KOTA KINABALU – The dishes he cooks has graced many family events and attracted loyal customers who are willing to head to his restaurant near Kinarut as early as 6am.
Despite the pandemic, business has been steady for Dzulezlan Ali, 22, and his family who operate a restaurant here in the Sabah west coast district of Papar, some 12km from here.
The story goes, Dzulezlan took over as the main cook for the restaurant after deciding to not pursue higher education in 2017.
“My heart was not into studying. Even if I could or was accepted into a learning institution, I won’t be able to study well,” he told The Vibes.
Due to financial constraints, the young man decided to put his education options aside to help in the family business, a small restaurant named D’Warung Ija Soto and Katering.
Dzulezan, who is a Sino-Kadazan Muslim, cooks local favourites such as ngiu chap (mixed beef noodle soup), and favourites such as laksa Sarawak, rojak, wantan ho, bakso and mee bandung.
A skill he humbly said he learnt from his 48-year-old mother, a Kadazan, Raziah Elias and his Chinese father Ali Salleh, 52, who had helmed the restaurant for the last 21 years.
While many businesses found themselves struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic, Dzulezan said they too were affected, but “not as severe” as expected.
He said aside from selling food from the restaurant, which is located near a mosque in Kinarut, the restaurant also provided catering for small functions.
His 26-year-old brother, Mohd Dzulman Ali, also helped deliver food, said Dzulezlan, adding that it kept the business afloat during the pandemic.
“We usually operate from 10am until 8pm at night. But these days some orders come as early as 6.30am and we have to extend our business earlier.
“That is before the standard operating procedures for eateries were tightened during this movement control order. Businesses are only allowed to operate from 8am until a certain hour to the night.”
Aside from being a cook, Dzulezlan also dabbles in the latest trend of rearing fighting fish as a secondary source of income.
He said he took up the hobby about a year ago and has earned quite a bit from the fish business.
“My highest sale for a fighting fish was RM200 for a hybrid.” – The Vibes, June 6, 2021
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