Bonda Normi - The Founder of Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa Kampung Baru

Surprised Visit by Bonda Normi, the Founder of NLA Kampung Baru


The night view of the outlet, attracting those who want space and comfort when dining with family or friends.

1 Muharram 1431, the Hijriah new year brings surprise to our Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa Melaka outlet. Upon finishing our new year staff operational strategic breifing, we were surprised by the presence of the founder of NLA establishment, Bonda Normi.


Puan Khasnoor, Bonda Normi and Abang Jakaria (Jack Sparow - Facebook name)

She sat down at one of the front counter tables awaiting for her well known business partner and family friend, Abang Jakaria who had to park the car at Mahkota Parade's newly completed car park. Rain was pouring down this afternoon and it was perfect that her presence at our outlet was a real honor especially on the new year's day.

Her story is available on line if you google her name, but listening to her directly face to face, we were very much delighted by her motherly approach and her passions for cooking. Preferred to be addressed as Bonda, she iterated that in 1973, when she started her nasi lemak business, it was really difficult and it took her one year to sell 5 kg's of nasi lemak at 80 sen per serving with one full boiled egg in Kampung Baru, KL.


We never thought that Bonda Normi would do cooking demo to our kitchen staff.

Bonda Normi took up the challenge to cook her finest recipe of fried mee for the crew that evening. Seldom these days one sees her holding the wok and utensils cooking out her famous recipe.

Expert at her best..

She also validated the taste of our chilli gravy (sambal) stock that makes Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa so unique for over 36 years of its historic operations. Today, the original shop in Kampung Baru is still inviting loyal customers as well as new visitors. Her presence that night lasted from 4:00 PM to 11:30 PM, the longest stay of her visit to the outlet.

It's like an inviting aura that customers continued to enter the door for the night.

The customers lined up to make the selection at the counter.

Bonda Normi also gave a few tips for food preparation in the kitchen. Her advices are valuable for the learning and the betterment of the outlet. She was more than happy to show how to roll up her best known "lepat pisang berinti" (stuffed banana cake) she used to sell in Kampung Baru.


Bonda Normi and Abang Jakaria concluded their visit by signing our guess book together.

Bonda Normi and Abang Jakaria worked and won the title Raja Nasi Lemak in 1980's.


Our cheerful staff concluding the night.


It was also the day we introduced Otak-Otak Mersing in addition to satay.

Have you heard this unique tune at NLA Melaka?

Adha and Huzai, The Kookaburra Group, decided to make it big this time, the stage at NLA Melaka was the platform to practice for the waited Melaka Buskers' Month... Here is what they managed to tune up last night. We still do not know what happens with the event which is to be organised by the Dataran Pahlawan Megamall...

Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa Kampung Baru - Melaka Outlet

The Changes for the New Hijriah Year 1431 - NLA Melaka Outlet

On the first day of Awal Muharram, Friday, December 18, 2009, we had the first staff operational strategy briefing, focusing at a few key emphasized areas, mainly operational safety, finished serving quality, customer service and direction setting.

The first key change is the enforcement of the limited front desk counter services period to cater for the male crew of the outlet to fulfill their Friday prayer obligation from 12:45 to 2:30 PM. This schedule will be enforced every Friday at the outlet. Hot meal orders from the kitchen will be suspended during the stated 1hr 45 minutes period but main dishes as served at the front counter will be made available as usual. The time allocated is more than essential given that the closest mosque for the tennants and visitors of the Dataran Pahlawan Megamall is not really a walking distance; as such, it is hoped that the City Hall will take that into consideration in the future infrastructure plan for the city. During major holidays, it is challenging enough to spot a vacant car park and let alone to have to drive to get to the closest mosque at Pulau Melaka.

Operational safety is the expectation that every team member is responsible to look after his or her safety as well as the safety of the others. Operational safety starts within one self which leads to the individual operational actions starting from the simplest task of switching lighting on and off to the crucial kitchen equipment and gas operations and handling. At NLA Melaka outlet, we want everyone to come to work and to go home safely. It is our leading principle that short cuts and unsafe behaviours are not acceptable.

