Chef Behind Xiao Hei Tze Char Name Plans Singapore Departure

Chef Devid Retanasamy, whose nickname became the name of the Xiao Hei Tze Char franchise, plans to leave Singapore after 24 years. His planned return to Ipoh follows his departure from the franchise in April and the forthcoming closure of XH Delicious Seafood, the separate Temple Street operation where he subsequently took up a cooking role.

From franchise culinary director to Temple Street

A report published by Yahoo News Singapore on 6 November outlined the Malaysian chef’s changes of workplace during 2026. Retanasamy, who turned 43 on 28 October, had previously been culinary director of Xiao Hei Tze Char.

The franchise opened its first outlet in Hougang on 1 February, followed by a second in Bedok on 1 March. Its name adopted his nickname, Xiao Hei, which he said he regarded as an affectionate term that helped customers remember him.

Retanasamy said he left the group in early April following disagreements with management over his responsibilities and remuneration. That account is his explanation of the departure, rather than an independently established finding about the franchise’s management.

After leaving, he joined XH Delicious Seafood at Chinatown Coffee Shop on Temple Street. The operation began trading on 20 April, and his face appears prominently on its signboard. Although both businesses have been associated with the chef, the reported sequence is important: he had already left Xiao Hei Tze Char before joining the Temple Street eatery.

Responsibilities extended beyond cooking

Retanasamy’s account describes a culinary director role encompassing several operational duties. Alongside cooking, he said he had to recruit staff, source suppliers, plan menus and prepare sauces for all the franchise’s outlets.

For Singapore’s franchise community, this is the clearest operational point in the story. The duties he described covered both work in the kitchen and support across multiple locations. Recruitment, purchasing and menu preparation were therefore part of his account of the role, not simply the preparation of dishes for customers at one restaurant.

His departure also separates two relationships that customers might otherwise see as one: the chef’s personal association with a brand name and his employment within the business using that name. In this case, the nickname formed part of the franchise’s identity, while the chef said his working relationship with the group ended in April.

The later closure announcement concerns XH Delicious Seafood on Temple Street. It should not be read as an announcement that the Hougang or Bedok franchise outlets are closing.

Temple Street operation to close on 25 November

XH Delicious Seafood is scheduled to cease operations on 25 November, roughly seven months after it began trading. Retanasamy said the business had lost more than S$10,000 since opening earlier in 2026.

The eatery is at 39 Temple Street. Its listed opening hours are 11.15am to 10.15pm daily until its final day, with a closure on 11 November.

The reported loss relates to the Temple Street business. It is not a financial result for Xiao Hei Tze Char, and the chef’s move between the two operations does not make their financial positions interchangeable.

For diners following Retanasamy’s cooking, the November closure marks the end of his latest Singapore posting before his planned return to Malaysia.

A smaller restart planned in Ipoh

Retanasamy plans to reopen XH Delicious Seafood in a two-storey shophouse he owns in Ipoh. He previously operated a zi char eatery there in 2016.

He estimates that setting up the business will require RM20,000, reported as approximately S$6,300. The premises can accommodate about 60 diners, and he intends to begin with two employees. These remain plans and estimates, rather than confirmed operating results for the proposed eatery.

Practical takeaway: Franchise partners working with a named chef should clearly document responsibilities, remuneration and the use of the chef’s identity. For customers, the immediate distinction is simpler: the announced 25 November closure is for XH Delicious Seafood on Temple Street, not the Xiao Hei Tze Char franchise.