Feeding the Malaysian Soul into the Seoul of Koreans with Nasi Lemak

(source: nst.com.my)

Malaysians have a fetish for K-pop culture, and now Koreans have a growing taste bud for our ‘fat rice’. Amazingly enough, this ‘fat rice’ is sold at a higher price tag of RM19! That’s like 12 Nasi Lemak Bungkus, as one packet has an average price of RM1.50 here. How? Well, take exchange rate into account.

Duzy Noramzamnas Abdul Aziz, is the guy who brought our local pride over the borders and into the stomachs of Koreans and foreign tourists from the Netherlands, Japan, Indonesia, China, and France. He was inspired by the difficulties he faced in finding halal street food during his last visit to Korea a year ago. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one; several other Muslim tourists faced this similar issue as well. So, he started off by offering Nasi Lemak delivery services, where customers are able to place their orders through WhatsApp or KakaoTalk and he would deliver them via Seoul Metroplitan Subway. In a day, he would deliver 40 packages of Nasi Lemak to his target market of Malaysian workers, students, and tourists in Seoul. That may seem like a lot of work, but hey, anything for a huge payday.

(Source: Ben Duzy/Facebook)

Customers get to pick and choose what they’d like their Nasi Lemaks to be served with, along with expected staples like the infamous sambal, cucumber, anchovies, and eggs. He serves additional sides like squid, mussels, and chicken. And these additional servings could cost you up to RM14.95. *faints* But what makes Duzy’s Nasi Lemak a little more different than the others? Well, just like how Malaysians have a thing for sambal belacan, Koreans have a thing for bibimbap, which he serves along with the Nasi Lemak.

(Source: Ben Duzy/Facebook)

Having only just started his business two months in, he’s already expanded his business as he’s collaborated with his South Korean business partner Han Ji-Sung, owner of Pop @ Itaewon Guesthouse in Itaewon. This is where Duzy sets up his Nasi Lemak Berlauk Panas stall that sits on its rooftop, overseeing the beautiful skyline of the city.

(Source: agoda.com)

So guys, if you think your mom’s home cooked meal is legit, try sharing it with the rest of world. Perhaps Char Kuey Toew in the streets of France? Who knows, your business might hit the jackpot big time and you can retire early. Okay, you know what, we should probably start doing that… see ya!