Sam Lim Yong Sim joined the family business (the operation of No Signboard Seafood) since 1998 and spearheaded the development and expansion of the Group over the past two decades, which includes the leading of No Signboard Seafood business from its humble roots to the premium seafood restaurant chain it is today. Sam is responsible for (i) the formulation of the overall business and corporate policies and strategies of the Group; (ii) oversight of the management of the business and operations of the Group; and (iii) leading the Group’s business development, expansion and growth strategies and efforts.

No Signboard Seafood is famous for its white pepper crab dish (crab stir-fried in aromatic white pepper sauce and generously garnished with stalks of spring onion). The dish was created by Sam’s late maternal grandmother, Madam Ong Kim Hoi, and was sold at her stall at the Mattar Road hawker centre in Aljunied in the 1970s. Under the leadership of Sam, the Group has received numerous accreditations and awards over the years including the SG50 Prestige Enterprise Award 2015/2016 – Singapore’s Top F&B Brand for Seafood Category for its Restaurant Business and the Outstanding Brands – Beer 2016 for its beer business.

Sam joined the family business, full-time, immediately after he has completed his national service in 1998. During this time, their renowned hawker stall at Mattar Road has relocated to Farrer Park, moving the business into shophouses. No Signboard Seafood ran two outlets, one in Race Course Lane and the other in Geylang when Sam first joined. Even though Sam joined the business as a general manager, he worked hands on in the business as a kitchen helper and server, so as to understand the fundamentals of running the seafood business. When Sam first started out, he often must wake up at 5am to source for the freshest seafood in wet markets, worked late till the closing of the outlets and slept at 2am each day.

Seeing the potential in the business, Sam began scouting for new locations and discovered a space at the nowdefunct Oasis building in Kallang. That space at Oasis became No Signboard Seafood’s first full-fledged, airconditioned restaurant which opened in year 2000. To fund the start-up of the new restaurant at Oasis, he borrowed $300,000 from friends as no banks at that time would give him a loan. To save costs, Sam did the painting of the space and doing the electrical wiring himself. The restaurant at Oasis recouped its initial investment within six months.

After which, Sam took up the challenge to launch the Group’s first upscale No Signboard Seafood in 2005 at one of Singapore’s most iconic spots in the Central Business District - The Esplanade. The new outlet helped push the brand up another notch, to one associated more with a sophisticated dining experience. Sam went through great lengths to upgrade its service levels and ambience compatible to being at Esplanade. The $1-million restaurant has been a hit with the public and tourists. The Group has since expanded into other malls in Singapore like Central @ Clarke Quay and Vivocity.

With more than 20 years of F&B experience, Sam is instrumental in establishing No Signboard’s reputation as one of the best-known seafood restaurant chains in Singapore.

Being the 3rd generation in the No Signboard Seafood business, Sam aims to grow the Group’s business further. Sam now focuses his efforts into diversifying the Group’s restaurant business into different concepts through securing popular franchises, extensive R&D and merger & acquisition opportunities as well as expanding the Group’s global footprint.