MALAYSIAN HALAL RESTAURANT IN HO CHI MINH CITY

By D. Arul Rajoo

HO CHI MINH CITY, June 22 (Bernama) -- A nutritionist's passion for food,
coupled with a vision to open a Malaysian restaurant in Vietnam, has won the
palate of the local gourmet.

Less than four months after its opening, Dr M. Shimi Sumathi's restaurant,
Hala
l@Saigon, won the country's prestigious award.
The three-storey outlet -- located opposite the Central Mosque and the
luxury
Sheraton Hotel -- was adjudged the best new eatery at the 'The Guide Awards
2009' organised by The Vietnam Economic Times which honours outstanding
entrepreneurs in tourism and service sectors.

"This is in recognition of the service and quality of food which we provide.
I
never dreamnt of winning the award in such a short time," said Dr Shimi, who has
lived in Vietnam for more than 10 years, having arrived here to operate a
pharmaceutical business.

Born in Taiping, the capital city of northern-state Perak in Peninsular
Malaysia, the managing director of Prime Suppliers said, while
there were several halal outlets in the city, which was once known as Saigon,
there were very few that served a variety of Malaysian, Indian, Western and
Vietnamese cuisines in a single outlet.

"I have been in the country for more than a decade, and I have always had
this passion to open a restaurant...but because I was so busy with my
pharmaceutical business, I had to delay it," said Dr Shimi, who is also
president of the Malaysia-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce.

Asked why she opted to open a halal outlet despite not being a Muslim
herself, Dr Shimi said the idea came from her close rapport with the business
and diplomatic circles operating at the country's business hub.

"There are many companies from Malaysia and other Muslim countries operating
here, as well diplomats stationed in the city.

"Whenever they have guests coming from abroad, they find it difficult to get
a restaurant that has both halal and Vietnam food," she noted.

With her motto of 'No borders, no boundaries, Halal is only my vision', Dr
Shimi opened the restaurant in February, with three local chefs and three
Malaysians, serving Malaysian food like mee mamak, roti canai, western dishes
and Vietnam favourites such as fish claypot, fresh spring rolls and grilled
mussels.

To ensure that food served is prepared in accordance with halal guidelines,
Dr Shimi hired a Muslim chef from Malaysia. Meats are bought from a local
slaughter-house run by his Vietnamese wife's family.

Dr Shimi, who plans to open another restaurant in the future, said her
clients, among others, include expatriates from Malaysia, Iran, Turkey and South
Africa.

-- BERNAMA