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Tran Truong Giang

HOCK LAM BEEF

INTERNSHIP REPORT
Final Report

TRAN TRUONG GIANG

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Contents

Executive summary
The internship reports include 3 parts. This is the third of 3 reports. This article below is
a quick review what I did in my third month internship. It includes the company’s
history from the moment of formation of the first base in 1911 until today, whenever the
companies have total 4 outlets in Singapore. Everything I wrote all based on my true
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experience. Although at work everything I did is not perfect 100%.However I really want
to be more mature after the 6-month internship. When you can bring all the knowledge I
have been studying in Raffles applied in real life..

(Beef, About Us)

History
Hock Lam Beef was formed from 1911. This is the oldest Teochew Beef Kway Teow shop
in Singapore! (Feast, 2011). The main dish of this restaurant is the Kway Teow from

Teochew in China. With more than 100 years develop, the recipe is not change, Anthony
Tan the 3rd owner of Hock Lam confirmed. Anthony's dad started in the Chinatown area
in 1911. Prior to the store in Hock Lam Street, he sold food on his back - a walking
hawker! He balanced the soup and ingredients on a stick on his back. This was more
common in those days. His focus was on hearty, wholesome food, as he would be selling
also to laborers, his fellow Teochew laborers and others. The long boiling of the soup
and ingredients was to extract every trace of protein and nourishment from the
ingredients, less waste, more nourishment in the food. The store in Hock Lam Street
lasted a very long time, from at least 1921 to the late 70's. The loyal customers allowed
the Tan family to sustain their business in the very famous hock lam street, where
numerous hawkers would sell their food. The street was undoubtedly famous for its
food in those days. This comprised the 1st and second generations of the business. In
2002, he won the prize of Singapore’ Beef Noodle King. Moreover he has a very talent
daughter, her name is Tina Tan. As with her father Anthony, who drop out school from
twelve year olds. She graduates her bachelor’s degree of marketing and media from
Mudoch University. As normal Tina will have a comfortable life with the high salary of
Citibank. However she gave up her bank job to take over the family business. It is not the
way that everybody wants: to be a hawker. Since 2004, Tina Tan started take over the
business and also the crown form her father, Anthony Tan. Until now Hock Lam Beef
Group have total 4 outlets. The first shop is founded at Far East Square, 22 China Street,
#01-01, Far East Square. The second is 949 Upper Serangoon Rd. The third can be
founded at 510 Macpherson roads. The four and it is also the latest shop in Alexandra

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Retail Central #02-24. Everyday Tina Tan have to make sure that all four shops run at
the best quality for satisfy customer.

The Tan family privately participates in community actively. Since the 97th anniversary,

Hock Lam have brought the business into this aspect. They worked with Operation smile
for 2 years, on their anniversary, by donating the entire proceeds of our anniversary
event to their charity. (LADYIRONCHEF, 2008) Tina herself has also participated in the
medical missions abroad. Hock Lam Beef also participated in the heritage hawkers’
event organised by the Singapore Heritage board. The latest 100th anniversary
celebration was in aid of the Make-a-wish foundation, where similarly 100% of proceeds
from the day was donated to their worthy cause. (Road, 2011)
Aside from this, on a daily business, Hock Lam also actively searches for employees from
various community initiatives, whether in employing retirees and older workers, or
members of the yellow ribbon programme. Hock Lam also has a group of active
polytechnic student part-timers who work to supplement their educational expenses. As
the company grows, more effort will go into these initiatives.

Objectives of Internship
This programme is aimed at providing students the proper level of training for a wide
range of functions within a food business, from the most basic cleanliness requirements
to management operations. Interns will gain first-hand experience by being rotated
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around all departments and will be monitored by a supervisor. They will also have
hands-on experience in basic food preparation as well as accounting functions by
shadowing managers in various departments.

(Beef, The Original four-generation strong, Singaporean Heritage Delicacy, 2010)

Detail of Job
Type
Title
1

Orientation to
Kitchen
Processes

Description
Interns will be oriented
on the set up of a typical
kitchen. They will also

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Method
Site visit and
on job training.

