Competitive eater Zermatt Neo opens his first restaurant, here's why

Amid mounting closures and rising costs in Singapore, one might think twice before venturing into the challenging F&B industry. 

But for competitive eater and content creator Zermatt Neo, who has just opened his first restaurant, Over, on Wednesday (Oct 28), the time felt right to take the plunge. 

It's something he's always dreamed of doing. 

"Starting an F&B business is something that I personally wanted to do ever since day one when I started creating content," he told AsiaOne in an interview. 

And despite being offered multiple opportunities to do so over the years, he was not one to jump the gun. 

Instead, he waited until he found the right people to work with.

In the case of Over, it's with The Wolfpack, the same folks behind familiar names in the F&B scene like GastroBeats and The Meatmen Group.

"There's two things that I always need. One is conviction in the food. One is conviction in the team," he said. 

Having previously worked with them for events, Zermatt said he appreciated the creative freedom they gave him, which was a key factor in his decision to partner with them again. 

"During GastroBeats, they actually just let me freestyle my creativity, and that is very important when you work with somebody else," the 38-year-old explained. 

Still, Zermatt said that the prospect of venturing into an F&B business amid the current climate was unnerving. 

"Starting an F&B during this period is actually very daunting to me," he admitted.

Nevertheless, working with a team he was already familiar with made him feel more condident about taking the leap. 

"With them around, it makes it feel a lot more assured," he said. 

His business partner, Toh Jin Wei, CEO of The Wolfpack, meanwhile, acknowledged there was no guarantee whether starting a new venture at this juncture was right. 

"I don't know whether now is a good time. To be frank with you, I don't know," he told AsiaOne. 

However, he believed there was an opportunity to create a space for people to connect, particularly at a time when technology has become an increasingly prominent part of everyday life. 

"Human connection is still very much desired, but there are not many places that the community can come together and actually feel like it's a good place to connect," he explained. 

More than just a restaurant 

Connection is exactly what Over is about. 

More than just a place to dine, the restaurant is meant to be a space where Zermatt's community can come together and experience some of the dishes they've watched him enjoy in his videos. 

"What you can expect is a space where everyone just knows everyone," the content creator shared. 

Added Jin Wei: "Everyone was dying for an opportunity to have a physical place they could experience what they saw him eating, what he loved to eat." 

This forms the foundation of the restaurant's "content-to-table" concept, which draws inspiration from the competitive eater's food adventures and some of his most popular videos. 

Unlike a conventional restaurant, Over's offerings will evolve over time depending on what's popular with Zermatt's community. 

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"I was just telling the team that for the next quarter, we can actually have two dishes to be voted out by the community," he shared. 

And even the restaurant's top-selling items may not be spared. 

"Our bestseller doesn't even have a guaranteed spot on the menu to be very frank," Jin Wei added, explaining that the team would take diners' feedback into consideration when deciding on future offerings.

"We might change everything on the menu. That is very much on the cards." 

There are also plans for more collaborations and pop-ups. 

Already, Zermatt teased that diners can expect more adventurous offerings in the coming months. 

"[The menu now] is relatively tame as compared to what we actually intend to do, because we have a lot more things coming up," he said. 

What to expect at Over 

So, what is it actually like dining at Over? 

Ahead of the restaurant's opening, AsiaOne had the opportunity to get a taste of its current menu during a media preview on Tuesday. 

Located along Tras Street, the restaurant carries more of a casual bar vibe and feels like cosy spot to unwind with friends over bites and drinks. 

True to its name, the restaurant also doesn't shy away from generous portions, with dishes available in three sizes — Lesser (for one pax), Standard (for three to four pax) and Challenge, a portion containing 8kg worth of food and can comfortably serve 10 persons. 

Among the dishes we tried, one that stood out was Curry Me Over (from $23) — a Hainanese curry dish served with nanban chicken fillet, nyonya achar and fragrant jasmine rice. 

This is also a dish Zermatt singled out as a must-try during our conversation. 

It reminded me of old-school scissor-cut curry rice, but with an interesting Japanese twist. 

Despite being coated in a savoury nanban sauce and mayonnaise, the fried chicken retained its crispiness — while the spicy Hainanese curry helped balance out the richness of the sauces. 

The result was a hearty and satisfying combination that worked well as an indulgent, comforting meal after a long day. 

And while we thought the dish was a hit, Zermatt revealed that his high expectations for the food led to him turning down almost every dish during the first round of tastings. 

"I almost rejected everything," he admitted. 

He also shared that one of hurdles he met while running his own restaurant was learning to give the chef more creative freedom, rather than insisting on having everything done exactly the way he envisioned. 

"I think the biggest challenge is for me to accept that and actually be a bit more hands-off, and let the chef be a bit more hands-on," he said. 

That was actually part of the reason why Curry Me Over was created, as he realised that the chef's strength lay in preparing chicken dishes. 

Another dish worth mentioning was A Belly Good Time (from $15). 

A pork belly dish layered with shiso leaves and topped with crispy chilli, the meat had a melt-in-your-mouth texture, while the crispy toppings added a textural contrast. 

