they want to go to. Children don't belong in breweries or wineries, and I'll die 1000x on that hill..." "...Activities were very kid-focused in the '80s and '90s. Parks were free, whole restaurant chains existed solely for family-friendly dining (Ground Round, Ponderosa, Friendly's, etc.), and I was rarely dragged to adult events."—ImperatorRomanum83 "I don't have any children of my own, but I was over at a friend's house recently who has two little ones, and he and his wife are actively involved playing, reading, and interacting with their kids, and do so every day. It made me look back at my childhood, and I don't recall either one of my parents really playing with my brother or me when we were little..." ".... Sure, we had toys, but as a little kid and as an adolescent, we were pretty much on our own to entertain ourselves or with friends in the neighborhood. I didn't learn how to read until the first grade, and don't recall my mom ever reading to us each night before bed either. I'm 40 years old now, and really, when I look back at my parents, it's almost like I don't have this giant emotional attachment to them. They were great providers. Mom worked part-time later on in my life, but was more like a maid, cook, laundry housewife, and dad worked full-time. He would at least play catch or shoot pool with my brother and me. Any emotional issues were pretty much non-existent. I still shake my dad's hand today as a hug, it's seen as 'not manly' in his eyes. Consequently, neither my brother nor I speaks much to our parents. Saying 'love you' at the end of phone calls is still very odd. I never saw my parents even so much as hold hands or show much affection towards each other ever."—quell3245 "I won't be a helicopter parent in the way my own parents were. As a child who was sheltered, my parents would always intervene, and I became way too reliant on them. It wasn't until my mid-20s that someone helped me realize what was happening, and I had to relearn how to live on my own. Sure, my parents did what they thought was best, but it backfired on me later in life. I'm still in the process of figuring out what it means to be independent and how to fight for myself." "I don't talk about my weight with my kids. My mom always called herself fat and made negative remarks about her body. She was definitely not fat, and still has an eating disorder. It definitely affected the way my sisters and I see ourselves. I do not have an eating disorder, but one of my sisters definitely does. When I brought it up to my parents, they saw nothing wrong with her behavior because that is how my mom always acted." —Thasira "My parents are silent generation. One thing I very intentionally have never done is answer 'why do I have to' with 'because I said so.' I hated this as a kid. I give my kids several reasons why, and if they can give a cogent argument otherwise, I listen and may come up with alternative solutions." —DelightfulWitches "The world of 'let kids be kids' is gone. If a child shows an interest in anything, then that is now that kid's be-all and end-all. Do you like hockey? You're on a travel team, year-round. When you're not on the soccer travel team. But, it's also possible that my (Gen X) generation's experiences that allowed us creativity and imagination were the inevitable result of neglect. 'Go outside and play! I don't want you back in this house until dinner' was NOT an uncommon thing for anyone my age to hear." —MrValdemar "I hit my kids once out of frustration. I saw her looking at me with frightened eyes, and told myself I would never use physical punishment ever again, and haven't. I don't know how my parents thought that beating was acceptable. Spanking or slapping was normal if a ruler or belt couldn't be found. I've tried to talk to them, and they just say 'it was acceptable at the time' and take no responsibility for their choices. I think that's what millennials do differently. We think and take responsibility for our choices." —forge_anvil_smith "We got so obsessed with the mistakes that boomer parents made that we're going too far in the other direction. One of my biggest issues is that millennial parents take zero accountability. There are countless studies about iPad kids and relying too much on screens, and yet you'll hear from countless parents making excuses like they're 'overwhelmed' and they help stop their kids 'disregardation.' And way too many have only one person in the room syndrome. Yes, you and your kid have every right to exist, but so does everyone else. And we can be really lacking in discipline. Previous generations might've been too hard, but we're way too soft." —AwarenessEconomy8842 "My parents forced me into their interests and never allowed me to engage with my actual interests because they were 'stupid.' They wouldn't even take me to the library to check out books except for special occasions, like one or two times a year. My mom didn't work, and we literally drove by the library several times a week." —randomly-what "I feel like many of our parents simply didn't know what they were doing. Some were genuinely trying their best, others didn't even try. They just had children because everyone had children. Now, most people give it a thought at least. And many decide against it." "I'm genX, grew up in the '70s and '80s, LOVED soccer, played it from age 8 to 18 and beyond… my mother came to one game, my father none. And this was true for all of my friends, too; the sidelines were always empty. I felt horrible when I missed one of my son's games when he was playing, and I just couldn't understand the boomer mindset. Truly the 'me' generation." —WhisperToARiot "My parents never gave me compliments. If I had great grades, nothing. If I did something kind/good/challenging, nothing. They'd only tell me what they didn't like or what I could change. So I want to do the opposite." "I read an article once where a woman said, 'I didn't help my kids if it was something they could do on their own.' It kind of stuck with me. My parents weren't perfect, but they did this, too, and I became a more prepared adult because of it. So, I do the same with my daughter. If she falls, I let her pick herself back up. I only intervene if she isn't safe or truly stuck. Otherwise, she's good at problem-solving and figuring stuff out." —Anonymous "Parents today never let their children be bored. When my daughter complained about boredom, I gave her some chores. She learned to embrace boredom, which is not entirely a bad thing." —Virginia, 79 "The media has scared today's parents to death. Even those of us who know reports of abductions are overblown feel pressured to hover over our kids because that has become the norm. When I was a kid, I wandered all over the neighborhood from an early age, and as soon as I learned to ride a bike, I wandered even farther. And I didn't have a cell phone I could use to check in. There were a couple of times when, due to a miscommunication, my parents didn't know where I was and worried about me. But they never stopped me from wandering, and all the other kids did it, too." —wjbc "For me, the biggest difference in mentality is that I'm helping my kids develop into the adults they are meant to be. I'm not here to control them so that they are like me. My kids are not copies of me. They will like different things. They will dislike different things." —HillyjoKokoMo "They had them so YOUNG too. I'm just now pregnant with my first at 38, and I can't imagine handling a small human just learning how to regulate its emotions when I was 20 and also learning how to regulate my emotions. Boomer family members warned against having kids later in life because you have less energy to keep up.... but honestly, I'd rather my kid has to deal with a mom that's occasionally dragging due to age, than a dysreflexed barely-not-a-child trying to raise them." "Both my parents worked when I was young. I was encouraged to be outside, not to be out of their hair, but to develop interpersonal relationships and skills. Even in the winter, I had to stay inside due to extreme cold or bad weather, but I'd be able to have a couple of friends over. Other than that, I was outside with friends. My parents taught me the value of hard work by example and by taking me with them. Now I see my grandchildren sitting in the house, playing those stupid games and not playing with kids their own age, developing all the skills their father and I did growing up…. I find that not just my issue, but a societal problem as well…" —Bob 68 "Our generation is better about involved parenting, especially fathers. My dad essentially was an inert, and so many other dads in his generation were the same. Dads now seem to be stepping up big time, so much so that certain culture warriors are whinging nastily about it." —throwawayfromPA1701 "We are very gentle parents because the boomers were rough and sometimes even bullies. We don't want to be the first bullies in our children's lives. As a result, we are too soft and need to find balance. I can't watch my daughter cry." —eneri008 Do you have something to add? As a parent, what is something you have decided to do the same or differently from the generation before you? Or, if you have grandkids, what is something different about the way your kids are raising kids of their own? Tell us in the comments or in this anonymous form.
AsiaOne
18-05-2025
- Business
- AsiaOne
Tastemakers: How Aston Soon went from being a hawker to owner of 37 restaurants, Lifestyle News
SINGAPORE - When Aston Soon opened Astons Specialties in a corner coffee shop in East Coast Road in 2005, he did so with some urgency. His wife was six months pregnant with their first child. Then 33, Soon had worked at a dog breeding farm and helped a friend set up a cafe. None of these jobs moved him. But Soon, who stopped schooling after Secondary 5, had worked at two American chains - steak and salad brand Ponderosa and roast chicken brand Kenny Rogers - from age 17 to 32. With $40,000 from his own savings and loans from friends, he opened Astons Specialties. Its good-quality steaks, at down-to-earth prices starting at under $10 with sides, resonated with customers. Before the year-long lease was up, he had to look for a bigger space. He found it two doors down. Queues started forming as word spread. Then the malls started calling. He started opening and opening. Now, as the brand marks its 20th anniversary, the 53-year-old has 37 restaurants. While Astons is very much associated with well-priced, good-quality steaks, the group also runs Japanese and Chinese restaurants. There is even a shop in Joo