Malaysia is not only popular for its beautiful and natural touristic destinations but also for the variety of food reflecting its multi-cultured and religious ethnic groups that it offers not only to the locals but also for tourists that come from all over the world.
Some tourists come back several times to Malaysia just because they crave for the food that suits their taste buds besides falling in love with the people who are friendly, helpful and easy to communicate.
Nowadays people move around very much either due to their work or as tourists travelling and spending their holidays abroad. However, no matter what they do or where they go, at the end of the day they need food to eat.
The question is what kind of food would they choose to buy and eat in the limited time they have?
Mimie Azura Mohamad, a Kelantan-born-chef, takes the opportunity from the limited time most people have these days by introducing the “grab and go concept”.
Mimie said, the “grab and go concept” is very popular among foreigners especially the Europeans who just want to have a bite and quick meal when chilling around or before they start to work in the morning or at any time of the day.
For such concept she sells food and drinks at a portable café known as Anggun Chef Café in the premises of the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) at Jalan Dutamas 2, Komplek Kerajaan, Kuala Lumpur.
Anggun Chef Café caters for fast and packed food to exhibition visitors, guests and event participants at daily basis.
“We sell different types of coffee and the beans are imported from Europe. Anggun Chef Café offers Americano, Latte, Caramel Latte, Hazelnut Latte, Mocha, Chocolate, Long Black, Cappuccino, Espresso, Flat White, Macchiato besides Black Tea, Green Tea, Camomile Tea, Ice Lemon Tea, Orange Juice and Mineral Water,” she said.
Synonymous to the concept of fusion food, Mimie’s company Anggun Dynamic Holdings Sdn., Bhd., offers three signature dishes namely “Rendang Peanut Butter Burger Beef/Chicken; Asam Pedas Lamb Grill Spaghetti; and Mixed Seafood Platter.
Mimie said, each signature dish uses the versatile fusion food paste such as Rendang Peanut Butter, Asam Pedas and Seafood paste that she sells in small packages of 200 grams. Some have already been bottled while six types of pastes namely Chilli Crab Sauce, Spicy and Sour Sauce; Beef Rendang Sauce, Vegetarian Green Curry Sauce, Satay Sauce and Sambal Dip Sauce are in the process of bottling for export markets.
Anggun Chef Café also offers multipurpose fusion sauces that are versatile and can be used as a dipping sauce, marinating purposes, and served with the main course depending on one’s creativity.
The Mixed Seafood Platter consists of Dory Fish (white fish) mussels, prawns and cuttlefish served with sauce, some vegetable salad and French bread. This seafood dish is also delicious and is worth trying as the sauce is light not too spicy and blends well with bread.
Meanwhile, the Beef Rendang Peanut Butter Burger Beef/Chicken is served with vegetable and it is really delicious. The Asam Pedas Lamb Grill Spaghetti is delicious too as the paste is “cool” and has its authentic fusion flavour.
A foreigner from Tunisia who had eaten the burger said: “Wow it is really delicious and suits my taste buds. It has a “fusion flavour” and I like it very much.”
Mimie is assisted by her staff My Hamid as the Operation Director who has 10 years of cooking experiences while Saiful Yusni is the barista who makes coffee and Mohd. Firdaus is the assistant chef – both aged 20.
Located in the premises of Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) at Jalan Dutamas 2, Komplek Kerajaan, Kuala Lumpur, Anggun Chef Café caters for fast and packed food to exhibition visitors/guests and event participants at daily basis.
“We are the only in-house café operating under the auspices of MITEC. We started from the SEA Games on 19th till 30th August 2017 and Defence Services Asia (DSA) from 16th till 19th April 2018.
“We are still here today due to good responses from both local and international guests at the two international events. We serve the people who love “fusion food” that is mixed traditional Malay food with that of Western.
“About 60% of our customers are foreigners while 40% are from the locals namely Chinese, Malays and Indians,” she added.
Mimie emphasizes that “Anggun Chef” is a lifestyle brand that focuses on urban market yet universal customers.
Regarding her future plans in the business she said: “We are signing agreements soon with distributors in the North and South of France for our traditional Malay food paste and meantime negotiations are also taking place with Qatar business people.
“Five years ago we put the pastes in small packages but now we are having it in bottles as this is more suitable for the European and Arab markets,” Mimie said convincingly.
According to Mimie, their success to penetrate into the international markets is mainly due to their participations in international food exhibitions in Dubai, Hong Kong, Paris and Amsterdam.
Mimie is not new in food business as she had opened a café for two years at the Plaza Damaz 3 in front of Hartamas Shopping Mall few years ago and since then began to participate in international food exhibitions to sell her innovative fusion food products.
Mimie said, she also takes customers’ orders from the offices and residential areas around MITEC to cater for meetings and events with the “grab and go” food.
Meanwhile Anggun Chef Café also caters for fast meeting event with 30 people at any one time. –Malaysia World News
