How Tiga Budak Gemok Went From A Roadside Stall To Malaysia’s Crowd Favourite
Famous for its Nasi Ayam Kicap, this eatery has built a loyal following nationwide with their flavour-packed soy sauce chicken and signature hand-ground chilli sambal.
- Tiga Budak Gemok started as a humble roadside stall in Wangsa Maju, founded by three siblings sharing their mother's recipe.
- They won the Crowd's Favourite Best Malaysian Food title at Grab 5-Star Eats Awards 2025, driven by 9 million verified reviews.
- With 60 to 70% of sales from online delivery, the brand aims to expand nationwide and become "the next Nasi Lemak".
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If you’ve ever scrolled through the GrabFood menu for something to munch on, then there’s a good chance that Tiga Budak Gemok has popped up on your feed.
Famous for its Nasi Ayam Kicap, this eatery has built a loyal following nationwide with their flavour-packed soy sauce chicken and signature hand-ground chilli sambal. So much so that some fans might tell you that, once you go kicap, it’s pretty hard to ever go back.
Their popularity was further cemented at the recent Grab 5-Star Eats Awards 2025, an award driven entirely by millions of ratings and reviews from everyday Malaysians on the Grab superapp.
This year, they emerged as one of the standout winners to take home the Crowd’s Favourite Best Malaysian Food title, a recognition that the brand’s General Manager of Finance & Operations, Khairul Anuar Abu Bakar, described as a “milestone”.
But before we get into what the win means for them and what’s next for Tiga Budak Gemok, let’s talk a bit about the awards and why they matter.
9 Million Reasons Why Grab 5-Star Eats is Legit
To start, there are no food critics or judging panels calling the shots here. The Grab 5-Star Eats Awards, together with the 5-Star Eats Food Guide, are shaped entirely by what Malaysians are actually ordering and eating.
“In 2025, we had about 9 million verified ratings and reviews,” said JJ Tan Jiong Jian, Director of Commercial and Deliveries at Grab Malaysia. “It’s a very data-driven and objective way to highlight the best of the best on our platform.”
Now in its fourth year running, the awards have grown significantly as a reflection of where Malaysians are actually spending their hard-earned ringgits and what they’re really putting on their plates.
It’s not subjective — it’s based on what Malaysians are actually eating. It becomes social proof that helps people shortlist their choices.
Grab Malaysia Director of Commercial and Deliveries, JJ Tan.
And on a platform with tens of thousands of F&B merchants, that proof carries real weight.
“On a digital platform, users have almost unlimited choices compared to physical shopping,” JJ said. “Because of that, signals like 5-star ratings become even more important to help consumers decide what to try.”
For 2025, Grab expanded the awards to twice as many categories, while also celebrating a 91% increase in the number of winning local brands. On top of that, Grab says that total voter participation for the awards rose by 45%, with the number of foodies voting for finalists more than doubled from last year.
The awards featured 17 categories in total, including Crowd’s Favourite Best Malaysian Food, Budget-Friendly Favourites, Grab Dine Out Category, Top Searched Restaurants, and Best of the Best.
This year’s winners include homegrown favourites like Lieniey Nasi Kerabu Tumis, S.A Bamboo Curry House, Grill Fish, Nasi Ayam Gepuk Top Global, Oriental Kopi, and of course, Tiga Budak Gemok.
From Gerai Bawah Pokok to Nationwide Success
For Tiga Budak Gemok, winning the Crowd’s Favourite Best Malaysian Food title at the Grab 5-Star Eats Awards 2025 caps nearly a decade of growth and feels well earned, says the brand’s General Manager.
Since 2017, it’s been almost nine years in the market; I think it’s a milestone for our brand.
Tiga Budak Gemok General Manager of Finance & Operations, Khairul Anuar Abu Bakar.
Founded by three siblings—Rafeel, Natasha, and Natalia—who wanted to share their mother’s nasi ayam kicap recipe with everybody, the brand began as a simple roadside stall under a tree in Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur.
From those humble beginnings, they have since expanded to more than 20 outlets across the Klang Valley, Johor, Melaka, and Penang, with Sungai Petani, Kedah, next in the pipeline.
Although Tiga Budak Gemok sees themselves as a pioneer of the dish, their ambition doesn’t stop there. Khairul says that the brand’s long-term goal is to “be the next Nasi Lemak,” which is, of course, one of Malaysia’s true soul food staples.
We want to be the next Nasi Lemak — It goes back to the basics of bersih, cepat and sedap (clean, quick and delicious) at the heart of our brand. We’re always customer-oriented and focused on service and product quality. We just want to be the best at what we do and serve the best Nasi Ayam Kicap in the market.
Tiga Budak Gemok General Manager of Finance & Operations, Khairul Anuar Abu Bakar.
He adds that their business model relies heavily on food delivery platforms like Grab, using them not only to reach their customers but also to continuously improve their operations through the feedback they receive.
Every week, we compile feedback, review issues, appeal where necessary, and focus on resolving problems quickly. Weekly reviews help us maintain and improve our standards.
Tiga Budak Gemok General Manager of Finance & Operations, Khairul Anuar Abu Bakar.
He explained that the brand operates on a fast-food-inspired setup, targeting a 15 to 20-minute turnaround from the time you order to the time you collect your meal. And fun fact, all of their outlets combined go through about four tonnes of onions a week just to make their signature kicap gravy.
Around 60% to 70% of their total sales come from online delivery, Khairul says, while walk-ins make up the remaining 30% to 40%. Grab alone accounts for roughly half of all the revenue the brand gets from food deliveries, especially in the Klang Valley.
“Grab plays a very important role,” he said. “We truly rely on our delivery partners and riders. They are valuable partners who help bring our food to customers every day.”
So if you haven’t tried Tiga Budak Gemok yet, consider this your sign to join the kicap club.
You can find them (and plenty more crowd-approved favourites) on the Grab app. And if you’re wondering where to start, check out Grab’s 5-Star Eats winners and food guide HERE for your next favourite makan spot.
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