Brothers Lim Yuan Ming, 23, and Brandon Lim, 29, partnered with Oh Chin Jie, 31, to launch What The Puff in December 2024. Since then, the brand has expanded from a single outlet to three hawker stalls.
The business now produces around 1,500 puffs each day, offering flavours such as cheese and char siew, and generated approximately SGD500,000 in revenue in 2025, according to The Straits Times.
A curry puff, traditionally known as “karipap” in Malaysia, is a fried or baked pastry turnover filled with spicy chicken and potato curry.
The brothers’ reinvention of the dish was inspired by their parents, who used to operate a food stall for many years.
“We saw the struggles they went through, having to cook over 20 dishes every day and work tirelessly from early morning till the afternoon,” says Ming.
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Lim Yuan Ming, and Brandon Lim, two co-founders of What The Puff. The third founder, Oh Chin Jie, is not seen in the photo. Photo via Instagram/whatthepuffsg |
They saw curry puffs as a more straightforward product to sell, and their father suggested experimenting with new flavours, including a cheese-filled version.
“Curry puffs were an iconic snack of our childhood. We thought, why not give this traditional snack a modern twist?” he says.
That was why a third partner was needed. Oh, formerly a cook at fast-casual chain The Daily Cut, led recipe development.
Brandon Lim, meanwhile, focused on operations alongside him, while his younger brother handled administrative matters such as payroll and supplier relations.
Research and development began at home in October 2024 and continued after the first outlet opened. The trio spent weeks tasting curry puffs with friends and family, producing up to eight variations a day. The Cheesy Curry Puff alone underwent about 10 iterations.
Perfecting the pastry proved challenging. Ming says it took nearly six months to finalize, as even slight changes in ingredients, temperature, moisture or wind could affect the outcome.
Their first outlet opened at Changi Village Hawker Centre in December 2024, funded by about SGD10,000 in combined savings.
“It was a pretty fast-paced journey. You could even say that we rushed into it,” says Ming, as quoted by food guide website Hungry Go Where.
When choosing a name, the trio sought something catchy, bold and memorable. “Powerpuff Boys” was initially considered before they settled on What The Puff! – a playful reference to their signature product and a name designed to grab attention and prompt a double take.
Business was initially slow, but repeat customers and positive feedback encouraged them to persist. For more than a month, the partners made the puffs themselves daily before hiring their first employee.
In late January, they reinvested SGD15,000 from the first stall’s earnings to open a second outlet at the Bedok hawker centre where their parents’ stall is located. None of the partners drew full salaries during the first six months.
In July 2025, they launched a third outlet at Punggol Coast Hawker Centre with SGD20,000. Located within Punggol Digital District, it has since become their strongest-performing outlet. Expansion was partly driven by customer feedback that Changi was inconvenient to visit frequently.
The business now employs 10 staff – four full-timers and six part-timers – but growth has also brought challenges.
Patience in teamwork
Despite pressures, working together has strengthened the partnership.
“Definitely, there are times of tension when we disagree over operational matters, but we always try our best to reason it out, putting aside emotions and ego for the sake of our business,” Ming says, as reported by The Straits Times.
“We have all learnt to be more patient and how to communicate with one another better, even when the subject is difficult, such as financial discussions.”
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A dish presented by What The Puff. Photo via Instagram/whatthepuffsg |
The experience has also changed Ming personally. Previously an introvert, he now feels confident speaking with customers, handling interviews and representing the brand.
In January 2026, the team closed the Changi Village outlet due to its eastern location, operational strain and reduced foot traffic caused by road works. They opened a new outlet at Haig Road Market & Food Centre the following month.
The current menu features five items: Original Curry Puff ($2), Sardine Puff ($2), Cheesy Curry Puff ($2.50), Black Pepper Chicken Puff ($2.50) and Char Siew Chicken Puff ($2.50), with prices in the range of SGD2–2.5 per puff.
The Cheesy Curry Puff uses the same curried potato chicken filling and quarter hard-boiled egg as the original, with mozzarella and cheddar added for a cheese pull when eaten hot.
Production begins early each day, with all three co-owners remaining actively involved. Work typically starts at 4 or 5 a.m., including dough preparation, filling mixing and six to eight hours of hand-wrapping before the puffs are distributed to stalls for frying.
In March, most production was shifted to a rented central kitchen. Only the Punggol outlet continues to produce its own puffs, though all outlets fry them on-site.
“For us, the handmade element makes up part of the taste too,” says Ming. “The texture you get from hand forming the edges is not easily replicated by machinery and it matters to us.”
The partners are currently focused on improving consistency, managing costs and developing the menu, while exploring a central kitchen model to support future expansion.
They aim to operate 10 stalls islandwide within five years and are planning a fourth outlet in the second half of 2026.
“Starting and running this business, I have realized that while things may seem impossible at the start, once you take action, you may find that there is always a way to turn an idea into reality,” Ming says.