Duration
2 - 4 hours


2

3

4

5

6

see the inner workings of

a kitchen during
preparation, rush hours
and cleaning.
Floor service
Interns will shadow one
cum reception
of our service managers
to understand how to
deal with customers in
various situations and
what is required of
service staff. They will
also be required to
participate as one of the
service crew to gain first
hand experience.
Insights into
Interns will get to
accounting and
observe how the business
supplies ordering procures the supplies and
settles its accounts.
Depending on the intern’s
length of internship and
abilities, he/she could
also undertake the actual
ordering under
supervision.
Recruitment
If the opportunity arises,

the intern will get to sit in
a real interview for chefs
and service staff.
Basic food
Interns will get to
preparation
participate in basic food
preparation and taught
the proper way of
handling food.
Logistics delivery If time permits, the intern
will get an opportunity to
travel on one of our daily
logistic runs

What I do
Part 1: The first month (October)
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On job training

4-8
weeks

Verbal
presentation
and
participation

2 - 4 hours

(or longer)

Participation

1 -2 hours

On job training

2-4
weeks

Site visit

2 - 4 hours


This is the first time I work for a restaurant. Everything seems to be very new with me.
The place I work named as HOCK LAM BEEF. This is restaurant sell noodle and other
dishes. They have 3 main kind of noodle include: Kway Teow, Yellow Mee, Bee Hoon.
Hock Lam beef have a long time story in Singapore. Until now, they are more than 100
years old with four generation owner of Tan’s family. The restaurant that I work can
found at Alexandra Retail Centre In the first week I work. Every day I have to come at 9
o'clock to prepare the shop: sweep and mop the floor, wipe the table, set up the menu
and the sheet of order. After everything in outside is done, the next area is the drinking
counter. In this restaurant, barley and lime juice is the two kind of drinking best seller.
My supervisor named Kelly, she is only 24 years old but now she works as an assistant
manager for the lady boss Tina. Some of my first working day, I did not know anything to
do. Even the easiest like sweep the floor. I do not sweep it very clean so that I have to
trouble with the manager. They scold me but I know that they just want me to be
responsibility with the job. After about 3 days, I do set up the outside of the restaurant is

very good. Everything is clean and clear. The second week, I allowed to come into the
kitchen to see how the food was made. The kitchen has 3 separate areas, one for the
noodle, one for the other dish and the last for dish washing. In week two, my boss wants
me to know the step to make a perfect bowl of noodle. Step one: take the noodle in hot
water. Step too: take the beef, it depend on the order of customer. Normally the
customer has 5 choices to topping: Mix Beef, Hand-slice and Chunky, Hand-slice beef,
Beef Ball, and Pure Tendon. Step three: take the soup or the gravy in to the bowl depend
on customer’s choice. Step four: serving with a chili spoon. This kind of chili is the homemade chili from 13 ingredients. In the next report, I will show a more detail picture
about the organization and the mode of economic.
Part 2: The second month (November)
My total time working is 44 hours per week. I have one day off, I choose is Thursday
because I have a class at Raffles. My schedule in November is changed. After the first
month I have to come at 9 o'clock every day for preparing the floor. Now my boss (Tina)
allow me to work with the specially schedule 7 hours per day but divide to 2 shifts. The
first shift is 4 hours, it begin at 11 and terminate at 3. After I have 3 hours free to relax.
Actually I often use this time to have a short sleeping before the last shift begin at 6. For
me, I like this schedule because it can take my whole day time but I can have time to
relax and I can do the thing at both two shifts. Every day have the different problem.
Some come from the staffs, some other from the guest. For example, at the 15th of
November, I served two ladies. They complain that inside the soup have too much MSG
and it not good for the heath. We explain that it will make the soup nicer. Their behavior
like they just want to argue. Finally we accept discount for them 10% by exclude the
services charges. The funniest thing is that after we check, their soup has no more
already. They complain that the soup have MSG but still finish this, so funny. Service
industry is one of hardest industry in the world I think so. You still have to serve with
the biggest smile you can , however still need to be keep the temple go down whenever
meet the painful guest like two ladies. Another story is that my restaurant where I
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working have two different kind of table. One, we called is the booth. It is quite nice,
often to serve for big group. Sometimes at night we also allow couple or one person can
seat here. However at lunch time is a different thing, our restaurant’s busiest time is
lunch so my boss does not want two or one person seat here. She wants maximize the
profit, the booth almost for big group only. Unluckily, some guest they come with two
only but they still want seat at the booth. When we explain that at the lunch time, the
booth reserved for big group only, some of them accept to have lunch at other table.
Some other seems to be very angry and they go to other restaurant. It is some example
of the challenge faced when you work in hospitality and tourism industry. In November I
am also have more responsibility. I practice to be cashier and accounting. This two job
needed the exactly step to do. It relate with the real money
so that any smallest
mistake can be a big problem. The second month comes with so many changing,
especially in the organization. David, the general manager after 6 year now he does not
work anymore. His position now Ms Kelly the assistant manager takes over. For me,
Kelly transfers the position cashier at night for me. The second month of internship
seems to be very good. I’m waiting for the third months.
Part 3: December
In December, Hock Lam renovation their first shop at 22 China Street, Far East Square.
They change the mode from customer’s self-service to become service 100% like the
four Hock Lam Beef’s Shop at Alexandra Retail Centre (Sort, 2012). The Nets and Credit
Card also accepted in this month. The two machines are not very difficult to use. I just
need only 10 minutes to control everything. However sometime it is also have problem
such as the Nets machine can not print the receipt because of the network. Another
time, the Credit Machine have problem with the line because this machine and the
telephone use the same line. Whenever the telephone using this Credit Machine cannot
use .This month I was allowed to be hosting. This job is mean that I have to control all
customer, adjust their seat for reasonable. For example: The Booth Seating in the lunch
time, it is only served the big group more than three persons. After David, the director,
do not work anymore and Mrs. Kelly have to move to Far East because the renovation.

