Father's sacrifice inspires legacy of 'Warung Che Mat Fu'

CYBERJAYA: The perseverance of her Chinese father who went through the hardships of life as a cook before starting a restaurant to support his family has given Roshamimi Mohammad the inspiration to open 'Warung Che Mat Fu' here.

Located at Cyber 10, the restaurant serves the famous menu of a diner once run by her father in Jalan Gajah Mati, Kelantan since 1985, including his signature dishes of Hainanese chicken chop, Hailam noodles and 'air lada' (chilli sauce).

Roshamimi, 48, said her mother often shared the story of their family's humble beginnings where they could not afford to buy formula milk and had to feed the young with tea in milk bottles instead. However, the hard work of her father Mohammad@Fu Say Bok finally brought brighter days to his five children.

"Starting as a cook, my father later managed to open his own restaurant to bring happier days to the family. We really admire his spirit," Roshamimi, who is the third child in the family, told Bernama recently.

Fondly known as Mimie, she said Warung Che Mat Fu, which opened in early February, was to commemorate the sacrifices of her father, a Muslim convert, and inspire the younger generation that perseverance pays off.

Roshamimi, who is also a teacher, said her siblings dreamed about opening Warung Che Mat Fu for the past eight years after their father's shop in Kelantan was destroyed in the massive floods in 2014, but it could not materialise due to lack of capital and commitments to career.

"After the shop closed in 2014, the children's dream was not buried with it. Buoyed by my father's spirit of resilience, we were finally able to open our own restaurant after eight long years," she said, while dad's unwavering support was teaching them his recipes.

"Apart from appreciating our father's sacrifices, Warung Che Mat Fu is a place where we can keep the traditional cuisine made by the family under one roof," she said, adding that the eatery now also serves East Coast cuisine such as 'nasi dagang' and 'nasi kerabu'.

Roshamimi said Warung Che Mat Fu also attracted her father's old acquaintances who had been loyal customers in Kelantan years ago but had migrated to the Klang Valley and other states with their families.

"When his old customers found out on social media that this shop is being run by the children of 'Che Mat' and still serving our father's signature dishes like the Hainanese chicken chop, many were willing to come over to savour the dishes once again even though Warung Che Mat Fu is situated far away," she said.

A stickler for her father's advice in running a booming business, Roshamimi said: "Dad always advised us not to be stingy when doing business, to maintain the quality of food and serve the people with our what we cook at home for ourselves."

-- BERNAMA