We want our food to fill the body, the senses, as well as the soul. – Hairul Isa
“How can food be close to one’s heart?” The answer, from Mr Hairul Isa, the founder and owner of Walaku, is through serving staple food.
But first, what is a staple food, and why staple food?
The staple food is a food that is eaten regularly and forms a significant proportion of a person or population’s diet. Many cultures believe that staple food is a unique ingredient that is symbolic and specific to them. Many cultures have taken the staples in their community and turned them into works of art.
We had an opportunity, through Hairul, to take a closer look at how this is done in Walaku, a halal bistro serving fusion food situated in the heart of Joo Chiat, Singapore.
The word Walaku is actually an Indonesian term that translates to “I am prosperous.” Wa means “me”, and Laku, “prosperity”.
Hairul is a firm believer in brand positivity and the power of the mind. He believes that when people call out the name “Walaku”, they will be filled with positivity. And with this sense of positivity, the brand of Walaku will be prosperous and thrive in many years to come.
Inspired by A Taste for Food Business – The New Idea on Food Creation at Walaku
5 years ago, Hairul started selling churros at a pasar malam (night market). He ventured out with a strong passion and learned the recipe of Churros, the Spanish doughnut, which was then, one of the popular snacks in Singapore.
This is where he developed a taste and skills for food creation and running a food business. It eventually evolved from an idea of food creation into Walaku.
Walaku started as a small stall, selling a staple that was consumed by people across all walks of life in the multicultured country of Singapore.
Rice.
Rice, in itself, readily available, flavourful and versatile, has an equally flavourful and rich history that dates back tens of thousands of years. And it is eaten across many cultures all over the world.
It is also eaten and loved by most here. In 2019, people living in Singapore ate over 300 thousand metric tons of this staple, and the consumption for 2020 is projected to be 325 thousand metric tons. Its versatility is shown in the many beautiful dishes that can be created.
So how do you take something so widely available, close to the hearts of many cultures, and make it stand out?
Walaku did it by selling their famous Nasi Lemak Kukus. They took nasi lemak, a staple dish that can be served in a variety of ways and eaten throughout the day and evolved it according to the taste of the locals.
Nasi Lemak is a dish where fragrant rice is cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf. Its literal translation is “oily or fatty” rice, but in this context, it means “rich” or “creamy”. It’s traditionally served with sambal, a hot spicy sauce and a variety of other garnishes.
Nasi Lemak Kukus, which means “steamed nasi lemak” is where the rice is always kept warm in the steamer, to create an even better texture when served. Walaku raised the ante with this simple dish by grilling the nasi lemak wrapped in banana leaf.
This method draws out the rich, embedded aroma of both the coconut rice, banana leaf, and fuse them together. The beautiful, familiar, yet new fragrant that results in this fusion excites the sense of smell and drives up the level of anticipation. As you take a spoonful of this delicious rice, the mouthwatering full flavours will burst out. The rich flavourful combination serves to delight the taste buds and ultimately, deliver a sense of comforting warmth in your chest.
This flavourful dish served at Walaku has driven their success for the last 5 years.
However, the Joo Chiat outlet stands out from the rest of the outlets that it takes the idea of the fusion of foods to another level. It serves a blend of Asian, Fusion, Western, and Seafood dishes, as well as desserts and beverages; all under one extensive menu.
Fusion Recipe – Distinct Ingredients from Different Cultures, for something new or in trend
In Walaku, they began introducing a series of fusion foods, mixing and experimenting with dishes of different cultures and cuisines. They took the best of two or more culinary disciplines to create something new and exciting.
They discovered that the younger generation of diners is very receptive of the fusion of Asian and Western foods and techniques.
From this fusion experiment, came some of their hottest-selling dishes.
“Lemak Chilli Soft Shell Crab Pasta “
This dish is the fusion of traditional Indonesian dishes such as Nasi Lemak Padang and the Lemak Cili Api. The sauce that comes from these traditional dishes is exceptional and delivers a very unique flavour, especially when served together with pasta. With the addition of premium seafood ingredients like the soft shell crab, the dish fuses the best of everything. The full flavours of the sauce will elevate your appetite and mix beautifully with the fresh, unique ingredient to enhance your culinary experience.
“Shellout – Seafood in the Bucket“
This bucket of delicacies is targeted at all the seafood lovers out there, especially in Singapore, where the love of seafood is quite known.
Diners are spoilt for choices when it comes to delicious seafood dishes and eateries. Yet, among the noise, the “Shellout” manages to stand out on its own to become the favourite of many.
This flavourful bucket is cooked in a special gravy and diners can choose their favourite sauce to pair the bucket with. Their signature combination is the Nasi Lemak Bakar Shellout.
What makes it the hot favourite is how the whole bucket of fresh seafood is being cooked and boiled with their special traditional sambal. This process shells out an entire bucket of sambal infused seafood wonder that makes it one of the most famous dishes in the cafe.
Their grit and willingness to invest their time and resources into experimenting with the distinct ingredients and flavours from different cultures is what makes Walaku successful.
It is how Walaku manages to stand out from the crowd; not only to draw even the pickiest of diners but to satisfy their taste buds as well.
“I believe that the brand should not stay stagnant and complacent, so I want the business to continually step up, reinvent, and grow as big as it could. I would also like to expand and open bigger outlets across the country,” said Hairul.
Outlet Information:
Address: 102 Joo Chiat Rd, Singapore 427396
Contact: 6284 2420
Official Website: http://walakusg.com/
More Details: https://sg.foodinlocal.com/listing/walaku/
Opening Hours: 11 am to 10 pm (Closed on Monday)
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