The Swiss-Chinese tech expert also shared how they zeroed in on what they felt was a neglected demographic. “At the time when we started conceptualising our first concept, we saw that there was a gap in the market,” starts Jiang. “Other cloud kitchens in the market were offering really affordable options and almost none in the level premium cloud kitchen. It was a gap that we wanted to fill, and the rest is history.”

Wagyu steak bowl concept Ginza Gyu is RKG’s flagship brand—a collaboration with talented young chef Kevin Villarica (of Hapag fame). Rich calls it “our humble take on our collective experience and love of darn good steak and beef bowls.” He continues: “We have a hole-in-the-wall go-to place in Japan, where we frequently travel. As well as a go-to in Shanghai which we all love to go back to again and again.”

The success with Ginza Gyu prompted them to explore another concept that was gaining popularity in foodie circles during the pandemic. “Made In Bangkok, in collaboration with Chef Francis Lim, is our unique spin on Thai food favourites,” Rich says. Lim played on his strengths in delivering modern twists to the beloved tom yum, Thai fried chicken, and Thai steak bowl (a nod to its big brother, Ginza Gyu). “Since launching, Ginza Gyu has been a huge hit,” Rich proudly shares. “We feel that Filipinos have a strong affinity for Japanese brands, thus the warm welcome among our clients, while Thai food is slowly gaining traction as well. So, we’re really thrilled to be in the market.”

See also: Table for 1, Please: The Joy Of Dining Alone

With cloud kitchens on the rise due to the demand for food deliveries, RKG definitely hit their stride at the right place, at the right time. However, does it plan to stick around for the long haul? Dr. Lee relays that they have committed to delivering the highest quality and most authentic experience possible, even jumping through hoops to source exotic Thai ingredients and training their kitchen team. “We had to strategically assign chefs to focus on either Japanese or Thai to have that mastery and be able to fulfil our commitment to operational excellence,” Dr. Lee expounds. “Having said this, every decision to add a new cuisine or concept is carefully weighed in, deliberated extensively consistent to our brand pillars: damn good food, awesome customer service, and easy access.”

What’s next for these mavericks? Rich is only too happy to share what is in store for them this 2022, considering that this “is the year that the pandemic simmers down, no more new variants, and finally, everything really opens up after two years.” Their first brick and mortar Ginza Gyu is slated to unfurl in Makati offering “sleek and sexy cocktails” alongside their Wagyu steak bowl and a fresh selection of dishes.

See also: 10 Retailers That Specialise In Delicious Steaks

With the cloud kitchen concept working so well for them, why even open a restaurant? Rich explains it perfectly: “Interestingly, I realised that for the past two years, it is only the four of us who have been able to eat our steak bowls freshly made out of the kitchen. And honestly, nothing still beats eating dine-in, newly cooked food (in a safe environment). And now that we see light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, we think it’s time that our customers should be able to do the same. But at the same time, the pandemic permanently changed customer behaviour, so there’s no going back on food deliveries, it will definitely still be there, albeit in lower volume. Hence, Raspberry is in a good position to cater to both food deliveries and on-premise dining. We’re excited.” And so are we. 

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