Two generations receiving two separate Brand Legend awards dealing with two separate mindsets but with a common goal have placed young entrepreneur – Benjamin Low, Business Development Manager of Daijin Dining in a unique league all his own.

The young entrepreneur at 25, is elated that beginner’s luck is siding his restaurant business venture which was newly established just November last year under the auspices of his parent’s Herbaline Wellness Group which has been in the industry for over two decades now.

“We are in charge of different departments, so we have a very good company organisation that is split up where we have our own particular roles in the things that we are doing on our daily lives now,” he said of him fitting into the scheme of the overall family business.

Though a relatively newcomer, he seems to have aced in terms of understanding that the secret lies in “providing an unforgettable experience to guests”.

“Consumers will be looking at the whole experience rather than the bill at the end of the day. This is because the way you make them feel, can’t be bought,” observed this alumni of the University of Denver, the US who studied hospitality management.

The idea behind this restaurant was to introduce Chinese omakase – which is a rarity as Japanese omakase dining is commonplace while Western fine dining restaurants are also rife but one would never see a Chinese omakase or fine dining restaurants. He is confident that combined with the entire experience and the whole journey behind the restaurant, Daijin Dining is the first-of-its-kind in Malaysia, with the inspiration behind the restaurant tied in with his parents’ trip to Taiwan where they very often travel to for business and meetings with business suppliers.

Being adventurous, they would very often ask their business suppliers to take them to extraordinary places – one of which was a restaurant called “Shi Yang” located in the Yang Ming Mountain in Taiwan. So touched were his parents by the restaurant spanning nearly a four-hour dinner, they felt that their Chinese culture “could become something more refined”.

“Usually, when you hear of this word omakase, you would think of Japanese food or associate this with fine dining concerning Western food. However, you would never think of Chinese food. So, 10 years ago when they had this meal, this three-and-a-half to four-hour dinner, they had this vision of creating a Chinese omakase restaurant here in Malaysia so that Malaysian Chinese can be proud of the Chinese background from which they originated,” he elaborated.

Divine In The Dining Details

The ultimate quest is “to bring Chinese food to the next level” while providing an environment to all associates “where they can strive and be proud that they are working in an establishment like Daijin Dining” he expressed.

“We just have to be 100% attentive throughout the course of the (entire) experience and constantly seek ways to go above and beyond for the guest. It does not matter whether it is their first time or their 100th time, we have to maintain the same level of commitment to our guests,” he quipped.

Wise beyond his years, he stressed that the priority should not be centred only on the monetary aspect of the business but rather on guests’ satisfaction.

“Once you are able to retain a scalable clientele who believe in your brand, it will elevate your business to new height that will last a long time,” he said with a smile.

“Ultimately, we strive to provide guests with an experiential dining transporting them back to the Song Dynasty. From the facade, interior design, to the service provided, we aim to create an unforgettable Chinese Omakase dining experience,” he elaborated.

Working cross-generation on this restaurant business with his parents, he admits that the generation gap is apparent but he states that this augurs well for the business as his peers are also receptive to change. Being the new next generation, he acknowledges that he is fortunate to be able to build upon what the current generation has established and use this “as a trampoline to excel to greater heights”. Meanwhile, keeping the core values of what the company has been built on is key.

Taking the extra step towards customer satisfaction, while always putting yourself in the shoes of the customer and thinking how are you going to provide them something that they can’t get elsewhere is the recipe behind Daijin Dining.

Essentially, one “has to do what others don’t want to do as that is the easiest way to gain respect”.

“Lastly, staff empowerment and believing in fellow team members are also keys to building a good working environment. This way, once your associates feel empowered, quality hospitality will naturally trickle its way down to the guests. We have to take care of our internal customers first who are the people who work alongside us. Then only, will they help us to take care of our external customers,” he said.

Reflecting on opportunities to bring the restaurant to the next level of experiential heaven, he said that given another opportunity, he wishes he could have spent more time in other establishments which have the same goals of delivering quality hospitality towards their guests so that this experience can be brought back to the family business.

Understanding that they had to come up with plans that are achievable and work towards those goals and targets, and not just working with no intentions – the ability to pivot to cater to the community and making sure the team is pivoting with you towards the same goals are fundamental.

“We are overwhelmed and honoured by receiving the BAM Legend Awards as it gives us the stamp of approval that we are providing a positive impact to the Malaysian community. This award hits us by surprise as we have awarded less than a year after being opened, and this will pay tribute to our ongoing legacy that providing hospitality to all of our guests that encounters us will leave having a memorable and positive experience,” he said in conclusion.