GEORGE TOWN: Being retrenched may be the best thing to have happened to former flight attendant Hana Batrisya Zainol, 24, and her husband. The couple started a nasi lemak business which they are now planning to take to the global stage.
With business picking up, the couple, who use between 40kg and 50kg of rice a day to make the delicacy, have seized the opportunity in bringing their nasi lemak overseas.
“We are planning on opening branches in neighbouring countries.
“Currently, we are looking into expanding our business to Singapore or Indonesia.
“My mother has friends and family in Indonesia. Hence, she is planning to fly to Indonesia first to teach my grandmother, who is living there, the recipe for our nasi lemak.
“We are also planning to open at night starting next year as a lot of customers have requested for it,” said Hana Batrisya, who is fluent in Malay, English, Mandarin, Hokkien and Bahasa Indonesia.
Hana Batrisya’s father is Chinese, while her mother’s family is from Indonesia.
The couple’s standard nasi lemak is the classic Malaysian dish served with half a hard-boiled egg, deep-fried anchovies and groundnuts, and with the gravy-like sambal spilled liberally over the rice.
Depending on extra ingredients like chicken, squid, prawn or fish, each packet is priced between RM2 and RM6.
Business at their stall, located at a food court in Macalister Road here, starts at 6.30am and there will often be a queue until the nasi lemak is finished, which is usually around 3pm.
Hana Batrisya and her husband Muhammad Nur Azizee Roslan, 25, who was a flight caterer, lost their jobs in the airline industry in November 2020 following travel curbs due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It was hard at first as we were retrenched at the same time.
“We ended up going back to my hometown in Penang and started selling nasi lemak.
“The idea of selling nasi lemak came from my mother and husband as my mother has a stall selling fried food and my husband loves nasi lemak,” she said.
Hana Batrisya said she learnt a lot from the experience.
“I was scared at first to start a business as the economy was not good due to the pandemic but I believe in God and trusted Him.
“With all the prayers and support from family and friends, videos of our business went viral on social media.
“To those who lost their jobs, remember that when one door closes, another opens.
“Be brave and try new jobs,” she said.
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