Firsthand: Community is a new series by Mothership, where we explore the spirit of community in Singapore through in-depth articles and videos.

From Tampines to Tuas, we’ll investigate the untold stories of the different neighbourhoods in Singapore — firsthand.

Most people know of Fortune Centre for just two things: old-school Buddhist shops, and vegetarian food.

But a few twists and turns into the ageing building is something a little out of place. Amid the mall's old-fashioned bustle is a small, tastefully-decorated cafe — Crescent Waffle & Sandwich Shop, run by a mother-daughter pair.

It's certainly not the first small business to boast a "modern" twist on a classic product. Neither is it the first millennial establishment to enter a dated strata mall, gentrification-style.

But there's a certain something this nondescript waffle shop that makes it more than just the latest in a long line of hipster shops.

A family business

Crescent Waffles (named as such after the shape of the confection) got its first taste of fame after a few TikTok videos posted by the daughter, Kaiwen Yeo, went viral on the platform.

The videos show the pair going about their daily business: from taking the 6AM bus and picking up ingredients at the market, to the gentle monotony of baking, wiping tables, and making drinks.

@crescent.waffles a busy day in the shop ⚡️ #adayinmylife #lifeofabusinessowner #singaporecafe #bugiscafesg #motherdaughterbusiness #cafevlog ♬ Aesthetic - DJ Aurier

But TikTok fame aside, it's a surprisingly down-to-earth concept. The waffles are of the traditional pandan variety and made in-house. The flavours, what you'd encounter in any neighbourhood bakery: chocolate, butter, peanut.

The only "specialty" flavour is black sesame, which Yeo tells me was inspired by tangyuan. "It was actually my idea," she laughs.

Sure, there are trendy drinks and bakes — the lemon yuzu pound cake, for instance, that's made in-store. And there are your slightly more upscale sandwiches.

But the no-frills waffles are obviously the heart of the stall's menu, and Yeo admits the other items are mostly there to supplement the core revenue stream.

"To me, it's really the childhood memories," Yeo tells me. "I feel like I have a link to [the traditional waffles]."

"We get customers coming in, asking whether we have ice cream waffles, things like that. But we have to tell them no. It's the traditional kind."

Old and new

In one video, Yeo pours an assortment of trendy drinks: matcha lattes and iced-white-with-whipped-cream concoctions called einspanners.

Meanwhile, her 53-year-old mum, Serene Teo, strains a mixture of blended pandan leaves into the waffle batter.

It's an interesting blend of old and new. In a way, the waffle shop itself is also an old dream — one that began years ago, in Yeo's childhood imagination.

"When I was young, we'd patronise those neighbourhood shops and bakeries, those kind," she says.

"Since then, I had the idea that I wanted to have my own waffle shop. And I remember like I would just draw out the layout that I want for the shop, like where I want the stove and what else."

The pair had always wanted to come up with their own business. Not to make it big, nor because they had some super innovative idea — simply because they wanted something that belonged to them, in the family.

But life got in the way, as it does. Yeo spent seven years in corporate jobs, while Teo sold fish at the market.

Lacking the capital, they were unable to pursue anything bigger than their day-to-day — until a friend stepped in, offering to invest.

"It was always kind of like a dream — a dream that cannot be fulfilled," she admits. "We had always been dreaming about it, but we didn’t have the capability to do it."

She says this with a half-disbelieving smile, like she still can't quite believe it's come true. And looking around at the shop, it's kind of crazy to think it grew from a dream: that tiny space, with the dried flowers on the top shelf, in all its neat simplicity.

A life's dream. All in just 21 square metres.

Working with family

These days, you don't hear so much about working with family. We grow up and get corporate jobs, and old hawker stalls and family-run businesses die with their owners. It's just how it is.

In contrast, Crescent Waffles is entirely family-run. The space is designed by Yeo's sister. Teo and Yeo are currently the only staff on hand — Yeo does the drinks and baking, Teo makes the waffles and sandwiches.

And sometimes, on the weekends, Yeo's sisters drop by to help out.

Working with family isn't all fun and games. Recently, Teo injured her shoulder, and the shop had to dial back to selling only waffles and sandwiches so that she wouldn't overwork herself.

