Born deaf, he lets the Pakistani food he cooks do all the talking.
Today, he is the proud chef and owner of Wal Daun, a restaurant in Cheras serving authentic Pakistani cuisine.
FMT Lifestyle visited his restaurant during Ramadan, where he single handedly prepared a mouthwatering spread for the buka puasa buffet.
With the help of sign language interpreters from the Malaysia Federation of the Deaf (MFD), the team sat down with Waleed to hear his story.
He said his love for cooking began at 13 when he began to learn the skill from his mother, back in Pakistan.
“It’s hard to get work back in Pakistan, and I thought maybe it would be easier here. I left my family, and came here alone,” he revealed.
In 2019, he married Wan Nor Arifah, who is also deaf, after meeting her on Facebook. While he cooks, she helps manage the restaurant.
Although he is now a businessman in his own right, Waleed worked at various restaurants across Malaysia when he first moved here.
FMT Lifestyle asked how he communicates with his staff, and how he manages the restaurant, especially since he isn’t confident in writing.
“When I was in Pahang, my boss kept reminding me that I had to learn how to write so that I could communicate. It took me approximately three years to learn how to properly write. Slowly I started to pick it up, for example by asking customers, ‘what would you like to drink?’, and they would write it.”
After years of working in various restaurants, he opened a small stall in Petaling Jaya, and step by step, he built his way up to owning a full-fledged restaurant. Here, as the one in charge, he does things a little differently.
“Now, I don’t communicate with my staff through writing. Most of it is through visual language, I just show with my actions and it’s much better.”
Wal Daun has been operating since November 2024. With just nine Google reviews, business has been slow but is steadily picking up.
Waleed serves a variety of Pakistani dishes, with biryani and naan being crowd favourites.
During FMT Lifestyle’s visit, a crowd of Pakistanis and North Indians showed up for a taste of his food – a testament to its authenticity. But Waleed proudly shared that his dishes have won over people of all races.
He also takes pride in the fact that customers come for the food, not out of sympathy for his disability.
“There’s nothing here that shows I’m deaf, so customers don’t realise it. When they ask, ‘Who’s the chef?’ and later find out it’s me, they say, ‘Oh, he’s deaf? The food here is really delicious.’”
He mentioned that so far, he’s relied on word of mouth to spread news of his restaurant. And FMT Lifestyle can definitely agree – the food is delicious! Besides the biryani, the chicken tandoori is a must-try, along with dishes like chana masala.
He also loves to experiment – Wal Daun’s menu even features dishes like chicken tikka pizza.
In addition to growing his business, he hopes to share his culinary skills with other deaf individuals.
“This has been an eye-opener, indirectly.” He added, “I’m very happy to let people know that even though I am deaf, I can still go on and do business like others, and work.”
Wal Daun Restaurant
12, Jalan Jejaka 9
Maluri, 55100 Cheras
Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 10.30am-12.30am
Contact: 011-1192 4019