The Journey From A Small Nasi Padang Food Stall In An Army Camp To One Of Singapore’s Most Preferred Malay Wedding Caterers Is Inspiring Indeed

Hafidah Bte Daud, the 48-year-old founder of Muslim Delights, spent most of her childhood around her mother’s small rundown Malay food stall in an army camp. Helping out her mom with collecting dishes and sundry tasks, she picked up culinary skills and organizational abilities as well. She learned the intricacies of turning out thousands of portions of food at short notice for hungry soldiers returning from their gruelling training.

Soon after getting married to Zulkifli Bin Mohd, Hafidah’s responsibilities increased manifold. Her mother’s health deteriorated and eventually she took over the stall from her old, ailing mother. The formative years were highly challenging and Hafidah and Zulkifli both worked very hard. In 1997, the couple took a leap of faith and moved their business to the industrial estate of Sungei Kadut. Her signature rendang, biryani, and noodle dishes satiated the appetite and won the hearts of the workers there. About a decade later, the stall moved to a coffee shop in Paya Lebar and then to its current location in a shophouse along Upper Paya Lebar Road.

During this time, she began to receive requests to cater for Malay weddings and family events. Hafidah excelled at this new service offering; soon Muslim Delights became the name of choice for catering services at exclusive Malay weddings. With the help of business partner Zubair Hassan, the couple expanded the business to include wedding planning services and luxurious venues in Concorde Hotel and Grassroots Club at Ang Mo Kio. Today, Muslim Delights the caterer of choice for local and regional celebrities like Malay pop star Taufik Batista, radio deejay KC, Orange CEO Syah Ibrahim and even Dubai-based Zack Zainal, who has his daughter’s wedding organized by Muslim Delights.