POV: Malaysian Food Seller Serves Up Maggi Goreng In Nottingham
Syiok Lah attracts both British and Asian locals, as well as Malaysians who miss the taste of home.
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A Malaysian street food vendor in the United Kingdom went viral recently after he shared a point-of-view (POV) video of himself serving a customer maggi goreng — one of Malaysia’s favourite dishes — in Nottingham.
In the video, Kent Hau assembles a plate of Maggi goreng ayam for a customer who ordered it, putting in all the usual fixings such as spring onions, fried shallots, and red chilli for that extra “oomph”.
Hau, who is a Malaysian from Kuala Lumpur, moved to the UK almost 20 years ago before starting up a food truck business in 2021 called Syiok Lah. Since it opened, Syiok Lah quickly became a popular spot for locals and tourists to get their hands on some actual Malaysian street food.
Besides Maggi goreng, his food truck is also popular for its nasi lemak, which attracts British and Asian locals, as well as Malaysian students who miss the taste of home because who wouldn’t miss a plate of good old nasi lemak after being away from it for so long?
Another popular item on Syiok Lah’s menu is the Bao Bun, a fluffy and savoury treat with spiced chicken drizzled in sauces.
While Hau is nomally stationed around Nottingham, his Instagram account shows that he also participates in pop up events and even festivals there.
Just last year, they served Malaysian food at 70 events and five festivals, with their sambal sauce being the highlight.
He had a career in interior design, until COVID-19 hit
Hau never had a background in culinary. In fact, he was working as an interior designer. He later moved to Nottingham to study architecture and design.
After graduating, Hau spent nearly a decade working as a Project Manager in CGI for architecture and interior design. Everything was going smoothly until the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and this is when Hau started to sorely miss Malaysian food.
He later called his mother and asked her to teach him how to cook. Eventually, he started cooking and selling nasi lemak on a small scale but it sold out every time.
When the lockdown was lifted in Nottingham, he took his business from “deliveries only” to pop-up events, festivals, and markets, widening his customer base (and probably their waistlines too).
“I used to build interiors. Now I build flavours. I build community. I build a piece of Malaysia in the UK,” he said in an Instagram post.
Hau also dreams of opening a proper authentic Malaysian restaurant in Nottingham one day, and Malaysians are all for it.
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