Seven months later, the Klang boy’s dream turned into a reality and today, he happily hosts Auckland residents at his restaurant, Nasi Kandar Pulau Pinang, in the suburb of Panmure.
But there’s even better news. Just last month, “we got a letter saying we won,” Joel says proudly, revealing that his nasi kandar has made it into this year’s Top 100 Iconic Auckland Eats.
The winners are determined by local diners who cast their votes online for their all-time favourite dishes in the city.
Joel has made Malaysia proud by putting nasi kandar in the top 100 out of 1,000 different dishes and cuisines.
“I knew people were nominating me but I didn’t think I would win,” the humble 34-year-old tells FMT.
“After working so hard, it really pushes us forward and gives us the strength to move on.”
Joel got into the nasi kandar business in August last year when he and his wife, Alexandra Kumaran, decided to open a stall at a weekly night market.
Ever since, he says, it has been “a rollercoaster ride” that would lead to him hosting the grand opening of his restaurant in just 12 months.
“We had our grand opening on Aug 15 (this year) and were booked for two weeks straight,” he shares.
Unfortunately, Joel was forced to shut his restaurant three days later when the entire country went into a strict lockdown for five weeks because of the pandemic.
Thankfully, when restrictions were lifted, everyone came rushing back, hungry for his Malaysian specialties, and he’s been flooded with orders ever since.
“Many Malaysians haven’t been able to go home and have their beef rendang and nasi kandar for a long time,” Joel says of his restaurant’s popularity.
“Plus, we make it exactly like how it is in Malaysia,” he adds, even though items on his menu include unexpected delights such as salmon and shark curry.
Big plans
Motivated by the Iconic Auckland achievement, Joel has exciting ideas for the future.
“We aim to make bottled sauces and expand Nasi Kandar Pulau Pinang as a franchise in New Zealand,” he reveals.
“There are so many cities that don’t get the chance to taste Malaysian food, so I hope to open a restaurant in every city,” he adds, citing the capital, Wellington, as the target location of his next outlet.
Joel also wants to spice up Malaysian cuisine further by turning it into a fine-dining experience. After all, he is an Italian-trained fine-dining chef, and is keen on using his expertise to open a restaurant he plans to name “Atas”.
But whether franchising or fine dining, Joel promises to make his food as authentically Malaysian as possible. As his tagline states: “Malaysian cuisine will remain supreme.”
Check out the Top 100 Iconic Auckland Eats article on Joel’s restaurant here.
To find out more about Nasi Kandar Pulau Pinang, check out its website and Facebook profile.