A TALENTED chef’s dream of opening his own establishment is on the brink of coming true as he prepares to breathe new life into a popular former cafe in Greenock.

Food blogger and cook Ben Egan is set to put his own spin on the former Massa’s Cafe on Argyll Street by reopening it as a pan Asian street food café called ‘Umami by 17Ngon’.

The 36-year-old, who is trained in French classical cuisine and has worked at Michelin star restaurants and high-end hotels, hopes to serve up a variety of tasty and healthy meals to local people.

Originally from Birmingham, Ben has travelled extensively through Asia, where he developed a love of the cuisines of countries such as Japan and Vietnam.

He told the Telegraph that he was excited to take the next step forward in his culinary journey.

He said: “For the past two years I’ve been trying to find a property, this one finally popped up and I saw huge potential.

“The cafe is going to be Asian street food 101, a healthy option inspired by Asian street food doing classics the traditional way and using local produce.

“The pop-ups I’ve done before have been successful and I think it just shows this style of food is in demand.

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“It’s a big step for me but the time is right now, I think the climate and the market are right.

“It’s not going to fine dining to the point that it’ll break the bank if you eat here, it’s going to be reasonable food that’s healthy.

“This is the first place I’ve run, it’s an absolute dream come true.

“Having a restaurant one day has always been my end game, this is a box ticked off my bucket list.”

Greenock Telegraph: Ben Egan reopening Massa's in Greenock as a pan Asian street food cafeSince moving to Greenock, Ben has run several successful pop-up events in collaboration with Jax Snax at James Watt Dock Marina.

He is aiming to open the new cafe at the start of July, subject to the availability of contractors to renovate the interior.

The premises have lain empty since Massa’s closed in October of last year after decades operating in the town centre.

Ben hopes that the cafe’s new direction will help it become a popular part of the town centre again.

Greenock Telegraph: Ben Egan reopening Massa's in Greenock as a pan Asian street food cafe

He said: “I’ve heard a lot about this cafe and I’m excited to bring this place back to life.

“I want to keep it in that food tradition, even if the cuisine is quite a bit different.

“I’ve got a whole month of work ahead, we’ve got a game plan for the interior.

“I don’t want to reveal too much but it’s going to be very modern.

“It’s going to have the feel of Vietnamese side alley shop with a modern twist.

“It’s hard to explain if you haven’t been to Vietnam but I’m very excited.

“I’d love this to be the first of many, I want to one day open one in Glasgow and beyond.”