Now I work with Mr. Kenny Tan, he is the brother of Tina, the Hock Lam’s boss. I am
really like this guy, funny and he is a great talent of human resource. Actually we have a
very big problem in Hock Lam’s culture. This problem is because in Hock Lam the staffs
come from so many countries: Myanmar, Philippine, China, and Malay or like me I’m
come from Vietnam. Language is truly a barrier between us. Here, English is used like
the main language but some staff come from China only can speak Chinese. The problem
begins whenever we have misunderstood of the order. Some talk Chinese some talk
English, nobody can understand each other. Mr. Kenny is a Singaporean. He can speak
fluently both Chinese and English. We can understand that he is really a bridge to
connect other culture together. In this month I have a new thing to do is accounting. I
have to collect all receipt of supplier and divided by the month. At the last of the month, I
find which debt has to pay and transfer all to my boss. She is the person who signs the
cheque to send money, my salary is also. December is the last month that I do my
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internship. Until now almost positions I already do and do well, at least according to my
experience is that. I have a good job and good time to remember. Thank Hock Lam Beef.

Conclusion
Hock Lam Beef has transformed from a daily mom-and-pop hawker business to an
established name brand in the F&B industry with a total of four shops. The opportunity
to practice right here is very lucky for me. Working in one of the oldest restaurants in
Singapore help me to understand more about human life as well as here .The most
obvious thing I feel will improve after the internship is customer communication skills,
organization and a wealth of knowledge on food culture and society of Singapore.

Bibliography
Beef, H. L.. About Us. Retrived at November 5, 2012, from hock lam beef:
/>Beef, H. L. (2010, March 28). The Original four-generation strong, Singaporean Heritage Delicacy.

Retrived at November 5, 2012, from Hocklambeef.com:
/>Feast, G. (2011, July 11). Gastromania Feast @ Far East Square Stop 7. Retrived at November 11,
2012, from KEROPOKMAN: />LADYIRONCHEF. (2008, October 11). HOCK LAM BEEF: 97TH ANNIVERSARY AND CONTINUE GOING.
Retrived at November 5, 2012, from /> />Road, T. L. (2011, October 11). From a little street in Singapore – Hock Lam Beef 100 years on.
Retrived at Novenber 4, 2012, from Wordpress.com:
/>Sort, Y. (2012, August 8). One review for Hock Lam. Retrived at 12 15, 2012, from yepl.com:
/>
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