Japanese ramen parent takes tam jai overseas

The parent company of Tam Jai International, Toridoll Holding, expects the restaurant to expand overseas, duplicating the success of Japanese ramen.

The rice noodle company aims to expand its network in Hong Kong, mainland China, Singapore, starting in South China, and enter into the Japan and Australian markets.

Japan-based Toridoll also operates Japanese Marukame Seimen in Hong Kong. It operates a variety of food brands in Japan and throughout the world, such as chain restaurant Monster Curry in Singapore and Boat Noodle in Southeast Asia.

TamJai was acquired for HK$1 billion in May 2017 and SamGor for HK$1.11 billion in December in the same year by Toridoll.

Before the acquisition by Toridoll, Tam Jai International was founded by Tam's family in Hunan.

In 1996, the third eldest brother Tam Chak-kwan, the sixth brother Tam Chak-keung and the husband of the fourth sister Chow Chi-ming opened the first TamJai selling Yunnan rice noodles with Sichuan spicy soup base in Cheung Sha Wan.

In 2000, TamJai welcomed the fifth brother Tam Chuk-kwan. The Tam's family then established Jointed-Heart Limited to operate rice noodle restaurants together in 2003.

However, the brothers decided to go their separate ways after their parents died as they had disagreements on management and operation styles.

The third brother and the fifth brother split the 12 branches they owned equally at that time.

The third and sixth brothers left Jointed-Heart Limited and established SamGor. The fifth brother and the fourth brother-in-law stayed in Jointed-Heart Limited and operated TamJai.

SamGor and TamJai jointly own their trademarks and secret recipes, but the two parties have never got in touch with each other ever since. SamGor claims the soup base was created by the third brother, while TamJai says their father made the soup base.