As Malaysians, food courts, kopitiams, mamaks, or really any sort of eatery, are not just places of nourishment, they are points of assembly. It’s where we meet up with friends, as well as our favourite cooks and restaurateurs to share and exchange over the merriment of food.

One of the most unfortunate things about living in a pandemic is the lack of human connection due to the extended MCO and limited distance allowance. And while it’s been hard on us, the customers who miss the food, it’s been even harder on those making the food.

From the very beginning, it has always been GemSpot’s goal to support Malaysian businesses and eateries, providing access for customers and merchants to reach each other through our app, especially during the times we couldn’t see each other in person.

And in our ongoing objective to highlight our merchants and their love for cooking, we would like for you, our app users, to meet them.

Introducing our GemSpot original video series: Behind the Fire, where each episode we highlight a local food business and speak to the people behind it about how they’ve overcome and persevered through the challenges of the pandemic, and find out more about the inspirations behind their menu offerings, and how a love for food led to them starting a food business.

It is our hope that by creating an online community to be the virtual version of our mamak and kopitiam gatherings, that we can once again connect the people making the food to the people eating the food, and ultimately create more awareness so fellow Malaysians show more support for local merchants.  

Check out our first few episodes now up on our channel!

Season1, Episode 1: Wong Ah Wah

Known for their iconic chicken wings, Restaurant Wong Ah Wah on Jalan Alor, Kuala Lumpur is also equally known for its local Chinese fare and low prices.

Checkout the episode here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xefiHpUDAM

Season1, Episode 2: Rasa Wau

Located in Sunway Giza mall in Petaling Jaya, this Malay restaurant is offering authentic east coast cuisine with the signature dishes of states like Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.

Watch the episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV_lHLtChcc&t=45s

Season 1, Episode 3: M Fried Chicken, Cauli & Rice, Aunty Sam Satay

Serving delicious snack foods from satay sticks to vegan cauliflower rice, the man behind M Fried Chicken, Cauli & Rice and Aunty Sam Satay (located in Damansara Utama, Subang Jaya and Hartamas, KL) tells us about his innovative meal concepts.

Click here to watch the episode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGbQMxyfVmA&t=46s

Season 1, Episode 4: Stars Picker Audio Café

A trendy audio-themed café in Kota Damansara, the menu at Stars Picker offers vegetarian- and vegan-friendly plant-based dishes that are sprinkled with local flavours, as well as some cool beverages including coffee, juices and milkshakes.

Checkout our interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEr8jl6sD00&t=38s

Order delicious food and support local businesses at the same time? Yes you can, by ordering on GemSpot!

And for your good deeds we’ll even give you RM6 OFF of your delivery fees with orders of RM30 and above!