Our job is to ensure that we provide quality finished serving for our customers. All the meals in our menu will be checked before they get to the front counter. Each team member is dedicated to have the ownership for the quality of specific serving meal, including how it tastes. We haved obtained the helps we needed to ensure the originality of nasi lemak Kampung Baru taste at our outlet and the article about that will follow.

Attending to customers' needs is key to our success. With young crew team members from a combination of new university graduates, under graduates, diploma & certificate holders as well as some selected young and enthusiatic talents who are currently trying to learn to do the best job, we ocassionally encounter some challenging experiences. While it is part and parcel of the service industry, our crew team members are encouraged to begin the journey to excellent customer service by learning to build self confidence. A simple greeting with hi or a smile to the customers would make a big difference! We will not have script, forced expression or a standard phrase to say, but we want to be honest, genuine and sincere in our action and interface with our customers. Soon, we will be recognized for our unique quality of our customer service.

Our establishment in Melaka is a start. We would like to ensure that our capacity to serve the Malay culinary choices and needs of the Dataran Pahlawan and the the Herritage Park visitors are met. With 200 seat capacity and large space area, we want to provide the comfort and place to meet all day long. Our menu will continue to be added and from time to time, more Malay dishes will be made available for our custormers and visitors. Come and experience the late night tranquility on top of the Dataran Pahlawan, the kind of space and view one would not have in other bustling cities in the world including in KL. However, in Melaka, our space has not been utilized or "abused" enough to light up the night of Melaka center point!! Yes, we are open until 2:00 AM and we are prepared to be awake until 3:00 AM if our seats are seated!

Satay at Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa Kampung Baru - Melaka Outlet

Fresh satay serving all day at Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa Kampung Baru, Melaka Outlet

Our unique outlet name depicting the primary serving of nasi lemak is not necassarily limited to only nasi lemak. Our combination serving and offer of authentic choices to customers make our outlet attractive to be a family place when it comes to family dinner, lunch or coffee and tea stop.

Our satay on the grill

Our satay serving is currently available only in our Melaka outlet and not yet available at any other NLA outlets in KL. Our satay is barbecued on natural charcoal smoke and flame which leaves the taste and aroma of satay unforgetatble, moist and soft. Served with fresh cucumber pieces mixed with crunchy fresh peeled onions over the home made peanut gravy, you can be assured of its originality and freshness.


Again, NLA Melaka Outlet is bringing all together closer to you, your family and your memorable stay in Melaka.

Introducing The Kookaburra Group with Didgeridoo Melody at Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa - Melaka Outlet

Didgeridoo Played at Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa Kampung Baru Melaka Outlet Many of our customers are not aware of the above intrument when it was played by the three young enthusiats from Melaka who call themselves as The Kookaburra group recently. To The Kookaburra Group, they fall in love with the instrument and have been playing with it to create tunes that fit its melody. They have been practicing the instrument at the outlet on every Saturday night and Sunday noon. You can come to give them supports and encouragement for their talent.

Their determination and love for the unfamiliar tunes keep them together


The following note details out what didgeridoo is. Among the typical didgeridoo instrument From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The didgeridoo (also known as a didjeridu or didge) is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia at least 1,500 years ago and is still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe". Musicologists classify it as an aerophone. The instrument is traditionally made from Eucalyptus trees which have had their interiors hollowed out by termites or died of other causes. There are no reliable sources stating the didgeridoo's exact age, though it is commonly claimed to be the world's oldest wind instrument. Archaeological studies of rock art in Northern Australia suggests that the Aboriginal people of the Kakadu region of the Northern Territory have been using the didgeridoo for at least 1,500 years, based on the dating of paintings on cave walls and shelters from this period. A clear rock painting in Ginga Wardelirrhmeng, on the northern edge of the Arnhem Land plateau, from the freshwater period shows a didgeridoo player and two songmen participating in an Ubarr Ceremony. A modern didgeridoo is usually cylindrical or conical, and can measure anywhere from 1 to 3 m (3 to 10 ft) long. Most are around 1.2 m (4 ft) long. The length is directly related to the 1/2 sound wavelength of the keynote. Generally, the longer the instrument, the lower the pitch or key of the instrument.