Chiat called East Treasure Speciality Prawn Noodle. Soon also has a five-storey, 50,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Senoko that makes ready-to-eat meals, and can manufacture sauces and other products, and a catering arm called Jaz Catering. It all grew from one coffee-shop stall. Others have tried to do the same. Why did he succeed? He says: "I threw myself in totally." Independent streak By his own admission, Soon did not see the point of going to school. He was happier working odd jobs. He started at age seven, helping his mother peddle huat kueh and other steamed cakes near Old Airport Road Market. He was the second of five children, and lived with his family in Guillemard Road. His father ran a construction firm and later became a taxi driver, and his mother was a homemaker. "Working let me meet a lot of people, learn a lot of things," he says. "I enjoyed this freedom to decide what I wanted to do." His odd job stints included working in a coffee factory, serving kopi, working in a duck rice stall and selling Christmas cards door-to-door. "By Secondary 5, I stopped buying textbooks," the Chung Cheng High School (Branch) student says. "My school bag had my pager and work uniform. Very often, I attended classes in the morning and would sneak out during recess to go to work." Somehow, he says he does not know how, he scored five credits for the O levels. He did not bother to collect his results and found out only when a friend told him he had passed. "I couldn't believe my eyes," he said, adding that he applied to several polytechnics, but was not accepted. Private school courses in interior design and computing did not stick either. So, he applied for early enlistment in national service and completed it in 1991. A part-time job at Ponderosa at 17 became a full-time one, and he was able to work as a waiter, dishwasher and broiler cook. He rose to become a supervisor and then a manager, and went over to Kenny Rogers, where he served as restaurant manager until he quit in 2003. He then went to work at a dog breeding farm and helped set up his friend's cafe. At the age of 32, he married his former colleague LiLi Ng, who is now 45. A cut above When Astons opened in 2005, in the same East Coast coffee shop that later launched the Saveur brand in 2011, Soon outfitted the stall with second-hand equipment - fridge, fryer, griddle and char broiler. He did all the cooking. From dealing with suppliers at Ponderosa and Kenny Rogers, he was able to convince a large company, Indoguna, to supply him with good-quality meat from Australia and New Zealand. It still supplies his group to this day. Soon wanted to set himself apart from Western food stalls in hawker centres, with their thin pork chops and baked beans. At Astons, a 180g striploin from New Zealand with two side dishes cost $9.50. Customers could pick from fries, potato wedges, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, vegetables, coleslaw and pasta salad, among other side dishes. "I wanted to provide restaurant-quality Western food in a coffee shop," he says. "This proved to be good for us. We were so different." Lamb chops from Australia, the tender T-bone cut, cost $14.90 a serving. He says: "One day, an uncle came up and told me it was very expensive. I told him I'd cook it for him. If he liked it, he could pay me. He ate it and gladly paid me the $14.90." His first customer, though, ran up a much bigger - $76.80 - bill. She was Lyn Lee, founder of the Awfully Chocolate brand. Lee, 51, who had an Awfully Chocolate store across the street where I12 Katong mall is now, remembers how Soon came to introduce himself before he opened. "So, we made sure we were there to support him on opening day," she says, adding that she put up a copy of his menu, so her staff could order in their meals from Astons. "He was so industrious and hardworking, he would deliver their meals to the store." "He's the nicest, most humble, down-to-earth person," she says. "We only have nice things to say about him and are so proud of what he has achieved." Those were back-breaking days because he did the cooking, with help from his wife, mother-in-law and sisters-in-law. He says: "One friend, who owned a gym nearby, contacted me recently and reminded me how I used to squat in the alley with a cigarette in my hand while taking a nap. I worked from 11.30 to 3am, then rode my bike home to Woodlands. So, if there was time for a break, I would squat and sleep." That friend, Muhammad Latif, 52, says: "One time, he almost fell into a drain. That guy is very hardworking. On the day his wife gave birth, he asked me to watch the stall for two hours while he went to see her. He was a one-man-operation. And he is still so humble." He is now a businessman, but used to own Body Craft Fitness near the coffee shop, and would order chicken and fish meals from Soon. He says he recommended his gym buddies and students, too, and Astons would customise low-carb meals for them before body-building competitions. Astons was a cut above in other ways too. Soon decided to do deliveries to nearby pubs and dropped his menu off at those establishments. One night, a pub customer called to order garlic bread. He told the man to give him some time, then walked the $1.20 order over to the pub. Soon recalls: "He said, 'Wah, $1.20 you also come all the way.' I said it wasn't about the money, it was about him wanting to try my food. Things just went wild. Many pubs started to order." He stocked up on chicken wings, nuggets and fries. But his pub customers started ordering the expensive stuff - steaks. "I asked a bouncer why, because nugget orders would be easier for me," he says. "He told me the men were buying meals for the hostesses. 