Kuala Lampur, Aug. 23 -- I love Hai Di Lao. What's not to love about high quality hot pot with awesome sides and noodle-based theatrics for a reasonable price?

So I was happy to discover thatForbes magazine named Hai Di Lao founder Zhang Yong the richest Singaporean.

Yong's is a great story. He was born in China's Sichuan province, his family was poor and he never finished high school.

He initially worked as a welder and didn't eat at a restaurant until he was 19 years old.

A few years after his first restaurant experience, Yong decided to open his own restaurant in a small city in Sichuan.

Starting with just four tables and struggling with a lack of ingredients, equipment and capital he persevered and people were won over by the qua...