Lights Out, Life Begins at NLA-Melaka Outlet

Life after 10:30 PM on top of Dataran Pahlawan Megamall - Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa Kampung Baru Melaka Outlet

Sharp at 10:00 PM, the Dataran Pahlawan Megamall lights are switched off, leaving the night on the Dataran Pahlawan Megamall quiet and personal. I say "personal" because it is you and where you are that make it personal to you. As at 11:30 PM, Sunday night within the lively ambient of this outlet, I could still hear the children's voices, see them running around the open floor, and at time I laugh at them making actions on the open stage within the outlet as if they are performing a stage show there. Yes, we have space, and you'd appreciate that we have provided a quality of a few hours left of your night to personally enjoy it before you retire for the day!

Empty as it looks...but an opportunity for those who love quality life after hours..

Right outside on the main street, cars and all sorts of vehicles jammed up the road. With much quality of night offered on top of the Dataran Pahlawan Megamall, many are still queing infront of the McD counters, little space there is packed up. I wonder, the green flagship of our local outlet is not as yellow and as red enough to attract the crowd as crowded as McD. What has gone wrong? This thought prompts me to help reveal the actual facts.

Space for your children while you sit down and have your meals.

Is our new generation the generation of Western fast foods? Or our thoughts have been corrupted with the thinking that rice would make us "very" fat while cheese and burgers are better bets than rice? What has gone wrong? Now, check the list from the website below:

http://www.forbes.com/2007/02/07/worlds-fattest-countries-forbeslife-cx_ls_0208worldfat_2.html

Health
2 of 5 World's Fattest Countries
Lauren Streib 02.08.07, 12:01 AM ET

There are currently 1.6 billion overweight adults in the world, according to the World Health Organization. That number is projected to grow by 40% over the next 10 years. The following list reflects the percentage of overweight adults aged 15 and over. These are individuals who have individual body mass indexes, which measures weight relative to height, greater than or equal to 25. Obese is defined as having a BMI greater than or equal to 30. Rank Country %
1. Nauru 94.5
2. Micronesia, Federated States of 91.1
3. Cook Islands 90.9
4. Tonga 90.8
5. Niue 81.7
6. Samoa 80.4
7. Palau 78.4
8. Kuwait 74.2
9. United States 74.1
10. Kiribati 73.6
11. Dominica 71.0
12. Barbados 69.7
13. Argentina 69.4
14. Egypt 69.4
15. Malta 68.7
16. Greece 68.5
17. New Zealand 68.4
18. United Arab Emirates 68.3
19. Mexico 68.1
20. Trinidad and Tobago 67.9
21. Australia 67.4
22. Belarus 66.8
23. Chile 65.3
24. Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 65.2
25. Seychelles 64.6
26. Bahrain 64.1
27. Andorra 63.8
28. United Kingdom 63.8
29. Saudi Arabia......

143. Zimbabwe 32.1
144. Thailand 31.6
145. Papua New Guinea 30.2
146. Malaysia 29.9
147. Ghana 29.2
148. China 28.9
149. Benin 28.5


Among the countries in the world, the place where Western fast foods come from such as USA, UK etc.. make up most of the top of country's most overweight adults of 15 yrs and above! Look at China and Thailand where the largest consumption of rice are, they are amongst the lowest rank in the fat world! As I said, where have Malaysians gone wrong? Eat rice sufficient for your daily energy needs and you will be alright, much much alrighter than the other fat world's type of foods! Yep, God bless our mama for such a good taste and choice of our own food!!! :-)

Getting Easier to Spot - Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa Kampung Baru - Melaka Outlet

Easier to spot where the Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa - Melaka Outlet is

There you go, this time no one can miss our location on the Dataran Pahlawan Megamall, Melaka. Today, we raised a new sign board facing the entrance of the Dataran Pahlawan Megamall parking lot, right infront of McD. We made our best effort to ensure all visitors will be able to locate where we are on the complex. With it, our outlet can be easily seen from three directions of the Complex entrance as planned earlier.



Nearly completed, it will be green when it gets done.

We are also providing the stage for the Melaka's version of the aboriginal music of Australia, played by three young enthusiats - Adha, Huzai and Wan grouped together under an absolutely original name of the native bird of Australia, Kookaburra. They plan to perform their tunes on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon at the outlet.


Unique and new tune to the crowd in the outlet, many were trying to get closer to the group, including our youngest customers!!