'You think they will order nuggets?'" One time, a pub customer ordered 60 meals from Astons. He delivered them in batches of 20, riding them there on a bike. Other customers, not just pub denizens, soon found Astons. Because he was working for himself and wanted to represent himself "the right way", he checked on customers, asking for their feedback. If something was not right, he would fix it on the spot. A nearby church ordered meals regularly from him on weekends, and people celebrating birthdays and anniversaries started turning up. One couple, he says, requested wagyu steaks. He special-ordered a 300g Australian wagyu for them, pricing it at $54. They and other satisfied customers spread the word. "I was very blessed," he says. "I was supported by a lot of people." Growth spurt Most of the tables in that coffee shop were taken by his customers, to the consternation of other hawkers there. He found a bigger place for Astons two doors down. "I saw it and felt that the place was waiting for me, I'd better act fast," he says. "I called the agent, asked about the rent, and told him to come and pick up the cheque." In June 2006, the restaurant opened. The 1,500 sq ft space could seat 40 and stayed open until 2am. Eight months later, he took over an adjoining unit to add more seats. "We would get a full house at 1am," he says. "People knew we were open till late." His 180g striploins then sold for about $11. The long queues for them soon drew the attention of landlords. One of them was Cathay Organisation. It wanted an Astons in its Handy Road mall, The Cathay. Soon says: "I was very honoured. I never dreamt of going to Orchard Road, but I told the team I couldn't afford the rent. They came back and gave me a very comfortable rate to start with. I just want to say I appreciated the goodwill." And so his first restaurant in town opened in 2007. "We took over a cafe on the fourth floor. It was like a ghost town. I got worried. But surprisingly, we had queues. And security kept coming up to tell people not to block the escalator." He opened yet more restaurants, funding each with revenue from the business and a loan from his father-in-law. His wife became the operations manager for the group. Soon developed new market segments for his steakhouses, categorising them, in his mind, like plane seat classes. For example, Astons Specialties, with 11 restaurants now, is economy class. Astons Prime, launched in 2007 and with one restaurant in Joo Chiat, is premium economy. The Ranch Steakhouse & Bar, launched in 2018 and with one restaurant in Purvis Street, is business class. Economies of scale allow him to keep prices sane. A 180g Prime Sirloin Steak at Astons Specialties is priced at $20.90 and comes with two side dishes. There is also the more casual Astons Steak & Salad, launched in 2015, with three restaurants; and the halal Andes by Astons, launched in 2016, with nine restaurants. The group now serves beef from Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, the United States and Japan, importing about 150 tonnes a year. Its stable includes Bizen Okayama Wagyu Steakhouse, launched in 2018, with three restaurants, including at Bugis Village. These restaurants import entire carcasses, and showcase how flavourful secondary cuts of Japanese beef can be. Prices start at $20.50 for a 150g steak (round cut), with two side dishes, and a 150g tenderloin is priced at $40.50. He also has two butcheries, Ginkakuji Onishi in Tembeling Road and West Coast Plaza, a joint venture with Ginkakuji Onishi, a reputable beef supplier in Kyoto. The fried chicken aficionado started in 2014 because he was unable to find the fried chicken of his dreams. He developed a recipe using fresh, not frozen, chicken, opting for larger birds from Malaysia. They come to Singapore live, and are slaughtered here and delivered to the restaurants. There are three restaurants, including one at Sembawang Shopping Centre. He says: "The chicken I want to present is juicy, tender and served hot. The freshest fried chicken you can ever get." Because he wants to stick to his principles, he adds that waiting time can sometimes be longer. Other restaurants in the stable include Aji Ichi Sushi Bar at Changi Airport Terminal 4 and Tempura Bar at SingPost Centre, both of which opened in 2023. There are also three outlets under the East Treasure Chinese Restaurant brand, which launched in 2018, serving 60-hour dry-aged roast duck. Global presence To call Soon low-key would be an understatement. He turns up for the interview at Astons Prime in Joo Chiat Road dressed in a polo shirt and khakis, both dark grey. There is no flashy watch. He helps his staff position a wine barrel and prop cow at the front of the restaurant, for photographs he will appear in. He and his wife, who have three children aged 14, 17 and 19, live in a semi-detached house in Loyang. After the interview, he