Yusof and wife Yuka run the show together. — Photos: ART CHEN/The Star
It has been all about beef ever since Yusof Dayan Iskandar Carey stepped away from his banking career and a short stint as a remisier. The owner/chef of Butcher Carey, a thriving steak restaurant that he set up in 2016, has had an eventful journey, leading him to where he is today.
He may be the one who cooks the cut and type of beef you choose at his restaurant, but he does not consider himself a chef. The focus is on the meat, from farm to table.
Yusof, 55, spent seven years working in two banks since he graduated with a diploma in accounting from Mara Institute of Technology. He then became a remisier “to make more money.”
While he made big bucks initially, there were uncertain times when he found himself grappling with losses incurred by clients who were unable to pay.
“I decided I didn’t want that kind of life, and found an opportunity to do accounting work for a Malaysian-Cambodian company dealing in livestock in Cambodia. The job was supposed to be for two years, but it stretched on to five,” he says. That was when his interest in livestock was ignited.
“I was placed in an office on a cattle farm, two hours’ drive from Phnom Penh. My neighbours were 10,000 heads of cattle! I’ve always been a city person and never liked the outdoors. My daily routine was to wake up at 5am and be at the office by 6am. There was no electricity on the farm. The power only kicked in at 7am and cut off at 7pm, so I had to get ready for bed by then.”
As the general manager, he lived in a bungalow and was paid well. He had the company of two Malaysians, but everything else was hard.
The no-frills simple interior of Butcher Carey.
“There were 40 employees at the farm. Six months into the job, I found myself liking the outdoors. I told my boss that I wanted to learn about livestock, how to buy, feed cattle and run the business.”
Yusof shared about his heart-stopping days in Cambodia, where he had to have armed bodyguards whenever he travelled into the interior to buy cattle from farmers. That was because he had to carry huge sums of cash as there were no banks in those areas. He recalled how bazooka-carrying bandits ambushed their trucks carrying cattle from up north through the jungle roads.
“They started shooting at our trucks as we sped through; two in our party were shot dead by the bandits!”
Back in Malaysia five years later, his boss was ready to start the biggest livestock farm in Kluang, Johor. Yusof was sent to Australia to learn about cattle rearing and slaughtering, and set up the beef supply to a well-known supermarket chain.
“I thought I had learnt enough to open my own butchery, Las Vacas in Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya. My wife Yuka Tanaka (who’s Japanese) and I decided to do just butchery. The first year was very tough, and I ended up with a slipped disc. Nine hours a day at the cutting counter that was too low for me caused it. I had to recuperate at home for two months. My wife and business partner carried on the business,” he explains.
As business dropped, Yusof considered introducing dining at the suggestion of one of his customers who was impressed by the quality of the meat he sold. Yusof set up just two tables for dining. It was a hit and fully booked every day.
“I just did a simple fried rice, meat and salad. It’s what I do for my family every day. I’m just a butcher and griller, not a chef. But people called me chef as we grew.
“The Mont Kiara outlet opened, the business grew and we opened a 650sq m restaurant at Jalan Yap Kwan Seng in Kuala Lumpur. In time, Las Vacas expanded to six outlets.”
It got too much for Yusof as he found himself handling accounts and management instead of what he enjoyed – being on the floor and cooking. Eventually, he sold the business.
Yusof demonstrating the best way to approach a steak.
Yusof says that he used to bring Jakim officers to farms in Australia.
“I’m one of the very few Malaysians who can go to the cattle farmers and speak to them in their own lingo.”
Yusof, whose mother is Malay and father, Australian, has plans to buy a small farm with about 40 cattle in Western Australia and live there for his retirement. But his plan got short shrift from his wife Yuka, 39, who’s actively involved in Butcher Carey.These days, the no-frills restaurant attracts a broad spectrum of customers, from royalty and judges to office workers and Grab riders.
“I won’t sell frozen meat, just premium halal beef. Any meat that is frozen is inferior. I’m not trying to be atas (snobbish). I just want you to eat a good steak and leave happy,” says Yusof.
“In the old days, a steak meal was a special occasion; now I cater to people who know about steaks, but do not want to dress up to have it. I enjoy what I do. This business is very personal for me.
“I broke the mould and the first year I struggled.”
Things got much better for him the following year and his business has grown steadily since.
Yusof not only survived the Covid-19 pandemic, but was also able to reach out to those who needed a helping hand.
“Every Thursday after closing at 7pm, we would buy food from other restaurants and drive through Kuala Lumpur to feed the homeless,” he says.
These days, time out for him is golfing and having a meal with the family. He makes a point to take a long holiday with his family once a year, and in between they take short breaks to Japan to visit relatives.
When asked what his future plans are for Butcher Carey, he replies: “This is my retirement plan!”
