He didn’t leave the boardroom because he failed.
He left because he saw a bigger problem to solve.And this time, the solution would feed a nation.
For 25 years, he built his name in accounting and business consulting sharp suits, sharp analysis, high-stakes decisions. Success, by every traditional definition.
But behind the titles and meetings, another truth was simmering.
Malaysia’s food dreamers were struggling. Restaurants were opening fast… and closing faster. Not because the food was bad. Not because demand wasn’t there.
Because of one brutal reality: the chef crisis.
“If you cannot prepare the right team, then a restaurant is not a dream, it is a trap.”
That realization changed everything.
From Balance Sheets to Food Fires
In 2015, he stepped into F&B with Harum Kuini, a humble shoplot in Kota Damansara serving nasi campur and noodles.
It blew up.
Within six months, crowds forced a move to a bigger corner lot. Loyal customers. Packed tables. The kind of start founders dream about.
But behind the scenes? Stress. Instability. Sleepless nights.
Running multiple businesses at the same time, he hit the wall every restaurant owner fears dependence on chefs. When kitchen staff changed, quality changed. Consistency suffered.
And when things fell apart, his wife, Ita, had to step in and cook herself just to keep standards alive.
Harum Kuini closed. Reopened. Closed again. Then the pandemic hit.
Most people would call that the end.
He called it research.
“Running a restaurant ties you to one place and time. I wanted to build something bigger. Something scalable.”
Enter Eeta Food Built for the Future of F&B
In 2023, Eeta Food was born named after Ita, the heart behind the flavors.
What started with a killer Sambal Ketuk and a viral, healthier Curry Mee quickly evolved into something much more powerful than a food brand.
It became a solution.
As market demand for the products continued to grow and the vision expanded beyond a single product line, he made a strategic move most founders only plan for — investing in his own factory to support flexibility, efficiency, and long-term growth.
He built his own factory.
Now, Eeta Food isn’t just producing meals. It’s running serious food R&D, changing how restaurants operate.
Solving Malaysia’s “Chef Crisis”
Here’s the game-changer:
Eeta Food creates ready-to-cook, SOP-driven products that don’t require a highly skilled chef to execute.
That means:
- More consistency
- Lower staffing risk
- Easier training
- Faster scaling for small businesses
In short? You don’t need a superstar chef to serve superstar food anymore.
For SMEs, retirees, and first-time entrepreneurs, that’s everything.
Tech Meets Taste
This isn’t frozen food energy. This is food tech with soul.
Using advanced retort technology, Eeta Food products can last up to two years at room temperature while still tasting like they came straight from a home kitchen.
No preservatives overload. No compromise on flavor.
From Malaysian classics to Indian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Western menus, the factory develops flavors for multiple markets.
They’re even working on high-protein, health-focused meals for gym-goers and bodybuilders all under strict JAKIM Halal certification.
That’s global ambition with local values.
Still a Family Story at Heart
Despite the factory, the tech, and the scaling plans, Eeta Food is still powered by the same thing that started it all.
Family.
Ita guards the recipes. The children are involved in operations. Every product carries the same philosophy:
Cook with heart. Serve with love.
Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about business expansion.
It’s about helping the “little guys” win.
The retirees who want a second career. The small vendors with big dreams.
The families bet everything on a food stall or café.
“When you give people the right food, they will agree with the taste. That peace of mind after a good meal is the most important thing.”
From Boardroom Wins to Kitchen Wins
He once helped businesses make sense of numbers, systems, and strategy.
Now he helps entrepreneurs avoid failure. Same discipline. Same structure. Bigger mission.
And if Eeta Food succeeds, Malaysia won’t just export products.
It will export a smarter way to build food businesses.
That’s not just innovation. That’s legacy on a plate. 🍽✨