invites this reporter to a late lunch of prawn noodles at his East Treasure Speciality Prawn Noodle, a short walk away from the steak restaurant. This is how he prefers to eat - chicken rice, fishball noodles, chye png or economy rice, with kopi. "I rarely go to high-end restaurants. I go to coffee shops for local fare most of the time." He laughs when asked if he plays golf. "Golf? I have no time for golf," he says. "When I have free time, I spend it with my family and I cook." He enjoys cooking steak at home and favours the zabuton cut, or the chuck flap, prized for its tenderness and flavour. But his repertoire includes curry, noodles and stirfries. Cooking has been a passion of his from a young age, when he would read cookbooks to make dishes like steamed fish. What he does devote time to is working on the future of the Astons brand. He and his wife lead the company. She oversees the factory operations and administration, including human resource and finance. He takes care of business development and restaurant operations. "I'm the striker, she's the goalkeeper," he says. He wants to develop the ready-to-eat meals and catering wings of his business. He wants more of a global presence and is looking to open in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Brunei. There are already eight franchised Astons Specialties overseas - two in Myanmar, three in Malaysia, three in the Philippines - and an East Treasure which opened in 2024 in Osaka, a joint venture with Kyoto beef supplier Ginkakuji Onishi. Despite being burnt badly and losing $2.2 million when he opened a steakhouse in Foshan, Guangdong province, in 2015, only to close it two years later, Soon does not rule out opening more restaurants in China, if he can find a good partner. "I did not understand the culture of the business, the people and the lifestyle," he says. "Every city in China is like a country of its own. Doing business there was very eye-opening for me. They can get anything done with a snap of the fingers. Right or wrong is not the question." One example he cites is how at his restaurant, some steaks were flambeed with Jack Daniel's bourbon. Restaurants started copying the move, using baijiu. He is also going deeper in engaging his 600 full- and part-time employees, to understand and meet their needs. After all, he was once just like them, working to make a living. When he visits his restaurants and spots issues, he deals with them and even does "a bit of counselling". He says: "It's my responsibility. I try and understand their expectations and communicate what our expectations are. I've always believed we all have a common objective - to earn money, to be recognised, to be happy, to be comfortable. "I want to lay it all out, what we can do to meet their we can't hire people, we'd better think about how to retain people." He has come a long way from the rebellious kid who skipped school to work, who quit a comfortable restaurant manager job to leap into the unknown. What would he tell some starry-eyed newbie looking to grow a hawker stall into a restaurant empire? "Can you afford to lose? What is the impact of you losing? You must have an entry and exit strategy." ALSO READ: 'The menu is a reflection of us': Singaporean woman and American husband open restaurant selling soul food This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
Straits Times
17-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Tastemakers: How Aston Soon went from being a hawker to owner of 37 restaurants
Mr Aston Soon had worked at two American chains – Ponderosa and Kenny Rogers – from the age of 17 to 32. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY Tastemakers: How Aston Soon went from being a hawker to owner of 37 restaurants SINGAPORE – When Mr Aston Soon opened Astons Specialties in a corner coffee shop in East Coast Road in 2005, he did so with some urgency. His wife was six months pregnant with their first child. Then 33, Mr Soon had worked at a dog breeding farm and helped a friend set up a cafe. None of these jobs moved him. But Mr Soon, who stopped schooling after Secondary 5, had worked at two American chains – steak and salad brand Ponderosa and roast chicken brand Kenny Rogers – from age 17 to 32. With $40,000 from his own savings and loans from friends, he opened Astons Specialties. Its good-quality steaks, at down-to-earth prices starting at under $10 with sides, resonated with customers. Before the year-long lease was up, he had to look for a bigger space. He found it two doors down. Queues started forming as word spread. Then the malls started calling. He started opening and opening. Now, as the brand marks its 20th anniversary, the 53-year-old has 37 restaurants. While Astons is very much associated with well-priced, good-quality steaks, the group also runs Japanese and Chinese restaurants. There is even a shop in Joo Chiat called East Treasure Speciality Prawn Noodle. Mr Soon also has a five-storey, 50,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Senoko that makes ready-to-eat meals, and can manufacture sauces and other products, and a catering arm called Jaz Catering. It all grew from one coffee-shop stall. Others have tried to do the same. Why did he succeed? He says: 'I threw myself in totally.' Independent streak By his own admission, Mr Soon did not see the point of going to school. He was happier working odd jobs. He started at age seven, helping his mother peddle huat kueh and other steamed cakes near Old Airport Road Market. He was the second of five children, and lived with his family in Guillemard Road. His father ran a construction firm and later became a taxi driver, and his mother was a homemaker. 