BY Mila Rahmat
Beautiful brownish gloomy eyes and a pair of white teeth smiling non-stop as I walked in the restaurant. He knows how to greet every person that walk in into the restaurant. At first I thought he is one of the customers that try be friendly, but I’m wrong. He is the one that cook the entire dish at the restaurant. Sajjad Bin Hussein, the name that been given by his late father. Chef Sajjad is one if famous Chef at Fickles Restaurant . The restaurant located at Taman Tun Dr Ismail or known as TTDI has their own customers. Chef Sajjad have his own cooked dish that he invent that is Mushroom cheesy with spicy gravy.
Chef Sajjad born and raised at Dakka Bangladesh at 1985. Eventhough he is 34 years old this year, he doesn’t seem look like he in thirties. On education, he state that he only learn until 12 years old. “ My parent cannot afford to pay fees for school, plus it’s very expensive during that time. I still remembered that my father worked two jobs to pay my first school fees when I was 7 years old. My father work as labour in morning. He started to work before dawn rised that was around 5.00 am. But he end his first shift until 5.00 pm and work as part time cleaner in hospital. Day by day passed, I was 12 years old when my dad tragically involved in car crashed” he said. He stopped for a while, and that moment I can see that his watery eyes and he forced himself not to cry.
That’s the start of the sad stories happen to him. His father died when rushed to the hospital. Sadly, the day that his dad died was Chef Sajjad’s birthday. Since then he never forget about the incident. He decided to dropped from school and replaced his dad to work as cleaner at the hospital at night. While in morning, he worked at food stall that sell hot tea and Chapati. The owner of the food stall that he worked was own by his own uncle. “Oh my~ I forgot to mentioned I have a sister and my mum did not worked because she’s taking care of her. My sister Sharia five years younger than me. When my father passed away Sharia was still young and do not know how’s the feeling when we lost someone that should be leader and teach us on life.
Years by years, at 17 Chef Sajjad was offered to work at new shop near his home. At first he’s been told that he work as a waiter, but in the end he have to help the chef. At that time, the chef sajjad feels he is not fit in that position because there is no knowledge in cooking and he is still young. However, when asked by his employer he agreed to work at the restaurant. By being able to help the chef's chief there, he managed to get the variety of the foods that he cooked.
Unfortunately, his work did not last it end after a few years of working. The restaurant where he worked was bankrupts and the shop owner escaped without pay the other workers. Shortly unemployed, Chef Sajjad's own friend invited him to work at Malaysia. “ I’m choosing Malaysia because I know during that time my family will be not worrying about money, and for my sister, she can study in school without thinking about fees”. It will be a great opportunity for him.
The next month, he finally came to Malaysia. His friend recommended to work with him at Malaysia. At first his mother disagree with that, but he convinced her to get more money. Plus the currency in Malaysia more higher compared with Bangladesh. Without hesitated, he make passport and follow agent that brought them to Kuala Lumpur. The job that he work at Kuala Lumpur was a carwash Uma Rani exactly in the middle of KL.
Worst part happen when his own friend stole his pay check when he performed prayer. He only have Rm50 that time that he need to survive in a month. “I didn’t expect that happen, because I put trust on him 100%. Imagine the person that convinced u to work somewhere far from your place and end up stole all pay check and ran”. That time I was speechless, I knew that the next word coming from his mouth maybe something that bothered him. But I’m wrong, Chef Sajjad said that maybe Allah testing him in that situation.
He smiled and look at me straight in the eyes. With Rm50 he only eat once a day. He ate three Canai and a plain water, but sometimes if he want something sweet he will ordered Teh Tarik. But for him with Rm50 he really can survived. Until now his favourite drinks no other drink accept Teh Tarik or plain water.
One day, he saw job vacancy while he was out with his friend on Sunday. That was the only day that he off. He took a picture from the job vacancy paper. He met his boss, he told him that he want to stop. Without hesitate his boss agree and let him work for Fickles. His old boss help him to negotiate with his new boss. And just like that, he work at Fickles. For him work at restaurant was a blessing because all this time he keep praying for job that he really want. Beside, his boss really treat his nice and respect him especially prayer time.
Chef Sajjad been working for Fickles since the first time they opened it last 6 years. Fickles the most relaxed restaurant that he worked. “ maybe it’s something that I really want, so the environtment also play role for me”. In this 6 years, he explore more on cooking, from western food to Chinese foods. As a chef too he doesn’t mind to share his knowledge with his co-worker.
Mushroom cheesy with spicy gravy is his invention of food. “ I like experiment with foods, for me the spices that I used are the key. It doesn’t make sense, but I did not expect that my customer loves it”. But of course, the first person that tried that dish is his own boss. Since that, the dish become the main dish at Fickles. Last 4 year since he invent the dish, his colleague complain about the weird texture that he mixed in the mushroom gravy. But he didn’t give up and try change a bit of the taste and the spices.
The challenges that he have been through as a chef is to keep customer stick with his food. Every person have their own taste on what food they want to eat. Chef Sajjad mention on how he changed every dish before he managed to get the Mushroom Cheesy spicy gravy. Some of them like it, but some of them think that is too spicy for them. But he didn’t give up. He keep on improving his skills on cooking.
Last two years was hard for him and the restaurant. There’s a rumours spreaded out when the owner of the restaurant didn’t have HALAL certificate. Eventhough the certificate is official but some customers did not believe until they make their own Instagram account for the restaurant. They posted on how they get the certificate. At that time he really struggled to convince his regular customers to stay especially muslim.
Despite on passion on cooking and foods,
Chef Sajjad find his true love in Malaysia. He smile and said, my fiancé work just beside Fickles” and he laugh. As I remembered before I walked in to Fickles, there was a dental clinic just beside Fickles. “ maybe it’s cliché if I shared on how I met her, she one of the regular customers everyday for lunch. At first I thought she’s not Malaysian, she look exactly like Arabian. I dare myself to talk to her and TADAAA! I manage to take her heart with me”. We both laughed at that time. They plan to get married as soon as possible. He need to confirm the date first.
One hour conversation was not enough for me, I really want to know more about Chef Sajjad but he only have one hour just for the interview. Plus, he added that he really advice for those who really want to get something they dream and want, they have to struggle and not giving up easily without trying. “ Allah always be with us, ask helped and remember to know what your objective and pray for your parent. That is the main we still here and succeed” he added. He also said that even though with no education background we can go for our dream and work to look for it.
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