Posted : 2021-01-14 08:09
Updated : 2021-01-14 17:57
Ng Keng Leng, the founder and CEO of Dessert Merlion Cafe in Seoul, poses inside the cafe. Opened in 2014, it is the first Singaporean-style coffee shop in Korea. / Courtesy of Dessert Merlion Cafe
By Yi Whan-woo
When Ng Keng Leng opened Dessert Merlion Cafe in Seoul six years ago, it never crossed his mind that the cafe would become a hotspot for those wanting to reminisce of their past trips to ASEAN countries, especially in the time of COVID-19. At that time, I realized that it was not easy to find foreign food, in particular, Southeast Asia s cuisines, desserts and beverages in Korea, Ng from Singapore told The Korea Times in an email interview this week. It came to me that it would be very exciting if I could introduce those food cultures to Koreans.