The millennial boss behind
Mentai-Ya — the Japanese hawker stall chain known for affordable donburi topped with mentaiko (spicy cod roe) mayo — has had one heck of a story. Khoo Keat Hwee, 38, is the sales engineer-turned-hawker who became a Grab driver to clear a $120K debt in 2018 from his first-ever failed
Japanese restaurant. He eventually made a comeback in F&B in 2020 with his affordable Japanese hawker stall concept Mentai-Ya. Unfortunately, he’s now facing a major setback with debts even higher than before.