We found out that things have not always been hunky dory and he did have his challenges laid out in his younger days.
He is not shy to admit that he comes from a poor family, seeing his father juggle three jobs to feed his family. Being a responsible son, he wanted to help lessen his father’s burden, and worked part-time as a waiter after his secondary school hours.
Young Malik focused on his work, soaking up knowledge about the food and beverage industry. Unlike other teens who were interested in football, he had goals and priorities, and put his heart and soul into his work.
Malik left his family home to pursue his dreams
Within six months, he had helped to double the restaurant’s sales. This was when it dawned on him that he had a natural potential for the food business, and he came up with the idea of opening a restaurant with two partners.
His father shot down the idea saying he was insane to dream such grandiose thoughts. His stubborn insistence on pursuing his dream and his father’s refusal to loan him the RM25,000 capital he needed led to a family quarrel, and he left his hometown of Penang for Kuala Lumpur.
In KL, Malik, aged just 20, opened Shikara Restaurant in 1985. Right from the start, he went through partnership problems and financial difficulties as he had been duped into borrowing RM25,000 from a loan shark which of course landed him in debt.
His life changed dramatically when he joined Sherzan Cafe
He then joined Sherzan Cafe as a Manager, and the course of his life changed dramatically when Mumtaz Mohd Sidek joined and needed his help to learn the ropes of being a cashier. Malik gleefully admits to thinking up a whole slew of shenanigans just to spend time with her.
He next joined Kelab Aman, famous for its Cricket matches, and worked there for four years where together with Mumtaz, by now his wife, they worked hard towards opening a new restaurant.
Eager to pay off his debts and move on, the couple moved to Sydney to earn more money. There he learned more about the vibrant Aussie F&B industry. By 1990, Malik had cleared his debts and saved enough to return to Malaysia.
He had a reality check however when his wife gave birth to twin boys. Being a father made him realise how blessed he was and that everything else could wait. The boys and Mumtaz returned to Malaysia while Malik stayed behind to earn more money.
In 1993 Malik returned to open the very first D’Tandoor Restaurant in Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya. Today, the brand has seven partnership and franchise outlets, and seven company-owned branches in Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and Cambodia.
After being in the F&B industry for 34 years, he has learnt that those venturing into this industry should understand that there are five essential factors that will raise their restaurant above the rest: location, food, price, ambience and service.