'Working let me meet a lot of people, learn a lot of things,' he says. 'I enjoyed this freedom to decide what I wanted to do.' His odd job stints included working in a coffee factory, serving kopi , working in a duck rice stall and selling Christmas cards door-to-door. 'By Secondary 5, I stopped buying textbooks,' the Chung Cheng High School (Branch) student says. 'My school bag had my pager and work uniform. Very often, I attended classes in the morning and would sneak out during recess to go to work.' Somehow, he says he does not know how, he scored five credits for the O levels. He did not bother to collect his results and found out only when a friend told him he had passed. 'I couldn't believe my eyes,' he said, adding that he applied to several polytechnics, but was not accepted. Private school courses in interior design and computing did not stick either. So, he applied for early enlistment in national service and completed it in 1991. A part-time job at Ponderosa at 17 became a full-time one, and he was able to work as a waiter, dishwasher and broiler cook. He rose to become a supervisor and then a manager, and went over to Kenny Rogers, where he served as restaurant manager until he quit in 2003. He then went to work at a dog breeding farm and helped set up his friend's cafe. At the age of 32, he married his former colleague LiLi Ng, who is now 45. A cut above Astons started as a stall in an East Coast Road coffee shop. PHOTO: ASTONS GROUP When Astons opened in 2005, in the same East Coast coffee shop that later launched the Saveur brand in 2011, Mr Soon outfitted the stall with second-hand equipment – fridge, fryer, griddle and char broiler . He did all the cooking. From dealing with suppliers at Ponderosa and Kenny Rogers, he was able to convince a large company, Indoguna, to supply him with good-quality meat from Australia and New Zealand. It still supplies his group to this day. Mr Soon wanted to set himself apart from Western food stalls in hawker centres, with their thin pork chops and baked beans. At Astons, a 180g striploin from New Zealand with two side dishes cost $9.50. Customers could pick from fries, potato wedges, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, vegetables , coleslaw and pasta salad, among other side dishes. 'I wanted to provide restaurant-quality Western food in a coffee shop,' he says. 'This proved to be good for us. We were so different.' Lamb chops from Australia, the tender T-bone cut, cost $14.90 a serving. He says: 'One day, an uncle came up and told me it was very expensive. I told him I'd cook it for him. If he liked it, he could pay me. He ate it and gladly paid me the $14.90.' His first customer, though, ran up a much bigger – $76.80 – bill. She was Ms Lyn Lee, founder of the Awfully Chocolate brand. Ms Lee, 51, who had an Awfully Chocolate store across the street where I12 Katong mall is now, remembers how Mr Soon came to introduce himself before he opened. 'So, we made sure we were there to support him on opening day,' she says, adding that she put up a copy of his menu, so her staff could order in their meals from Astons. 'He was so industrious and hardworking, he would deliver their meals to the store.' 'He's the nicest, most humble, down-to-earth person,' she says. 'We only have nice things to say about him and are so proud of what he has achieved.' Those were back-breaking days because he did the cooking, with help from his wife, mother-in-law and sisters-in-law. He says: 'One friend, who owned a gym nearby, contacted me recently and reminded me how I used to squat in the alley with a cigarette in my hand while taking a nap. I worked from 11.30 to 3am , then rode my bike home to Woodlands. So, if there was time for a break, I would squat and sleep.' That friend, Mr Muhammad Latif, 52, says: 'One time, he almost fell into a drain. That guy is very hardworking. On the day his wife gave birth, he asked me to watch the stall for two hours while he went to see her. He was a one-man-operation. And he is still so humble.' He is now a businessman, but used to own Body Craft Fitness near the coffee shop, and would order chicken and fish meals from Mr Soon. He says he recommended his gym buddies and students, too, and Astons would customise low-carb meals for them before body-building competitions. Astons was a cut above in other ways too. Mr Soon decided to do deliveries to nearby pubs and dropped his menu off at those establishments. One night, a pub customer called to order garlic bread. He told the man to give him some time, then walked the $1.20 order over to the pub. Mr Soon recalls: 'He said, 'Wah, $1.20 you also come all the way.' I said it wasn't about the money, it was about him wanting to try my food. Things just went wild. Many pubs started to order.' He stocked up on chicken wings, nuggets and fries. But his pub customers started ordering the expensive stuff – steaks. 'I asked a bouncer why, because nugget orders would be easier for me,' he says. 