Zermatt Neo’s restaurant is giving out meals for free if you can finish its food challenges

8kg. 9kg. 10kg. For local competitive eater Zermatt Neo, 38, that is a normal amount of food to finish in one sitting—and it is also why people keep watching his videos.

But you don’t have to eat like Zermatt to dine at his new restaurant.

Opening today (30 Oct), Over serves local comfort food in portions ranging from individual meals to large sharing platters. Diners who are feeling particularly adventurous can also turn any dish into a food challenge.

Vulcan Post spoke with Zermatt to find out more about his new venture, what diners can expect, and whether he has plans to take Over beyond its first outlet.

A menu inspired by his travels

Image Credit: Over

Over serves local comfort food in three portion sizes: Lesser, for one person; Standard, for three to four; and Challenge, an 8kg platter that serves about 10.

There are 10 items on the opening menu, including vegetarian options and desserts. Highlights include Curry Me Over, which pairs deep-fried red snapper with Hainanese curry rice (from S$23); A Belly Good Time, a pork belly dish with shiso and crispy chilli (from S$15); and Rolling Over, wakame spring rolls (from S$10).

Zermatt describes the thinking behind the menu as “content to table”. Having filmed food challenges and visited eateries across Singapore, Japan, Chengdu and New York, he has drawn inspiration from dishes featured in his videos and travels.

The menu will also change every three months, with customers voting to remove two dishes each quarter. Even popular items are not guaranteed a permanent place on the menu.

Food challenges are another part of Over’s concept, drawing on the format that helped Zermatt build his following online.

Customers can choose any dish on the menu and attempt to finish it within a set time limit. Those who succeed get their meal for free and a place on the restaurant’s Wall of Fame, while those who do not have to pay the full price.

A solo challenger has one hour, a duo 45 minutes and a trio 30 minutes. Challenges must be booked at least one week ahead so the kitchen can prepare, through Over’s Instagram.

A natural step

Image Credit: A Foodie World

Zermatt shared that opening a restaurant was a natural step in his content creator journey. It had been on his “bucket list for the longest time,” and fans had long told him to open one with food challenges in it.

The project came about after roughly a year of discussions with The WolfPack, the investment group behind GastroBeats and The Meatmen Group, led by CEO Toh Jin Wei.

According to Zermatt, Toh felt that the F&B industry had reached a point where traditional approaches to running a restaurant were no longer as effective. Both parties saw an opportunity to try a different approach by bringing content into the dining experience.

The WolfPack handles much of the operational and logistical work, while Zermatt focuses on marketing and representing the restaurant.

Image Credit: Over

He admitted that he has little to contribute in the kitchen, saying, “I really can’t do any form of cooking.” He added that he would “do more harm to the kitchen than to help them out”.

One of the biggest challenges so far, Zermatt said, was learning that his personal food preferences might not necessarily appeal to everyone.

The team spent about three months on research and development, testing dishes with groups of 30 to 50 people. Even the spring rolls he had previously teased on social media were well received by almost everyone except him—the dish made it onto the menu regardless.

The costs & challenges of opening Over

Image Credit: Over

Beyond developing the menu, Zermatt also had to contend with renovation delays and the task of building a front-of-house team.

Zermatt declined to disclose how much was invested in setting up Over. He said most of the expenditure went towards renovation and kitchen equipment, which account for the larger fixed costs. The restaurant’s larger portions also mean higher ingredient costs.

He also did not provide a break-even timeline or revenue target. For now, he said the priority was to serve good food and create an atmosphere where customers would want to come “over” to eat, drink and unwind.

When asked what would constitute a successful first year, Zermatt pointed to customer satisfaction and repeat visits. He expects regular diners to account for most of the restaurant’s revenue, as is typical of an F&B business.

Food challenges, meanwhile, are “more of an invitation to the community to try,” he said, given that they were what he started out doing.

He hopes to attract young working adults, students and national servicemen, with prices that would not put too much of a strain on their wallets.

“It’s been a journey”

Zermatt first began competing in 2014 after a dare to enter a ramen-eating contest, which he won. After another win two months later, he realised he had a knack for competitive eating.

He later trained as a nutritionist and personal trainer, becoming a full-time content creator by 2018. His notable feats include eating nearly 4kg of chicken rice in under 30 minutes in 2016, and 92 chicken wings in eight minutes to win the 2017 Food League Singapore championship.

Image Credit: Zermatt Neo

Zermatt plans to visit Over as often as his schedule allows, with visits announced on social media. As for expansion, he intends to take things one step at a time, though he is open to opening more outlets if the right opportunities arise.

He describes Over as a first for Singapore, noting that few places serve portions on such a scale. While he finds the venture “very exciting,” he admits that it is also “very scary,” as he has never undertaken anything like it before.

Some fans who have followed him for a decade have told him how much the restaurant means to them. “It’s been a journey for them and also for me,” he said, adding that their support “really means a lot to me”.

• Find out more about Over here.
• Read other articles we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here.