Story Snapshot
- Kent Hau turned a craving for authentic Malaysian food during the pandemic into Syiok-Lah, a thriving UK-based business inspired by the flavours of home.
- Through award-winning dishes, cultural collaborations and community engagement, he has introduced thousands to Malaysian cuisine while strengthening connections among Malaysians abroad.
- Syiok-Lah shows how entrepreneurship can become a powerful form of cultural diplomacy, bringing Malaysian heritage, stories and identity to audiences far beyond our shores.
Late August to September marks an important season as Malaysians commemorate Merdeka and Malaysia Day. For Malaysian entrepreneur Kent Hau, founder of ‘Syiok-Lah,’ food has become a way to stay connected to home, share Malaysian culture with new audiences, and build connections within the Malaysian community abroad. Kent’s journey is a reminder that connection to Malaysia can take many forms, including something as simple, and familiar, as a plate of nasi lemak. Though the business has now become successful, this was not the path that Kent had originally set out to take in his career.
Before Syiok-Lah, Kent was building a very different career as a project manager at CGI Inc. When the COVID-19 pandemic left him stuck in England and far from home, a craving for Malaysian food prompted him to start recreating the dishes he grew up with.
With no professional culinary background, Kent relied on memories of his mother’s cooking, alongside research, experimentation and plenty of trial and error. What began as a way to capture the flavours of home gradually grew into Syiok-Lah, his first venture into the food business.
From home cooking to food awards: how Syiok-Lah became a success
The first item on Syiok-Lah’s menu was none other than Malaysia’s national dish and a personal favourite from his childhood: nasi lemak. It didn’t take long for the dish to gain popularity amongst the UK crowd. Kent believes that with Malaysian dishes, the secret is time and the balance of spices, with dishes like beef rendang needing patience as the flavours develop after hours of cooking. This mindset behind their meals played a part in their achievement of second place at one of the toughest street food competitions in the world: the British Street Food awards. In the competition, hundreds of the UK’s finest food establishments go head-to-head in front of a panel of 12 judges to determine the winner.
Syiok-Lah has not only gained a following around the UK, but online as well. Kent’s point-of-view style videos of him and his staff serving food have reached audiences of over 33,000 followers on Instagram and millions of views. Though these achievements are remarkable, to Kent, what’s important is his representation of Malaysian culture overseas – a sentiment he shares with MyHeart in connecting Malaysians around the world and creating opportunities for them to stay engaged with Malaysia, contribute through their expertise and networks, and strengthen Malaysia’s presence globally. As Merdeka has just passed, Kent has been taking this time to further his cause with special promotions and events in honour of Malaysia’s Independence Day.
A chance to introduce Malaysia to the masses – going beyond a Merdeka menu
To the Syiok-Lah team, Merdeka is a reminder of where they come from and the identity they carry, especially living so far away from Malaysia. Kent adds that it is about celebrating our Malaysian roots and sharing that sense of pride with the people around them.
For this year’s Merdeka celebrations, the Syiok-Lah team decided to go beyond just having a special menu. Instead, they planned a campaign to give their best-selling nasi lemak for free to share one of Malaysia’s most iconic dishes with the local community.
They have also collaborated with fellow MyHeart member Shirlyn Low’s UK-based business ‘Batik Ying’ to give away special batik greeting cards. To Kent, this was a meaningful way for Syiok-Lah to showcase not only Malaysian food but the rich arts, crafts and cultural heritage.
The main objective for the team is to encourage more local people who may not have heard much about Malaysia before to become interested in Malaysian culture. This may be through nasi lemak, batik or simply learning more about the nation’s traditions.
Keeping Malaysia close at every step of the way: what’s next for Syiok-Lah
Syiok-Lah has now built a strong community around the UK, making Malaysian food more familiar to locals one nasi lemak at a time. Though there are no plans to open a permanent location, Kent is always finding ways to grow Syiok-Lah while keeping it rooted in authentic Malaysian cuisine.
Syiok-Lah has already collaborated with other Malaysian businesses in the UK such as batik vendors, kuih specialists and more. The team is always open to working with other Malaysian businesses, perhaps through a MyHeart Collaboration in the future.
Opening a Malaysian business in the UK has made Kent feel closer to his roots than ever before. Through Syiok-Lah, he’s realised that Malaysian food carries memories and emotions. A simple dish can remind someone of their childhood, family or home. Invoking that reaction from other Malaysians in the UK has made him appreciate Malaysia much more.
At the same time, building a Malaysian food business in the UK has Kent looking at Malaysia from a different perspective. Now, when he goes back home, it’s an opportunity to eat, explore and see what is happening in the ever-evolving local food scene. After plenty of introspection of his relationship with his nation, he sums his thoughts up beautifully:
“In a way, Syiok-Lah has allowed us to bring a little piece of Malaysia to the UK. And the more we do that, the more we realise how much Malaysia means to us.” Kent’s story is one of many ways Malaysians around the world continue to carry Malaysia with them, building connections, sharing our culture and contributing from wherever they are.
If you’d like to stay connected to a community of global Malaysians, register at MyHeart and become a member today.