It also packed a spicy kick, making it a great accompaniment to drinks.

Offerings range from non-alcoholic beverages such as soft drinks ($4.50) to oversized cocktails ($16.80), beers (from $12.80) and more. 

Back to the food, Rolling Over Wakame (from $10) was a lighter, refreshing change of pace. 

The crispy spring rolls, served with wakame salad, sesame dressing and house-made glaze was light and tangy, which helped cut through the richness of the previous two dishes. 

And similar to the nanban chicken, the spring rolls remained satisfyingly crisp despite being coated in sauce. 

We also tried the Shoryu-Clams! (from $35), featuring white clams and shiitake mushrooms simmered in a shoyu butter sauce, served with toasted sourdough. 

While I had expected a richer, more fragrant flavour, we found the dish slightly too oily for our liking on its own. 

Having it with the toasted sourdough however, helped enhance the dish and cut some of the heaviness. 

Then there's the Wing Me Over (from $10 for six pieces). These juicy wings were fairly standard on their own, but a subtle fragrant aftertaste sets it apart. 

The accompanying Wasabi Soy Ginger sauce however, added a refreshing kick that made the wings feel lighter and more umami. 

Diners can also opt for other sauces including Nam Pla sauce and Buffalo Dashi. 

Other mains on the menu include Somen Like You (from $28), a silky somen noodle dish tossed in a savoury soy and nanban sauce, then topped with a crispy chicken cutlet, creamy egg mayonnaise and fresh scallions.

Those who prefer something meatless can also opt for the Udon Wanna Miss This (from $23), a vegetarian dish featuring thick, chewy udon noodles wok-fried with porcini mushrooms and sweet carrots. 

Another meat-free option is Over BBB (from $18), comprising tau gua, wakame, black fungus, carrots and porcini mushrooms tossed in a savoury-sweet glaze, with achar and crispy dumpling skin adding tanginess and crunch. 

Meat lovers, on the other hand, can look forward to the Over Jett Burger (from $28), created in collaboration with local barbecue specialist Jett Barbecue. 

The burger features the brand's signature beef cheeks, fried chicken, crispy onion rings, eggs and a creamy mayonnaise dressing. 

Upon trying this, it quickly replaced Curry Me Over as my favourite of the lot — as the smokiness from the meats, buttery fragrance of the buns and combination of flavours meshed well together to create an indulgent meal that somehow didn't taste too heavy. 

The cuts of meat were also extremely tender and easy to eat. 

According to Zermatt, the team had initially considered using Jett Barbecue's signature beef ribs for the burger, but eventually opted for beef cheeks to keep the price more affordable. 

The collaboration was also particularly special to the content creator, who described Jett Barbecue's offerings as notoriously difficult to get a hold of. 

"Whenever you want to order food from him, you have to go online and order, and it usually sells out within four minutes," he shared. 

In fact, he was initially unsure how the combination of ingredients would turn out. 

"I was so afraid because the burger looks so tall. I don't even know how to bite into it," he recalled. 

However, the burger eventually received positive feedback during tastings. 

"We have a lot of people saying that it's the best bite of burger they had in their lives," the competitive eater shared. 

Eat like Zermatt 

For those who reckon they have an appetite as big as the competitive eater, the Over Jett Burger is also available in a supersized Challenge portion ($469). 

But be warned — as even the content creator struggled to finish it. 

"I can easily say 10 adults cannot even finish that burger because of the fact that I've done it and I almost failed," he shared. 

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Apart from the burger, diners can also take on two other food challenges at Over — Wing Me Over ($239) and A Belly Good Time ($269). 

However, Zermatt stressed that the challenges are not necessarily meant to be attempted alone. 

"We want to make it a team challenge. So maybe two people can attempt. Maybe even four people can attempt," he said. 

Jin Wei added that rather than just being a challenge, the idea was for it to be more like an experience. Diners can also simply order the maximised portion to share among friends. 

Those who successfully complete a challenge will get a Polaroid photo taken and placed at a spot on the restaurant's Wall of Fame. 

"I want the person who is attempting the food challenge to feel like me when I first attempt a food challenge," said Zermatt. 

Food challenges at Over have to be booked five days in advance. 

Space to hang out with fans

For fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Zermatt at the restaurant, there's a good chance they might. 

Although his irregular work schedule means he wouldn't be able to turn up every day, the content creator said he intends to drop by as often as possible. 

"I'll try to make it a point to be there as much as I can," he shared, adding that he would announce his visits on social media platforms. 

For Zermatt, it's also an opportunity to get to know his community beyond the screen. 

"People who have met me offline all say the same thing, and they know the same thing, which is the fact that I can just talk to you and hang out with you for a while," he explained. 

"Over is the same. It's about that kind of vibe. I really just want to meet the community there and get to know them on a very personal level. That is what I will try to do." 

Address: 54 Tras Street, Singapore 078993
Opening hours: 6pm until late

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carol.ong@asiaone.com