If you’re looking at women-owned food businesses in Singapore, you’re looking at a landscape quietly shaped by women — from hawker centres to specialty chains. I Love Taimei has been part of that story since 2009. What started as one Bugis kiosk serving Taiwan night market flavours has grown to 14 outlets across Singapore — women-owned since day one, no pork, no lard. Seventeen years later, we’re still here, still building.
What do women-owned food businesses bring to Singapore’s dining scene?
Singapore’s food identity is built on hawker culture, and historically, women have been central to it. The hawker culture of Singapore was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020. Behind those iconic stalls and now behind more formal brands, women have long shaped what goes on menus, how kitchens run, and what “home taste” actually means.
Women-owned food businesses often carry a particular energy — less about ego, more about community. They tend to be the kind of places where you feel like you’re ordering from someone who actually thinks about the person on the other end of the counter. That’s not a stereotype; it’s a pattern you notice when you look at the businesses that last longest in Singapore’s competitive F&B scene.
I Love Taimei is one of those businesses. It has been women-owned since 2009 — owner Phoebe Wang has been with the brand since the first kiosk, and today co-runs it with Yadah Wang. From the menu to store operations to how a neighbourhood outlet should feel when you walk in, the brand has been steered by that ownership from the start. It isn’t a label we adopted later; it’s how it began.
For more on how we got here, read the story behind I Love Taimei.
How has I Love Taimei grown from one kiosk to 14 outlets?
When we opened in 2009, Taiwanese street food wasn’t exactly mainstream in Singapore. You had to explain what lu rou fan was. You had to convince people that fried chicken could be a proper meal. Bubble tea was still that frappe-adjacent thing at dessert shops.
Today, 14 outlets later, all of that is normal conversation. And we grew not by chasing every food trend, but by staying focused on a few things: quality ingredients, consistent taste, and treating every outlet like a neighbourhood fixture rather than a transaction.
The growth has been deliberate. From Waterway Point in Punggol to Bugis Junction, from Junction 8 in Bishan to The Clementi Mall — each new location opens because a community asked for it. That’s the kind of growth that lasts.
Why “no pork, no lard” matters
This is where I Love Taimei does something different. Our entire menu is prepared with no pork and no lard — not as an afterthought, but from day one. That means your Muslim friends, your Hindu colleague, your Buddhist mum, and your whole family can all eat from the same counter. The XXL Taiwan Fried Chicken, the Braised Chicken Rice (Lu Rou Fan), the Taiwan Tempura — every single item.
We are not halal-certified. We’re upfront about that. But the no-pork, no-lard policy means you can order with confidence. If you want the full story on how this works, we explain it in detail here.
This inclusivity isn’t a marketing decision — it’s a values one. More Singaporeans are looking for no-pork options, and the movement is growing. For a deeper look at no-pork bubble tea and food in Singapore, that guide breaks it down.
What should you order when you visit?
You walk into any I Love Taimei outlet and see the menu board. Where do you start?
XXL Taiwan Fried Chicken — our signature. A boneless slab fried to a thin-shell crunch, big enough to share or to make a meal on its own. Every outlet serves it.
Braised Chicken Rice (Lu Rou Fan) — if you want a proper meal that hits that home-cooked note, this is it. Slow-braised chicken in a savoury sauce over steamed rice.
Brown Sugar Bubble Tea — our take on the Taiwan classic. Fresh milk, brown sugar syrup swirled through the cup, chewy tapioca pearls at the bottom. You can read more about what makes brown sugar bubble tea special if you’re new to it.
Taiwan Tempura — for when you want something sweet after your meal. Crisp, golden, dipped in condensed milk.
Want to see the full menu? Browse it at ilovetaimei.com/menu.
Where can you find I Love Taimei across Singapore?
Fourteen outlets, from east to west, north to south. Whatever neighbourhood you’re in, there’s probably one nearby. A few of our most-loved locations:
- Nex (Serangoon) — 23 Serangoon Central, #B2-48A
- Bugis Junction — 230 Victoria St, #B1-K11 to 11A
- Junction 8 (Bishan) — 9 Bishan Place, #B1-22
The complete list with hours and directions is at our store finder.
Women in Singapore food — it’s about lasting impact
When you look at the women-owned food businesses that have survived more than a decade in Singapore, a pattern emerges. They’re not the loudest in the room. They’re the ones still there when the food trend cycle has reset five times — the ones your friends think of when they say “let’s grab something to eat,” not as a novelty, but as a habit.
I Love Taimei has been doing this for 17 years. Women-owned since 2009, no pork since 2009, and 14 strong across the island. The night market didn’t come to Singapore through us alone — but for 17 years, we’ve helped make sure it has a home here.
Find your nearest outlet at ilovetaimei.com/places.
Taste it for yourself — 14 outlets island-wide. No pork, no lard.
