Holiday Experience Inspires Nasi Kandar Restaurant Business In Phu Quoc

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 20 (Bernama) -- Nasi kandar with mixed curry gravies, fried cabbage and honey chicken paired with teh tarik are no longer impossible to enjoy in Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest island, which is increasingly attracting Malaysian tourists.

Mina Nasi Kandar Halal, situated in the island’s main town, is run by businessman Dr Nash Ramesh, 52, and a friend from Langkawi, Kedah.

They started the restaurant nearly three months ago after recognising the potential for a halal restaurant based on their own experiences holidaying there.

“After spending three days in Phu Quoc, we felt that the food options were rather limited, although there were several halal restaurants. So, we wanted to provide an alternative to tourists, especially those from Malaysia or who have previously visited our country and experienced Malaysian cuisine.

“As a Malaysian and someone with a Muslim business partner, I understand how important halal requirements are to Muslim tourists,” he said when met at his restaurant recently.

He said the chicken and meat used at the restaurant are purchased exclusively from Halal Mart, a member of Halal Vietnam that is recognised by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), adding that the relevant authorities also conduct inspections almost every month to ensure compliance with halal certification requirements.

Nash, who hails from Taiping, Perak, said dry ingredients, particularly spices, are not a problem because he owns a logistics business in Ho Chi Minh City and is the sole distributor in Vietnam for a popular Malaysian spice brand.

“However, I still go back to Malaysia every few months to purchase items that are difficult to get here, such as belacan (shrimp paste), because we also prepare dishes using this ingredient, including sambal belacan served with ulam (vegetables) such as cucumber and salad, as well as boiled okra,” he said.

Nash said the restaurant, which began operations on July 28, is the first Malaysian restaurant in Phu Quoc and the first nasi kandar restaurant in Vietnam, adding that it has received a very positive response not only from Malaysian tourists, but also visitors from Brunei, Singapore, India, China and Arab countries.

Asked whether the food served at the restaurant tastes authentic like Malaysian cuisine, Nash said he brought with him four chefs from Malaysia, while his 37-year-old wife Van Anh, a Vietnamese national, has also learned various Malaysian recipes since they married 15 years ago.

The restaurant, which has 11 employees, also offers popular Vietnamese food such as pho and banh mi, as well as nasi lemak, fried noodles and roti canai as part of its breakfast buffet when catering to groups of tourists.

“We have also received a good response from the locals, especially for the roti canai, which is prepared in front of customers and sold from 30,000 Vietnamese dong (about RM4), with more people also becoming familiar with nasi kandar because they had visited Malaysia.

“For the selection of dishes, popular choices include ayam kicap (soy sauce chicken), honey chicken and ayam berempah (spiced chicken), while our speciality is daging kicap (soy sauce beef), and teh tarik, teh O, Nescafe and iced lime drinks are often the preferred choice of beverage.

“If customers request a particular dish or drink, we will do our best to fulfil their requests as long as the ingredients are readily available here,” said Nash, who also offers an a la carte menu featuring a variety of hot dishes starting from 85,000 Vietnamese dong (about RM13).

The restaurant, which operates daily from 8 am to 10 pm, also has a surau because the majority of its customers are Muslim.

“This restaurant also helps ease my longing to meet and chat with Malaysians, as more and more of them are choosing to holiday in Phu Quoc, especially as the halal restaurant scene here continues to grow,” said Nash, who has been living in Vietnam for the past 12 years.

-- BERNAMA