Hello, foodies! Today, we are taking a break from our usual food-related content to share with you delightful stories on how some local businesses are doing during this difficult time. Many small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) are working hard to breakeven, so, this Malaysia Day, here’s how you can support the recovery of local businesses in all shapes and sizes. It is time we unite as Malaysians and support our local heroes! It is as simple as: order food and buy from them.
Stories Of Old Recipes, Family-Run Businesses, And More From These Local Eateries & Home Bakers
In recent times, it seems crucial that restaurants and eateries move to delivery services in order to sustain their business as there are some customers who are still afraid to go out of their homes to dine-in. Speaking of food delivery services, it’s no secret that Grab has really stretched out their helping hand to take on new merchants with GrabFood and GrabExpress, especially for home-based sellers.
Food delivery is booming, and we are going to depend on it for a long while. And, in the new norm, it’s best to be safe and practice social distancing. So, it’s comforting to know that GrabFood implements Contactless Delivery that allows customers to request for Grab riders to place their orders at a specific spot and walk 2 meters away so that customers can pick up their food. This brings us to sharing with you some stories of local eateries (on GrabFood) and home bakeries (on GrabExpress) that have been working hard throughout this RMCO to sustain their businesses. Let’s take a look at how their stories inspires us all to support local heroes during this time!
1. Santan (Nasi Lemak Saiko)
Kicking off this list is a restaurant started by 3 students that have been selling our National dish, Nasi Lemak, since 2004. It all began when one of the student’s used his mother’s recipe to start a roadside stall outside MMU where Nasi Lemak Saiko debuted. Ever since then, their success has led them to expand into a food court in Bangi, and is now offering more than 20 dishes to go with their famous Nasi Lemak Goreng!
Choose delicious sides to go with your Nasi Lemak such as Korean Chicken Wings and Baby Crab, Keropok Lekor, Crispy Sotong, Fried Mushrooms and so much more! They even offer other mains such as Curry Mee, Indomie and Char Kuey Teow. Yum!
Santan (Nasi Lemak Saiko)
Order from GrabFood here.
Address: Jalan Teras, Kampung Teras Jernang, 43650 Bangi, Selangor
Opening hours: 8am – 12am (Closed on Wednesdays)
Status: Halal
Link(s): Facebook | Instagram | WhatsApp
2. One Chopati
Chopati’s famous Chapati and Poori, was the outcome of a mother’s dying wish. Back then, Pn Hafizah’s parents sold nasi lemak and kuih at a small stall in Keramat before her father passed away in 2001. Left with no choice, they had to put the business on hold before reopening the restaurant and closing it again in 2005 when Pn Hafizah got married.
However, right before her mother passed in 2012, she had one request: “teach people how to eat Poori, because it’s so delicious!” To fulfill her mother’s wish, she reopened the stall and started serving her father’s Poori recipe, in a signature dish called T Poo which became a sensation ever since.
This iconic stall only serves Chapati and Poori as their main, but you can mix and match a variety of sides such as Chicken Keema, Beef Keema, Kambing Curry, Sardines and Aloo Gobi!
One Chopati
Order from GrabFood here.
Address: MS-040, Kompleks Perniagaan Keramat Mall, Datuk Keramat, 54000 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 7am – 8pm (Daily)
Status: Halal
Link(s): Facebook | Instagram | WhatsApp
3. Soong Kee Beef Ball Noodles
If you ask a foodie in KL where to get the best beef noodles, Soong Kee will undoubtedly spring into conversation. This legendary 75-year-old restaurant started in 1945 during World War II, catering to patrons at their first outlet along Jalan Silang. Currently, the brand is run by the third generation of the Siew family, and has 4 branches across Klang Valley: Jalan Silang, Lot 10, Setapak and Kota Damansara.
Their most famous dish is the Beef Ball Noodles that comes with springy Hakka noodles topped with minced meat sauce served with a bowl of beef balls soup! You’ll be surprised at how bouncy and tasty the beef balls are. In addition, they do serve other varieties of noodles such as Beef Tripe noodles, Char Siew wantan noodles, Curry Mee and more!
Soong Kee Beef Ball Noodles
Order from GrabFood here.
Address: 86, Jalan Tun H S Lee, City Centre, 50050 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 11am – 10pm (Closed on Sundays)
Status: Non-halal
4. Legends Claypot Briyani
South Indian food lovers must check out this unique way of serving Briyani! Founded back in 1997, Legend’s Claypot Briyani is the first restaurant in Malaysia to serve briyani in a piping hot claypot, featuring 12 varieties of its kind. All of their briyanis are cooked with a wide range of masala, and comes with super long grain Basmathi Rice that becomes slightly crunchy at the bottom of the claypot!
Served on a banana leaf, they offer meat briyanis such as Chicken, Mutton and Seafood, and many other vegetarian options with plant-based meats! You can also pair them with their delicious ala-carte dishes like Fish Cutlets, King Prawns, Chicken 65, Mutton Varuval, Mushroom Perattal and more!
Legends Claypot Briyani
Order from GrabFood here.
