Malaysian startup selling Hainanese chicken rice

Hainanese hen rice is a dish that originates in the southern Chinese province of Hainan. It is primarily based on the properly-regarded Wenchang chicken, a single of four vital dishes dating all the way back to the Qin dynasty.

Right now, there is an abundance of rooster rice stalls and places to eat in Malaysia owing to the unwavering need.

Wanting a slice of the pie, Min Jun Won (MJ), the founder of Rooster by Received, aims to enrich the reliable Hainanese dish with an additional touch by using his grandmother’s recipe.

Carrying on the family members legacy

From an early age, MJ adored his grandmother’s cooking. He made the kitchen area his playground, where he uncovered his predecessor’s recipes.

“My grandmother was an unbelievable chef and I was her minor assistant,” MJ explained. “I beloved watching her prepare dinner and observing her steps, as she has constantly cooked the most delightful and reliable Chinese food items for our loved ones.”

Also, MJ was motivated by his elder brother, James Gained, a well-recognised restaurateur and artisan chef who started high-quality dining places to eat which includes ShinLabo, and Enfin by James Gained. 

When higher university was above, MJ pursued his scientific studies in economics and finance in the United kingdom. But his enthusiasm for cooking didn’t falter. 

“I usually cooked for close friends who were being missing Malaysian food stuff,” he mentioned. “So a lot so that we had a pop-up retailer in the Manchester Malaysian Online games (a Malaysian function). We identified as it Jun’s Rooster.”

Product sales kicked in for the element-timer. He was providing many hundred containers for each day, and it was at that level that he realised his genuine enthusiasm was serving individuals great hen rice.

A few a long time later on, he returned to Malaysia throughout the pandemic and accomplished his on the internet examinations. All through unparalleled instances, task prospective clients have been dim and several organizations were on hold.

“Although I obtained a occupation provide, I resolved to go after my enthusiasm with chicken rice,” MJ envisioned. “With my grandma’s recipe, I refined it by trial and mistake, and that is how Chicken by Won was reborn.”

But who would have guessed that a compact business enterprise could still manage a existence in Malaysia’s saturated chicken rice sector?

Believe rooster? Assume Received.

Becoming a digital indigenous, MJ realized that the most effective way to compete with hen rice stalls and dining establishments that are not as tech-savvy was to arrive up with creative online internet marketing ideas.

“It is important for us to stand out so that individuals know we’re very critical about [selling] chicken rice,” he discovered. “We know the included price of acquiring a great social media existence.”

As his organization gained much more traction, he understood he necessary an extra pair of arms in marketing his hen rice. The to start with couple of people today who came to brain were being his near friends TJ and Charles, who both operate at See Noticed Creatives, a artistic company dependent in the Uk.

Understanding the electricity of social media, he believes that by coming up with innovative information, Hen by Gained could obtain pertinent brand name recognition among foodies in the Klang Valley. This goal marketplace consists of all those regularly going on foods hunts on the lookout for concealed gems.

The entrepreneur’s on the net attempts enabled him to get to a broader viewers, including those people from other states who came to Klang Valley to order his meals. It has even made its way to the Uk on a several situations, where by a shopper inquired about the likelihood of Chicken by Gained returning to the place.

When men and women genuinely care, word of mouth marketing gets to be natural. “It’s also quite critical and a essential profits converter. Individuals who adore our food items distribute the phrase, article and tag us on Facebook and Instagram,” he affirmed.

From the United kingdom to Malaysia

In an job interview with Vulcan Write-up, we requested MJ about the dissimilarities he discovered when serving in two diverse countries. “Chicken rice is quite rare to come across in the British isles, in particular genuine types,” he responded. “[Because] Malaysian students crave property foods, it sells definitely perfectly in the British isles.”

In Manchester, a box of his rooster rice value £5. MJ believes it was fair in comparison to the typical expense of meals offered there, which was somewhere around £10.

The founder spelled out, “It wasn’t a one-to-a person conversion when we decided our pricing. We had to just take into thought all the clean elements we utilized and the price tag of rooster, balancing that with what is sensible for the foodstuff good quality you’re finding.”

Domestically, a box of his hen rice is out there for RM14.90, which some may possibly argue is a minor pricey in comparison to other players in the market.

“However, it’s rough nowadays as very well due to the steep boost in the cost of rooster and more uncooked elements,” the entrepreneur expressed. As the world-wide overall economy enters a downturn, we will most probable see an enhance in nearly anything owing to inflation.

Irrespective of that, MJ is business on by no means compromising the high-quality of his dishes. In accordance to him, the hen rice produced from his grandmother’s recipe has a very distinctive and recognisable flavour when in contrast to other area rooster rice.

“At Rooster by Received, I think that each individual aspect of the rooster rice dish is critical and performs a enormous job, which is why not just the hen itself has to be very good. The rice, ginger sauce, chilli sauce, soya sauce, and garnish have to be tip-top rated to compliment the rooster rice incredibly well,” the chef clarified.

It is probable that MJ’s clients can value the flavours of his hen rice, which would make the selling price point of his solutions a justifiable a person. This may perhaps be specifically so when place up against rooster rice costs from hawkers normally offered in between RM6-RM10.

“In Malaysia, though there are numerous rooster rice alternatives, we even now stand out because of to the style of our hen rice. No matter the state, we aim to supply the greatest flavor and high-quality to our buyers with the ideal value as substantially as we can,” MJ informed Vulcan Submit.

As orders ongoing to pour in, obtaining a actual physical outlet turned a necessity. Hen by Received is currently in the course of action of opening its 1st stroll-in site in their present-day cloud kitchen area in the centre of Mutiara Damansara.

“Chicken rice will however be the star of our menu,” the founder confident. “There will [also] be a few confined-edition menu additions or so as we expand, plus collaborations on complimentary beverages and desserts.”

• Discover additional about Rooster by Received in this article.
• Study a lot more F&B similar article content right here.

Featured Image Credit: Chicken by Gained