'He told me the men were buying meals for the hostesses. 'You think they will order nuggets?'' One time, a pub customer ordered 60 meals from Astons. He delivered them in batches of 20, riding them there on a bike. Other customers, not just pub denizens, soon found Astons. Because he was working for himself and wanted to represent himself 'the right way', he checked on customers, asking for their feedback. If something was not right, he would fix it on the spot. A nearby church ordered meals regularly from him on weekends, and people celebrating birthdays and anniversaries started turning up. One couple, he says, requested wagyu steaks. He special-ordered a 300g Australian wagyu for them, pricing it at $54. They and other satisfied customers spread the word. 'I was very blessed,' he says. 'I was supported by a lot of people.' Growth spurt Most of the tables in that coffee shop were taken by his customers, to the consternation of other hawkers there. He found a bigger place for Astons two doors down. 'I saw it and felt that the place was waiting for me, I'd better act fast,' he says. 'I called the agent, asked about the rent, and told him to come and pick up the cheque.' In June 2006, the restaurant opened. The 1,500 sq ft space could seat 40 and stayed open until 2am. Eight months later, he took over an adjoining unit to add more seats. 'We would get a full house at 1am,' he says. 'People knew we were open till late.' Long queues formed outside Astons when it moved from a coffee shop to a proper restaurant space. PHOTO: ASTONS GROUP His 180g striploins then sold for about $11. The long queues for them soon drew the attention of landlords. One of them was Cathay Organisation. It wanted an Astons in its Handy Road mall, The Cathay. Mr Soon says: 'I was very honoured . I never dreamt of going to Orchard Road , but I told the team I couldn't afford the rent. They came back and gave me a very comfortable rate to start with. I just want to say I appreciated the goodwill.' And so his first restaurant in town opened in 2007. 'We took over a cafe on the fourth floor. It was like a ghost town. I got worried. But surprisingly, we had queues. And security kept coming up to tell people not to block the escalator.' He opened yet more restaurants, funding each with revenue from the business and a loan from his father-in-law. His wife became the operations manager for the group. Interior of Astons Prime in Joo Chiat Road. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY Mr Soon developed new market segments for his steakhouses, categorising them, in his mind, like plane seat classes. For example, Astons Specialties, with 11 restaurants now, is economy class. Astons Prime, launched in 2007 and with one restaurant in Joo Chiat, is premium economy. The Ranch Steakhouse & Bar, launched in 2018 and with one restaurant in Purvis Street, is business class. Economies of scale allow him to keep prices sane. A 180g Prime Sirloin Steak at Astons Specialties is priced at $20.90 and comes with two side dishes. Astons Prime in Joo Chiat Road. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY There is also the more casual Astons Steak & Salad, launched in 2015, with three restaurants; and the halal Andes by Astons, launched in 2016, with nine restaurants. The group now serves beef from Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, the United States and Japan, importing about 150 tonnes a year. Its stable includes Bizen Okayama Wagyu Steakhouse, launched in 2018, with three restaurants , including at Bugis Village . These restaurants import entire carcasses, and showcase how flavourful secondary cuts of Japanese beef can be. Prices start at $20.50 for a 150g steak (round cut), with two side dishes , and a 150g tenderloin is priced at $40.50 . He also has two butcheries, Ginkakuji Onishi in Tembeling Road and West Coast Plaza, a joint venture with Ginkakuji Onishi, a reputable beef supplier in Kyoto. The fried chicken aficionado started in 2014 because he was unable to find the fried chicken of his dreams. He developed a recipe using fresh, not frozen, chicken, opting for larger birds from Malaysia. They come to Singapore live, and are slaughtered here and delivered to the restaurants. There are three restaurants, including one at Sembawang Shopping Centre. He says: 'The chicken I want to present is juicy, tender and served hot. The freshest fried chicken you can ever get.' Because he wants to stick to his principles, he adds that waiting time can sometimes be longer. Other restaurants in the stable include Aji Ichi Sushi Bar at Changi Airport Terminal 4 and Tempura Bar at SingPost Centre, both of which opened in 2023. There are also three outlets under the East Treasure Chinese Restaurant brand, which launched in 2018, serving 60-hour dry-aged roast duck. Global presence Mr Aston Soon, founder of Astons Group, at Astons Prime in Joo Chiat Road. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY To call Mr Soon low-key would be an understatement. He turns up for the interview at Astons Prime in Joo Chiat Road dressed in a polo shirt and khakis, both dark grey. There is no flashy watch. He helps his staff position a wine barrel and prop cow at the front of the restaurant, for photographs he will appear in. He and his wife, who have three children aged 14, 17 and 19 , live in a semi-detached house in Loyang. After the interview, he invites this reporter to a late lunch of prawn noodles at his East Treasure Speciality Prawn Noodle, a short walk away from the steak restaurant. This is how he prefers to eat – chicken rice, fishball noodles, chye png or economy rice, with kopi. 