TELAGA AIR: Seafood lovers visiting Kampung Telaga Air are often spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding which restaurant or stall at the hawker centre to have a great feast.
Q Sinar 1 Seafood located at the pier of Kampung Telaga Air is one of the popular restaurants here that offers patrons far and near delightful fresh seafood dishes for over 11 years.
From a grand spread of crabs, bamboo clams and cockles in a shellout to butter prawns, salted egg crabs and dried chili squids, this restaurant can cater to every seafood lover’s craving.
The restaurant owner Muhd Ismail Mohd Kipli disclosed that they would often get fresh supplies of fish, prawn, crab, bamboo clam, and cockles among others from local fishermen in the village.
He said this enables the restaurant to offer customers fresh seafood dishes and help economy of local fishermen at the same time.
“Our restaurant has been around since 2012 and it opens daily from 8 am to 6 pm. There are a total of 17 staff including myself and my three siblings who are the talents behind the delicious dishes that we offer to our customers,” he told New Sarawak Tribune.
The 32-year-old said the restaurant was passed down to him from his parents and it started due to his late mother, Reni Kipli’s passion and talent for cooking.
Reni had taught Muhd Ismail and his three siblings how to cook, sharing tips and tricks as well as secrets behind mouthwatering seafood dishes.
“The idea to start and do this business came from my mother. She used to sell packed food, then two years later she wanted to try cooking seafood dishes.
“She used to oversee the restaurant’s menu and would teach us how to cook seafood dishes in different style of cooking and recipes,” he explained.
Muhd Ismail said when they first began operating, business was rather slow because people were not in the know nor familiar with the restaurant yet.
Two to three years later, they started to get more customers and lucrative sales that enabled them to do renovation and upgrade works at the restaurant.
He said the restaurant is often filled with customers especially during the weekend and it can accommodate up to 80 pax.
“There are many operators who are offering seafood dishes within Kampung Telaga Air. However, this is not a challenge to us because it is a healthy competition,” he said.
Like any other businesses, Muhd Ismail admitted that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected the restaurant.
The restaurant temporarily ceased operations, but they opted to sell other food items through the cash on delivery concept.
“It was a difficult time. We decided to close the restaurant temporarily because of the various restrictions implemented to curb the transmission of COVID-19 virus,” he said.
Despite the rise in price of goods, Muhd Ismail assured that the restaurant would not compromise on its menu prices to ensure that customers can enjoy affordable seafood dishes.
He advised those who aspire to get involved in the food and beverage industry to not be afraid to seize the opportunity and be resilient.
“Of course, there will be ups and downs as well as challenges to be overcome. It is important to stay positive and determined then follow through to make sure your business will become successful.
“It does take a lot of hard work to see your business grow and become successful. The challenges will make you and your business more resilient for the future,” he said.
Muhd Ismail expressed hopes for his family business to sustain and looked forward to passing it down to his own children someday.