@crescent.waffles taking a break from 8/7 to 10/7! please check our ig for updates 🤍 #lifeofabusinessowner #adayinmylife #bugiscafesg #singaporecafe #cafevlog ♬ original sound - crescent.waffles

And when I ask if it was hard working together at first, they say, in concert: "Yeah."

"We have different ways of thinking," Teo says in Mandarin.

Yeo elaborates: "It's the way we do things." For instance, one might prefer to keep all the supplies out while working; the other might prefer to put everything away, to keep the space tidy.

"But we don't quarrel," Yeo hastens to explain. "We just say a few sentences then cool down. Since young, we don't quarrel out loud."

Teo adds, with a laugh: "Yeah, after a few hours OK. Next day we're back to normal."

It seems in their case, the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to working with family.

For one, the shop has a distinctly comfortable vibe that few other modern cafes possess. Perhaps it's the way the pair are dressed, both in T-shirts and denim cutoff shorts. Or maybe it's the way they move across the shop, as easily as though it's their home (which, in a way, it sort of is).

But the best part is really just that — working with family.

"It's not people from outside, it's not strangers," Yeo says. "So you don't have to keep on a smile when you're not feeling good."

They share a look. "She's my mum," Yeo adds, as though that explains everything.

"So I feel like I can be real, and just be honest with her."

Kampung spirit

There's an easy domesticity to their TikTok videos, in watching the pair go about their day — and that, in all honesty, is probably a large part of why they've gotten so popular.

"Someone even told me that when she feels stressed from work, she would watch my TikTok," Yeo admits with a laugh.

"I didn't expect that."

It strikes me that — its incongruously modern decor aside — Crescent Waffles fits in with the tenants of Fortune Centre more than I'd expected. Everything is just so simple.

It's even kind of strange, in an age where everything is about gimmicks and and standing out. There's nothing unusual about this shop — it's pretty, it serves damn good food, but that's it.

I prod for a deeper meaning. How did they decide on the concept? Was there some aim to preserve traditional snacks, modernise it, anything?

Apart from their own personal nostalgia — not really. "Waffles were something that we thought were quite straightforward," Yeo says.

"Not a lot of preparation and stuff, cos we're not really pro in professional cooking. And it's something that's very 大众 (widely known), you know, that we feel that everyone knows."

Even the location — while seemingly novel — was a purely practical choice. The space was advertised at a reasonable rent, in a high-traffic location.

In fact, prior to opening the shop, Yeo had never stepped foot into Fortune Centre.

But now she knows there's more to the mall than just vegetarian food and religious curios. She's seen the hospitality of its tenants firsthand, and shares how during the quiet first few days, her neighbours would even come to buy waffles, armed with conversation and encouragement.

Indeed, there's something compelling about the people and the place — something which she believes more people should give a chance to.

"I find that Fortune Centre, there are a lot of small shops which people can really explore," she shares, quipping:

"And although it looks old and what right, the food is actually quite good."

Favourite food

At the end of the interview, I ask the same question I ask every F&B business owner.

What is your personal favourite menu item?

Yeo's answer: the banana bread. "The ones you get outside, there's usually [ingredients like] cinnamon. But I'm not a cinnamon fan, so ours is just banana and chocolate.

"So that was something that I personally really, really like."

@crescent.waffles Bake Banana Choc Bread with me! #bananachoc #cafevlog #cafesg #bakewithme #sgfoodie #baking ♬ As It Was - PREP

As for Teo, her favourite item is the peanut waffle. "Because I've eaten it since I was young," she explained.

"And peanut...it just fits so well with the waffles."

Before I leave, I order for a combination I'd seen on social media: a mix of peanut and black sesame (just like tangyuan).

I'm no waffle connoisseur, but it's honestly delicious — dense and hearty, with a chewy, mochi-like texture. The savoury peanut sauce complements the black sesame wonderfully. There's nothing nuanced or unorthodox about it, just a really great childhood snack.

After all — sometimes, it's really just not that deep.

Have something even more interesting going on in your neighbourhood? One-up us at [email protected].

Firsthand is a new content pillar by Mothership, featuring in-depth stories about people and their issues.

Photos by Ilyda Chua