'I rarely go to high-end restaurants. I go to coffee shops for local fare most of the time.' He laughs when asked if he plays golf. 'Golf? I have no time for golf,' he says. 'When I have free time, I spend it with my family and I cook.' He enjoys cooking steak at home and favours the zabuton cut, or the chuck flap, prized for its tenderness and flavour. But his repertoire includes curry, noodles and stirfries. Cooking has been a passion of his from a young age, when he would read cookbooks to make dishes like steamed fish. What he does devote time to is working on the future of the Astons brand. He and his wife lead the company. She oversees the factory operations and administration, including human resource and finance. He takes care of business development and restaurant operations. 'I'm the striker, she's the goalkeeper,' he says. He wants to develop the ready-to-eat meals and catering wings of his business. He wants more of a global presence and is looking to open in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Brunei. There are already eight franchised Astons Specialties overseas – two in Myanmar, three in Malaysia, three in the Philippines – and an East Treasure which opened in 2024 in Osaka , a joint venture with Kyoto beef supplier Ginkakuji Onishi . Despite being burnt badly and losing $2.2 million when he opened a steakhouse in Foshan, Guangdong province, in 2015, only to close it two years later, Mr Soon does not rule out opening more restaurants in China , if he can find a good partner . 'I did not understand the culture of the business, the people and the lifestyle,' he says. 'Every city in China is like a country of its own. Doing business there was very eye-opening for me. They can get anything done with a snap of the fingers. Right or wrong is not the question.' One example he cites is how at his restaurant, some steaks were flambeed with Jack Daniel's bourbon. Restaurants started copying the move, using baijiu. He is also going deeper in engaging his 600 full- and part-time employees, to understand and meet their needs. After all, he was once just like them, working to make a living. When he visits his restaurants and spots issues, he deals with them and even does 'a bit of counselling'. He says: 'It's my responsibility. I try and understand their expectations and communicate what our expectations are. I've always believed we all have a common objective – to earn money, to be recognised, to be happy, to be comfortable. ' I want to lay it all out, what we can do to meet their expectations. If we can't hire people, we'd better think about how to retain people.' He has come a long way from the rebellious kid who skipped school to work, who quit a comfortable restaurant manager job to leap into the unknown. What would he tell some starry-eyed newbie looking to grow a hawker stall into a restaurant empire? 'Can you afford to lose? What is the impact of you losing? You must have an entry and exit strategy.' To mark its 20th anniversary on May 15, Astons Group has rolled out a slew of special promotions. For more information, go to Tan Hsueh Yun is senior food correspondent at The Straits Times. She covers all aspects of the food and beverage scene in Singapore. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Tree deaths in New Mexico doubled from 2023 to 2024, report says
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) — Twice as many trees died in New Mexico's forests from 2023 to 2024, according to the Forest Health Conditions report released on Monday. The New Mexico Forestry Division says the driving factors are insects and warmer conditions. Story continues below Trending: ABQ family defies all odds after their fetus received a rare diagnosis Breaking: Pope Francis dies at 88 Crime: Repeat International District murder suspect facing new charges The report is based on aerial surveys mapping insect and disease activities across 14 million acres of state, private, Tribal, and federal forests as well as woodlands. The forestry division provided this breakdown: '70,000 acres of dead conifer trees – up from the 33,000 acres in 2023. 406,000 acres damaged by insects, disease, and harsh conditions — an increase of 42,000 acres or 12% since 2023. 39% rise in trees losing needles, leaves, and turning brown or red statewide.' Native insects were found to be the primary cause of tree damage, including caterpillars of Douglas-fir tussock moths which defoliated 18,000 acres in mixed conifer forests. A small sap-sucking insect known as a Piñon needle scale defoliated 16,000 acres. Some others include bark beetles, Piñon ips, Western Spruce budworm, and Ponderosa needleminer. The amount of forest and woodland acres impacted by drought and heat last year decreased by 65% statewide, although the state's mean temperature rose to 53.6 to make 2024 the second warmest year on record. You can look at the full report online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
