As A young boy, Burhan Mohamed used to wash the dishes while his dad made mee goreng from a push cart.
When his father opened a stall in a Chinese restaurant in SS2, Burhan used to help out while learning how to cook his father’s famous dishes.
After years of working with his father, Burhan decided to open his own restaurant in 2003, Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar, commonly known as Kayu.
There are now five Kayu restaurants in the Klang Valley – Aman Suria, Kota Damansara, Ampang, Mid Valley Megamall and with the latest branch set to open in Nu Sentral after Hari Raya.
Kayu has only one restaurant in Penang – the home of nasi kandar – in Bukit Jambul.
Though he has been approached to open in other states, Burhan said he preferred to concentrate on the ones he has now.
Some find the food at Kayu expensive, but Burhan said it was because he provides only the best.
Apart from nasi kandar, another attraction is the restaurant’s 30cm roti tisu.
“Every night, a group of tourists will be in my restaurant to sample the roti tisu,” he said.
The father of three said the restaurant had garnered many loyal customers.
“When I see my regulars, I will often speak to them. When they bring their children, I tell them how I knew their parents when they were younger.”
Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar is the winner in the Star People’s Food Awards in the Best Nasi Kandar category.
The restaurant received 225 votes, beating its closest competitor by more than a hundred votes.
The award was presented to Burhan on June 10 by Jasmine Food Corporation Sdn Bhd central region senior sales manager Dino Cheang Thean Soo and central region sales manager Cheah Kok Teong at the SS2 branch.
Nasi kandar was the final category in the food awards.
Cheang said the awards had provided a good platform to raise awareness on the different types of Malaysian street food and restaurants serving them in the Klang Valley.
For the past year, the awards has been recognising stalls and restaurants all over the Klang Valley for having the best street food, as chosen by readers.
The awards began in June last year with the Best Chicken Rice category and later, Best Roti Canai, Nasi Briyani, Banana Leaf Rice, Satay, Asam Laksa, Nasi Lemak, Char Koay Teow, Popiah, Curry Laksa and Rojak Buah.
To all winners, congratulations and may you continue to satisfy the taste buds of your customers.
