Welcome to Singapore's hustle economy

Ivan Leong, like many other millennials and Gen Z in Singapore, has ditched the corporate grind and opened small F&B businesses.

Aditi Bharade

"We're the same age," I told Ernest Ang, a 24-year-old who opened an eatery two years ago with his grandmother's recipes.

And yet, it feels like we live in different worlds.

Every day, he whips up large batches of fried chicken and beef rendang in Singapore's 90-degree tropical heat. On the other side of the island, in the glitzy financial district...