Think Thai-style rojak, but with an extra kick.
Behind this viral snack is Amat Larbsib, a Kuala Lumpur-based entrepreneur with Kedahan-Thai roots. His humble side hustle, aptly called Colek Buah Thai Namplawan, has become a weekend ritual for fans craving an authentic taste of Bangkok.
“I told myself, if I don’t start today, when else will I?” said Amat, 32, who began selling his popular sauce in August. The recipe came from his Thai mum, who used to sell namplawan in their kampung in Jitra.
“I asked her for the recipe, tweaked it slightly, and gave it a try,” he added.
It wasn’t an instant success: on their first night at the pasar malam, Amat and a friend set up a simple stall and sold cups for RM10 – a price he still retains today. Despite staying open until midnight, hardly anyone bought them.
But then he posted a video on TikTok – and a crowd emerged the very next day. They’ve been showing up ever since.
Amat’s reasons for starting the business go beyond preserving a recipe: he’s been supporting his mother and younger sister ever since his father passed away 10 years ago.
“I don’t really have breaks,” he shared. “Weekdays I go to the office. Weekends, I run the stall. This is my side income, but it’s also my passion. I’ve seen struggle since I was small. So the tiredness, it’s nothing. I just tell myself: be patient.”
And patient he is. Each week, Amat buys around 9kg of each type of fruit. He and his friend prep everything by hand: peeling, slicing, packing. That effort turns into nearly 90 fruit cups a day.
Into each cup goes a generous ladle of sticky, tangy, spicy sauce – a nostalgic flavour from his childhood in Bangkok. “Thai food was a big part of my life. I hope when people taste it, it reminds them of Thailand. That’s the goal.”
This business is also part of a bigger family legacy. “Every Ramadan, my parents ran a food stall back in our hometown,” Amat recalled. “I was just a kid, but I had to help cut fruits, wash vegetables, set up the tables, clean up after. That’s how I learnt about the F&B industry.”
That training shows: his stall is always clean, colourful, and welcoming. The vibrant fruits draw you in; the sauce seals the deal.
Still, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing – a gig at a food festival once left him burnt out and disheartened. “Three days of work and I only made RM200 in profit. I cried. I had to pay my helpers more than I earned.”
But Amat kept going, and what motivates him now is the love from his customers. “Sometimes I close shop for a weekend, and people comment, ‘I datang tapi abang takde.’ It reminds me that people are really looking for us,” he said.
He also listens closely to feedback. “Some said it was too spicy; some couldn’t eat dried prawns, which are part of the sauce. So now we customise. You want it spicier? We add chilli flakes. No prawns? No problem.”
His big dream? To open a restaurant and one day tour across Malaysia. “People from Sabah, Perak, Johor – they’ve messaged me to come over. If I had the budget and a proper team, I’d love to do it.”
For now, though, Amat is content running his stall in Puncak Alam, one fruit cup at a time.
Colek Buah Thai Namplawan
Jalan Hillpark 11/8,
Pusat Perdagangan Hillpark,
Bandar Hillpark,
42300 Puncak Alam, Selangor
Business hours: 5pm-7pm (weekends only)
For location, click here.