Meet the lady boss of cult-favourite eatery Muslim Delights and her thriving nasi padang empire

For those working in the industrial Tai Seng area, it’s pretty common knowledge that the bustling stretch along Upper Paya Lebar Road is home to some of the tastiest eats around.

But one that has our whole heart is Muslim Delights — a cult-favourite nasi padang eatery that’s touted for its comfort Malay cuisine. 

It’s an unostentatious, nondescript stall — one that you’d easily overlook, save for a plain red signboard with the shop’s name emblazoned on it.

The only telltale sign that the food at Muslim Delights is anything out of the ordinary is the long, snaking queues that form — starting from the display of heaping noms at the back of the shop — and extend lengthwise through the shop (a phenomenon that occurs daily, especially during lunchtime). 

If you haven’t been to Muslim Delights at Tai Seng before, the eatery is helmed by a friendly husband-wife duo, 54-year-old Hafidah Bte Daud — the lady boss — and her husband Zulkifli Bin Mohd Karim, 57. 

Both take great pride in their food, which is made from scratch daily and prepared with love. 

But the couple aren’t just proud owners of a successful nasi padang business. They also run a flourishing catering arm: Muslim Delights Wedding Venue and Services. 

Incepted in 2006, it’s an offshoot of their well-loved nasi padang brand. Word had spread about their tasty nasi padang specialities and Muslim Delights Wedding Venue and Services gained a foothold as a choice caterer in the Muslim community. 

In the same year, the duo expanded the business even further to include wedding planning services. They have since worked with a repertoire of famed clients, such as singer-songwriter Taufik Batisah and radio personality Abdul Karim Sadali (also known as KC).

Starting young

With over 40 years of F&B experience and two thriving businesses under her wing, Hafidah is a true-blue lady boss in her own right.

But it’s taken her years to get to where she is today — after all, she first entered the F&B industry in the late 1980s, when she was just 13!

Along with six other siblings — Hafidah is the youngest — she helped out at her late mother’s nasi padang food stall, which was located at an army reservist camp in Sembawang. 

They were expected to assist with kitchen duties such as food preparation, serving and housekeeping. 

“It’s a family business, so everyone has to chip in,” Hafidah explains. “Even when I had school in the afternoon, I had to help out in the morning.”

Even when the school holidays rolled around and her peers were enjoying the break from school, she was committed to working hard at the shop.

As with many hawkers, her mother was a one-woman show and needed all the help she could get. The nasi padang business was her mother’s baby and Hafidah couldn’t bear to turn her down.

“My mom was working all alone,” Hafidah says. “I didn’t have the heart to leave.”

She likens the family business to a “magnet” that pulled her in, with certain emotional obligations and expectations to live up to. She couldn’t find it in her to walk away.

But unlike her siblings who found the work laborious, Hafidah enjoyed being her mother’s right-hand man, where she could learn the ropes of running a busy kitchen. 

“She taught me the importance of staying organised and planning ahead,” Hafidah recalls. 

Hafidah’s mother also stressed the significance of whipping up tasty dishes made with quality ingredients, a principle that she still follows to this day. 

“Because we earn money from people, it’s our responsibility to cook it well,” she explains. “If you’re cutting corners [on ingredients], how can you survive?” 

That’s something we can still see today. Hafidah prides herself on turning out a fully-stocked display of nasi padang specialities daily, so that diners can try a variety of dishes.

Hafidah also picked up her mother’s time-honoured nasi padang recipes, which she still incorporates into her fare.

She knows all of her recipes by heart, but still finds herself tinkering with them — if needed — to improve the flavours in her food.

Continuing her mother’s work

Hafidah’s siblings eventually decided to pursue careers of their own, while she remained at her mother’s nasi padang stall in Sembawang. 

Her mother had been diagnosed with a chronic illness and the long hours at the hot stall were taking a toll on her declining health. “She wanted to continue the business, even when my siblings advised her to give up,” she says.

Hafidah couldn’t bear to watch her mother slog at the stall and intended to help out for another year or two — in hopes that her mother would finally be ready to retire then — before she went job-hunting. 

But over time, she grew attached to the business and officially took over the reins in 1992.

