Hawa's Artisan Kitchen

The background story.

Turning our passion into business during the Covid-19 Pandemic

My name is Itisha. When I completed my secondary school at the age of 17 in 1995, I was not really clear on what areas of studies I wish to pursue. I remember the day I needed to enroll for university and told my dad to fill in the forms on my behalf, “Just choose anything except for accounting, finance and economics” I told him. That was how clueless I was with my life. Fast forward the years of studies have earned me a BBA (Hons) in Marketing with Multimedia from Multimedia University in Cyberjaya, Malaysia and an MBA with Specialization in International Business from University of Southern Queensland in Australia.

If only I knew then that there was such a study on Gastronomy. The study of the relationship between food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, cooking styles of particular regions and the science of good eating. That would be the studies I should have taken. I only got to know about this field of study a few years back when I came across one of my favorite food entrepreneur Marion Grasby who studied Master of Arts in Gastronomy at University of Adelaide.

Anyways, I am not here to write my resume. I simply express myself better in writing and life of recent has been extremely challenging.

During the Covid-19 Pandemic our conservation tourism business Bike and Tours, well to say was badly hit is an understatement. The tourism business that Simon and I built over the years, has not only given us a comfortable source of income and lifestyle but also given our team the means of income to support themselves and their family.

Today, we live on minimal from the years of savings that we profited from Bike and Tours business. Soon, this savings will be dry.  This dark tunnel that is ahead of us seems to be long and uncertain. So this is our way to punch covid in its face!

Simon and I have decided to make full use of our surroundings and to use our experiences in a different persona. While we wait for the tourism industry to be relevant once again, we have decided to venture into the food business. We have a number of moringa trees in our garden. So, when life gives you moringas - you make tea! Further information on our Moringa Tea Range here.

The other branch of food business that we would like to venture into is named in honor of my late mother, Hawa’s Artisan Kitchen, a local food delivery service within Lahad Datu.  This venture is very close and dear to my heart. It has always been something I dream of doing. In some ways, we did it before when Simon, myself and our team served homecooked Malay meals to Bike and Tours guests from all over the world. We hosted numerous gatherings and accepted catering orders from friends and relatives.

Today, I find utter joy and peace at my retro styled, simple 4 stove burner kitchen in the rustic town of Lahad Datu. So why not turn this passion for cooking into a humble business and share homecooked Malay food from my mother’s recipes with you.  I do after all have a professional chef husband to guide me on techniques and timing. I am also blessed to have a buyer expert father. Armed with Robinson Crusoe's spirit, I trust him to travel from one market to the other. He takes shopping seriously and will be appointed as the main person to source for sustainable ingredients from various local farmers, fish mongers and poultry butchers (he just don’t know about his latest role - not just yet).

 

Hawa’s Artisan Kitchen - homemade with love.

A mother’s love for cooking.

Hawa’s Artisan Kitchen, is a tribute to my late mother. Hawa’s Artisan Kitchen specializes in authentic Malay dishes cooked with love from our kitchen to your home/office in Lahad Datu.

My late mother Hawa, was a talented home cook. She cooks with so much love and her utter joy takes shape when we asked for seconds or thirds. “You did justice to the food!!!!” she would say with a huge smile each time we finish her dishes. A wonder lady, she multitasked between her 9-5 job at the Malaysian Ministry of Defence, taking care of our home, caring for her parents and of course taking care of her little family that consisted of my brother Ishar, my dad and I.  

We usually dine out on a Friday or Saturday night but majority of time we eat at home. An expert with Malay cuisines, my mother’s sensitive taste palate allowed her to quickly replicate recipes from other kitchens successfully. Her style of cooking and ideology towards meal presentation was simply. “The most important ingredient is love. If you don’t feel like cooking, then don’t cook and make excuses. Next, you need to enjoy your own cooking before expecting others to appreciate your food” she would advise me.

I only started cooking at the age of 26 when I was living on my own in Australia. Being raised all these years pampered with my mom’s food, my homesick moments included missing her Laksa Johor, Nasi Lemak, Beef Assam Pedas, Beggars Chicken, fish head curry and many more. Our cooking lessons between my mom and I, were through phone sessions.  I had moments where I complained about not being able to cook so and so because I can’t find the specific ingredients in Toowomba or Adelaide (where I was living during my student and working days). She would calmly remind me to cook with love and not to make excuses. Improvise!!! Improvise on the ingredients, improvise with the usage of the cooking tools or methods to what is available on hand.  

 The first meal that we would like to share with you is my mother’s version of Laksa Johor. Laksa Johor brings back nostalgic memories of my childhood as it was our family bonding time to prepare this dish. Just removing the thousands of bones from the ikan parang (wolf-herring fish) took forever. It was usually a two days affair between preparation, cooking and finally savoring the meal!! At our family home we usually have our Laksa Johor with additional ingredients which is either poached shrimps or squid (depending on what’s freshly available at the market). So, you will see this replicated in our version of Laksa Johor. Ikan Parang or the wolf herring fish is not all the time available here in Lahad Datu. I would use a combo of ikan tenggiri (mackerel), dried fish, anchovies and shrimps for the gravy. I hope I live up to mother’s culinary legacy and I hope you enjoy the dishes we present from Hawa’s Artisan Kitchen to your dining table.

 

Hawa’s Artisan Kitchen Sustainability

Locally Sourced Ingredients
The fresh ingredients we use to produce meals at Hawa’s Artisan Kitchen are locally sourced from Lahad Datu based farmers, fish mongers and butchers.

Garden to Table
Some of the local herbs such as lemongrass, torch ginger and Vietnamese coriander comes straight from our garden.

Reduce Plastic Use – Reduce, Reuse and Rethink
The thing about packed food are the common use of cheap and convenient one time use plastic packaging. Right after our community cleaning work at Kampung Meruap in Sungai Kapur last year, we are sensitive towards one time plastic use. The damage it does to our environment must be contained.  As such, at Hawa’s Artisan Kitchen we use eco-friendly packaging boxes, paper bags and natural products such as bamboo cutleries, banana leaves and coconut shells to pack and deliver the meals to your place.