KOTA KINABALU: A Sabah-born entrepreneur has turned a problem into a profitable opportunity, having faced difficulty finding halal food in Seoul, South Korea.
Duzy Noramzamnas Abdul Aziz, 29, now sells nasi lemak in the metropolis and he is rolling in the profits, apart from helping people who has difficulty finding halal dishes.
Duzy said he found out about the problem in his first visit last year, and that made him plan a return to Seoul.
In September, the Penampang man began a delivery business, and the last two months have seen his business expanding. He now sells from a rooftop setting in Itaewon, Seoul.
“In South Korea, there are not many choices of halal food selling on the streets. I was inspired by the idea that most Malaysians eat nasi lemak for breakfast, lunch and dinner or even supper,” he said.
“Since it is a popular traditional Malaysian meal, I decided to sell it on a delivery service basis. I started to market it online, where customers had to place an order a day before, via WhatsApp or Kakaotalk.
“Customers provide their address, which is connected to the Seoul subways and I will deliver the nasi lemak in a microwavable lunch box,” he added.
Initially, Duzy’s target market were Malaysians working, studying or travelling in Seoul.
The nasi lemak business picked up momentum that even the South Koreans and tourists from other countries are enjoying the unique rice meal served with special sambal, dried anchovies, cucumbers, eggs and extra add-ons, depending on customer preference.
Duzy expanded his business and worked with his Korean business partner Han Ji Sung, who owns a guesthouse. Duzy uses the roof to run his stall, which overlooks the many buildings and skyscrapers in the city.
Duzy’s normal nasi lemak costs 5,000KRW (about RM19). For extra sambal, egg, rice or other add-ons like squid, mussels, chicken, the additional cost ranges between 500KRW (about RM2) and 4,000KRW (about RM15).
“Since the opening, people can walk in and eat nasi lemak on the spot. Most of my customers are Malaysians and customers from Netherlands, Japan, Indonesia, China, France and others.
“For the South Koreans, they liken nasi lemak to ‘bibimbap’. It is a mixed rice with chili paste and is served with vegetables as side dish. The Koreans eat bibimbap almost all the time, which is very similar to Malaysians eating nasi lemak,” he said.
For his ingredients, Duzy said he gets them from the wet market and foreign stalls in the vicinity.
“The ingredients such as dried anchovies, dried chilies, fresh mussels and squid can be found easily in the wet market nearby Seoul in Noryangjin Market.
“Local Malaysian ingredients as belacan, tamarind paste, coconut milk and pandan leaf can be purchased in the foreigner’s street Itaewon. These ingredients are essential to make the nasi lemak taste like the one at home.”
Itaewon is a popular area for tourists and United States military personnel.
Duzy noted that there were many restaurants in Itaewon serving cuisine that were not widely available in the country, such as those from India, Pakistan, Turkey, Southeast Asia, Britain, Germany, Italy, France, Portugal, Spain and Mexico.
“The demand for halal food is outstanding. The halal food industry is growing rapidly in South Korea and to venture into the industry are aplenty.
“However, living and doing business in a foreign country, especially South Korea, is challenging. The South Koreans and Japanese are a very hardworking people.
“I have to challenge myself to be extra hardworking to compete with them. It’s a stressful life sometimes, but the benefits make it really worth it,” he said.
Prior to migrating to South Korea, Duzy spent months travelling the country and Japan to explore the cultures and places in both countries.
In November last year, he flew to Seoul for the first time with his friends and spent two months exploring the whole of South Korea.
“I fell in love with Korean culture. Then I travelled to Japan for 40 days but because the cost of living was too expensive, I decided to return to Seoul to continue learning the culture and language because I really felt of home,” he said.
With his experience and knowledge about the country, Duzy also helps in arranging tours and guiding Malaysian tourists visiting South Korea.
Sharing interesting facts about Itaewon, he encouraged Malaysians to visit the central mosque, which was built with funds from various Muslim countries.
Its construction started in 1974 and it was officially opened in 1976. The 5,000 sq m area of the mosque’s land was also a gift from the Korean government.
“The Halal Street is close to Exit 3 and this is where you will find rows of halal restaurants, bakeries and grocery shops, slowly going uphill, and it will take you to the Seoul Central Mosque,” said Duzy.