“Ideally, I would have preferred an office job,” Hafidah muses, laughing. “But after a few years [of helping out at the stall], I embraced the lifestyle here and realised it was my calling.” 

But above all, it was out of sentiment and filial piety that eventually kept her on the hawker path to continue her mother’s treasured nasi padang legacy. 

“Making her happy was always my top priority,” Hafidah says wistfully, tearing up. “And her food was the best, so here I am, trying to replicate her cooking.” 

Moving to its current space 

In 1997, Hafidah relocated to a coffee shop in a quiet industrial estate in Sungei Kadut, because the Sembawang stall was experiencing a significant decline in footfall.

She had also just given birth and needed an extra set of hands to help out, so her husband Zulkifli joined her full-time. He was formerly a firefighter and had left the force to help manage Muslim Delights.

Together with his help, the couple ran the business as best they could. In the early days, Zulkifli was responsible for cleaning and serving, while Hafidah helmed the kitchen.

After six years in the area, it was time for a change in scenery and the couple moved to Paya Lebar in 2003. However, rental costs were steep and both were hard-pressed to search for a better location with more affordable rent. 

The duo finally moved the business to its current home in 2013, which is nestled in a two-storey shophouse (which is coincidentally located right beside its former space) along the busy Upper Paya Lebar Road. 

Muslim Delights has been there ever since, where it has steadily gained recognition among diners in the area for its classic nasi padang dishes.

On running a successful eatery 

But of course, it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. 

For starters, Hafidah’s day begins as early as 4am, when she cooks Muslim Delights’ signature dishes from scratch.

But the early hours aren’t her greatest challenge, she says. Rather, it’s manpower issues that she grappled with.

“There are many who are keen to work,” Hafidah adds. “But finding the right candidates who can endure the heat and standing for long hours is the challenge.” 

“The younger ones have other options for work, while the older workers are at the age where they want to go slow and take their time.”

The crunch eased in 2014, when Hafidah’s sister, Rashidah — the outlet manager at Muslim Delights — joined the business. Day-to-day operations became much more manageable. 

As you would expect of a mother and entrepreneur running multiple businesses, Hafidah finds herself juggling work and family responsibilities. 

As a result, she noticed her social circle gradually thinning over the years.

“In this line of work, all your friends just slowly disappear,” she says, laughing. “When I’m free, they’re busy, and vice-versa.” 

But she does see it as part-and-parcel of being in the hectic F&B industry.

“That’s how my relationship with my family and husband grows,” she adds, smiling. “Because we only have each other as companions.”

On the menu at Muslim Delights

If you’re heading to Muslim Delights to try its mouthwatering nasi padang fare, there are various dishes that you can’t miss. 

Hafidah makes it a point to keep her wares affordable, with dishes starting from S$3.50 onwards.

She recommends the savoury rendang curry chicken and red snapper curry fish, which are bestsellers at the eatery. 

The fried chicken is also a huge hit with its juicy, tender meat and crispy skin. It’s also one of our favourites there and we find that it fares well whether you enjoy it on its own or with fluffy white rice.

“Everything is nice here,” she jests. “I make sure that all my dishes are delicious.” 

For now, Hafidah doesn’t intend to introduce new dishes to the menu. 

“I’ve been sticking to these dishes for quite some time now,” she explains. “Because they’re what the customers come here for.”

What’s next?

Despite already having a few brands under her belt, Hafidah has plans to expand further — by introducing sustainable food options to the nasi padang market. 

The idea first came about during the Covid-19 pandemic, when there were fears of food scarcity. She hopes to create sustainable food alternatives that are easily accessible to many and can be found in retail stores.

The R&D phase is already complete, Hafidah says, but the team is still waiting for the right time to execute their plans. 

“I just want it to be perfect,” she adds. “As alternatives to [the dishes] at my physical store, they must not compromise in taste.”

But she’s not revealing any other details yet, so we’ll be keeping our eyes (and ears) peeled for any future updates. 

For more eats in the area, check out the famous prawn noodles at Zhup Zhup by One Prawn & Co or decadent bakes by Frosted by Fang. Alternatively, check out the newest openings in Singapore here. 

You can also book a ride to Muslim Delights to savour its delicious nasi padang. 

Do explore the GrabFood Dine Out service for awesome deals.