80-cent kampung fried chicken? In this economy?
That’s exactly what Muslim-owned home-based business Malayleh is serving up, all from a four-room HDB flat in Bukit Batok East.
Run by 38-year-old Nadia ‘Mary’ Jamaluddin, the takeaway business serves a variety of Malay comfort food inspired by traditional home-style cooking and authentic kampung flavours.
Pronounced muh-lay-lay, which means ‘to drool’ in Malay, the name is a playful take on the word Malay and the colloquial ‘leh‘ for a bit of “Singlish flair”, according to the business.
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Kampung flavours
Items on its menu include heartier dishes such as the Ayam Lemak Cili Api ($9) served with two pieces of chicken, half a salted egg, sambal belacan mangga and rice, as well as the Nasi Sambal Goreng Santai Paru ($6) with rice, sambal goreng, serondeng, bergedil and two pieces of beef lung.
Smaller bites are also available, including the Jemput Jemput Lemak Manis with Mozzarella ($5), a sweet and crispy coconut fritter, and the Jemput Jemput Udang ($5.50), which are prawn fritters.
And of course, there is the Tasty Kampung Fried Chicken ($0.80 a piece), available in drumlets and wings.
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As for why the price is so low, Mary told 8Days that she had deliberately kept it that way to allow customers to try the chicken without worrying too much about the cost.
People behind the business
Those who have headed down to the home-based business before would have noticed its colourful furnishings and makeshift waiting area.
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This reflects Mary and her husband’s personalities — as they both came from creative backgrounds, reported 8Days.
The former had studied Fashion Design at Lasalle College of the Arts, while the latter works in the creative department at Apple.
On top of that, the vibrant and cheerful design of the flat was also created to provide a stimulating environment for their four-year-old son, who has Down syndrome.
Before starting the home-based business, Mary had spent 13 years in outdoor education.
She had entered the field by chance when she took on a job as a camp instructor despite having no prior experience, and eventually worked her way up to assistant programme manager, she told 8Days.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Mary fell pregnant and subsequently learnt that her son has Down syndrome — which led her and her husband deciding that she would quit her job to become his primary caregiver.
In 2024, she started Malayleh, focusing only on pre-orders, before eventually branching out to the current walk-in takeaway concept in April this year.
“When I started Malayleh, I wasn’t just starting a business. I was also trying to build something around my life as a mum,” she told 8Days.
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