Those of us who’ve frequented pasar malams or bazaars would be familiar with The Original Vadai, a common fixture at such events, drawing crowds for its delicious vadais or prawn fritters.
The brand has since expanded its business significantly, with permanent stores across Singapore and a wider menu offering many exciting flavours.
Source: Google Maps
Now, the owner has taken it one step further — by opening a store in the heart of Kuala Lumpur (KL) in Malaysia.
On Sunday (1 Oct), Singaporean brand The Original Vadai hosted the opening of its first-ever store in KL, Malaysia.
It was a grand affair, with celebrities like Singaporean actor Aaron Aziz, Malaysian actress Nabila Huda and Singaporean singer-songwriter Stephen Zechariah in attendance.
This was rightfully so, as the event marked a monumental achievement for the company with humble beginnings.
In a Facebook post on 2 Oct reflecting on the event, business owner Stephen Suriyah dedicated the achievement to his mother, who first started the business.
According to him, she used to make vadai for a stall at a bazaar some 20 or more years ago for just S$50 a day.
Working behind the scenes, the stall owners allegedly ended up taking credit for the food she made. Nevertheless, she persisted, spending S$10 to S$15 from what she earned each day on ingredients for the next batch of food.
Due to the circumstances, Mr Suriyah said that “finances were really bad”. But because of her passion, his mother kept doing what she loved.
That’s how passionate she was. She loved what she was doing eventhough she was barely getting anything out of it. She just wanted to give the best.
Unable to bear seeing his mother in such a state, Mr Suriyah eventually convinced her to step aside and let him take over.
Despite facing stiff competition at local pasar malams, they stayed true to their recipe and gained a following, as customers learnt their name and identified them as “the original vadai”.
Over time, the business became so successful that Mr Suriyah began opening brick-and-mortar outlets across Singapore.
Now, they have about 10 stores islandwide, including at popular locations like Jewel Changi Airport and Geylang Serai Market.
Customers who don’t have time to visit the stores can even order online.
Looking at how far they’ve come, opening the newest store in KL was thus a bittersweet moment for Mr Suriyah.
To mark the milestone, he let his mother take the reins at the opening ceremony, where she expertly made vadai with her bare hands while donning a saree.
Lucky attendees got to try the very first batch made with love by the woman who inspired and started The Original Vadai. Perhaps emotional upon reflecting on the event, Mr Suriyah wrote,
Mum, I love you to the moon and back. As a son, I will do anything to see you happy. I dedicate this KL branch to you for all the struggles and hardships you went through. Thank you. We love you.
If you happen to be in KL and would like to visit the store, here’s how you can find it:
The Original Vadai @ Lot 10
Address: Lot 10 Bukit Bintang, LTC/T8, Bintang Terrace, 50, Jln Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening hours: 11am – 8pm daily
Nearest monorail station: Imbi
Mr Suriyah told BERITAMediacorp that he decided to open at Bukit Bintang as it’s like the Orchard Road of KL, where many shoppers go.
During the opening on 1 Oct, they distributed 5,000 vadais for people to try, to positive feedback.
Should the store succeed, he aims to open two to three more outlets in the Malaysian city.
Here’s wishing The Original Vadai all the best and congratulations on the new opening.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from KL Foodie on Facebook and The Original Vadai on Facebook.
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