Address: Ground, 50, Jalan Vivekananda, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 11am – 10pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
Status: Pork-free
Link(s): Facebook | Instagram | Website
5. Ginger Roots Restaurant
Whenever you are at Taman OUG, you cannot miss out on this restaurant that serves Peranakan-Javanese fusion food that’s super authentic and delicious. Calling themselves – Ginger Roots, the owners have been in the food business for over 15 years and also operate two other sister restaurants.
Their most popular dishes include, Dancing Fish, Tofu Bergedil, and Otak-Otak Fried Rice. The Dancing Fish is cooked to perfection and is super crispy. For those who love tofu, you must try their Tofu Bergedil because it is a perfect snack and appetiser to share. You would think that Otak-Otak Fried Rice is an unusual pairing but rest assured it is delicious!
The owners behind Ginger Roots grew up with a large influence of Nyonya food from their mother’s home-cooking and that is what inspires most of their recipes. Having also lived abroad in Indonesia, they’ve managed to successfully create Peranakan-Javanese fusion food that is both authentic and tasty. It is no doubt that they have paid homage to both cultures in terms of serving food that is home-cooked and comforting to their customers.
Ginger Roots Restaurant
Order from GrabFood here.
Address: 87, Jalan Hujan Emas 8, Taman Overseas Union, 58200 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 9pm (Daily); Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
Status: Muslim-friendly
Link(s): Facebook
6. Bombombakes
Need something for your sweet tooth? Check out @bombombakes for some of the best cream puffs you’ll ever taste! Bombombakes started off in 2018 as a side income business for its owner, Akmal Yusoff while he was still a full-time employee at a publishing company. Fast forward to 2019, it is now his full-time business and main source of income.
Since he was young, baking has always been his hobby and he even took up baking classes in his spare time. The recipe for his Japanese-inspired Bombom Cream Puffs are of his own making with a few tweaks along the way. With generous feedback from his colleagues and friends who were first to taste the cream puffs, the credit for his now-perfected recipe goes to his own learning experience from the baking classes that he took.
The Bombom Cream Puffs are decadent and it’s definitely heaven for a sweet tooth lover. Plus, there are two flavours that you can try: Original or Nutella! Excited to try Bombombakes? GrabExpress is now offering 31% off deliveries from now until September 18, 2020, so here’s your chance to try delicious cream puffs and support home-based sellers!
Link(s): @bombombakes
Order from Bombom Bakes and get it delivered with GrabExpress with 31% discount from now until 16th September!
7. Cake Endorphin
Calling all dessert lovers because you have to try these sweet treats from Cake Endorphin! An accountant turned home baker, Jaja has been baking since 2015. She started Cake Endorphin in July 2018 and has been a full-time baker since. Honing her craft, she bakes mouth-watering creampuffs (Creampuff Gebu) that is best eaten when it’s cold because the custard filling tastes like ice-cream!
As a self-taught baker, she owes some of her baking skills to watching videos on YouTube. Her most popular orders also include dipndip-style brownies and they sure do look divine! Chocolate lovers rejoice because you certainly have to try these brownies! What are you waiting for? Order them today for a delicious treat!
Link(s): @cakeendorphin
Order from Cake Endorphin and get it delivered with GrabExpress with 31% discount from now until 16th September!
8. Lilian’s Homemade Cake
Calling all cake lovers because there’s a new online cake shop in town and there are three words to describe their cakes: 100% homemade, delicious, and healthy! Just five months into its inception, Lilian’s Homemade Cake is where you can get 100% homemade cakes (made to order only!) that are made with quality and premium ingredients (without any preservatives and additives).
So, the question is: who is behind such lovely cakes? The answer is: Lilian, of course! Lilian is a full-time housewife with a strong passion for baking. She owes her craft to watching YouTube videos and becoming a self-taught baker, while also sharing her baking experiences with her friends and family. After persistent encouragement and positive feedback from her first few bakes, she finally introduced her online cake shop!
Lilian’s favourite cake is the Houjicha Chiffon Cake, which is also their signature cake. This cake was inspired by Lilian’s daughter, whose favourite drink is Houjicha Latte. After dozens of experiments, Lilian perfected this cake to ensure it had the perfect balance of strong Houjicha flavour without being overly sweet.
And, it’s safe to say that this cake is a total hit and happy customers keep coming back for more! And, we have more good news because you can now order any of Lilian’s Homemade Cake and get 31% off delivery charges on GrabExpress. If you love Houjicha Latter as much as Lilian’s daughter, you’re going to want this cake as much as we do!
Link(s): @lilianshomemadecake
Order from Lilian’s Homemade Cake and get it delivered with GrabExpress with 31% discount from now until 16th September!
Support Local Heroes & Order From Them Today
And, that sums up our list of eight (8) heartwarming stories of some of our local heroes who have been working hard throughout the MCO and RMCO to earn a stable income. This Malaysia Day, don’t forget to show your support to these local eateries and home bakers by ordering from them! Check them out on GrabFood and GrabExpress today. This Malaysia Day, help Malaysian businesses thrive again!
This article is co-written with Daniel Liew.
Read: McDonald’s Released Thai Milk Tea Series, Salted Caramel Pie And More This September
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