[This is a sponsored article with Grab.]
A key theme throughout the pandemic has been about rallying support for small and local businesses.
In line with that, Grab Malaysia has launched a new platform called Grab Online Shop which aims to help small businesses build their online presence and increase sales.
From now until the end of 2021, fans of these restaurants will be able to make orders where the restaurant owners can enjoy 0% service fees through Grab Online Shop.
Other than that, another benefit for these small businesses is that they can set up their own branded website through Grab, which will be integrated with GrabPay and GrabRewards. Deliveries will then be fulfilled by Grab’s delivery partners.
Essentially, Grab’s created a seamless ecosystem to make business easier for these micro-SMEs and their supporters. Without further ado, here are some of the small businesses available on Grab Online Shop, in alphabetical order and categorised by general area.
Selangor
1. Madam Leela’s Kitchen & Catering, Kota Kemuning
Located in Shah Alam, Madam Leela’s Kitchen & Catering specialises in Malaysian Indian food. It’s got 12 varieties of biryani, but also offers nasi lemak, banana leaf, and more. Whether you’re a vegetarian, love mutton, chicken, or seafood, there’s something for you here. There are ala carte options too, if you’re feeling greedy, or even if you don’t feel up to a full banana leaf meal set.
Shop listing: https://leelas.grab.shop/
2. Nasi Dagang Corner Maggi Ketam Tomyam & Seafood, Selayang Baru
This store at Batu Caves has an offering more vast than its name, full of almost every Malay rice dish you could think of. From the simplest dishes for a nice Malay breakfast to seafood that you’d find at a spot closer to the beach, Nasi Dagang Corner Maggi Ketam Tomyam & Seafood will scratch that savoury and spicy itch.
Shop listing: https://nasidagangcorner.grab.shop/
Kuala Lumpur
3. Beans & Yogurt [Non-Halal], Taman Connaught
As part of its name implies, Beans & Yogurt is known for its fresh yoghurt made in-house that comes with a variety of toppings. According to the team, it takes 3 days to make each cup of yoghurt!
Over the years, it added popular yoghurt drinks to its menu too. Other than those, the café in Taman Connaught offers a mix of Western and popular local cuisine, along with desserts.
Shop listing: https://beansandyogurt.grab.shop/
4. Bo The Avocado, TTDI
Bo The Avocado is probably peak millennial culture, specialising in avocado smoothies. Incorporated in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic back in November 2020, the team has had a wild ride through several MCOs yet emerged with a significant fanbase.
Drinks aside, they also create avocado cakes and recently released its very fitting, new product: guacamole.
Shop listing: https://botheavocado.grab.shop/
5. Coffee Stain, Solaris Dutamas
With a name alone that screams “hipster café”,you’ll find your favourite caffeinated beverages and accompanying bites at Coffee Stain.
If you’re missing your brunches, you can make do with delicious deliveries instead. Choose from a selection of scones, souffle pancakes, or some classic breakfast sets.
Shop listing: https://coffeestain.grab.shop/
6. Cotta KL, Bukit Damansara
Much like the past few businesses mentioned, Cotta KL is another one specialising in something. Could you guess from the name yet? (Hint: it’s a cheese.)
Yes, it’s ricotta, which you’ll find slathered generously on freshly baked toast in both sweet and savoury options. If their menu isn’t to your tastes, you can create your own with the bundles of sourdough loaves and jars of homemade ricotta on Cotta KL’s Grab Online Shop.
Shop listing: https://cotta.grab.shop/
7. Kalico Coffee, Setapak
Founded by friends Ashley, Fadz, and On, the lawyer, engineer who’s into baking, and interior designer who doubles as a barista turned a neighbourhood bungalow lot into café Kalico Coffee. Today, it serves pasta, pastries, coffee, and more.
Quite a few online reviews have praised their excellent coffee, generous portions of food, flaky buttery croissants, and special shoutout must be given to their rich, spicy shakshouka, which has received more than a few recommendations.
Shop listing: https://kalicocoffee.grab.shop/
8. Leng Zai Bak Kut Teh [Non-Halal], Kepong
Instead of the usual ah pek (uncles) with decades of bak kut teh experience cooking away in their stained white singlets, what you’ll find at Leng Zai Bak Kut Teh are leng zai (handsome boys) running the place. Although branded as such, you won’t find a feed plastered with videos and photos of the titular leng zais on their social media pages, which prefer to highlight their food instead.
It was founded in 2017, and started out as a stall in a Kepong food court. Eye candy is one thing, but it seems that fans genuinely vouch for the quality of their brothy and dry bak kut teh, as they’ve since expanded into a proper store.
Shop listing: https://lengzaibkt.grab.shop/
9. Rush Roastery Jakel Mall, KL City Centre
Rush Roastery is an artisanal coffee roaster with over 12 years of experience in the industry.
They’ve brought that experience into each cup of coffee they serve, which range from single origin lattes, to more creatively flavoured frappes.
Even if you’re not a coffee lover, there’s probably something for you, from matcha smoothies to their best-selling Iced Black Pink Cheese, which is a non-coffee based strawberry franilla served with their signature cheese foam on the top.
Shop listing: https://rushroastery.grab.shop/
10. Sri Talamaz, Bandar Sri Damansara
Craving onde onde, talam pandan, or roti jala with no night market or stalls nearby? Sri Talamaz has you covered. The team now make over 100 types of steamed, baked, and fried Malay and nyonya kuih in both fresh and frozen forms.
If you can’t decide from the variety they offer, fans have praised their keria (sweet potato doughnut-shaped dough) gula melaka, and their pulut panggang (steamed glutinous rice fried with spicy chilli and coconut shrimp wrapped in banana leaves) is said to be a customer favourite.
Shop listing: https://sritalamaz.grab.shop/
Petaling Jaya
11. 270 SQFT, Sea Park
In post-pandemic times, you could step into 270 SQFT and take in the 270 square feet of space that offers coffee, bagels, and other scrumptious café delights.
For savoury bites, you can take a look at their list of bagels with different meat or vegetarian combos. They’re also known to take their coffee very seriously, and if you’d like to try something a little different, you can give their yuzu tonic or black sesame latte a go.
Shop listing: https://270sqft.grab.shop/
12. Bean Brothers, Sunway Damansara
This café started in the foreign lands of Seoul, South Korea, but later made its way over to KL and PJ to spread the experience of great beans.
Besides cold brews, coffee pour overs, and your expected white or black coffee, Bean Brothers also serves a mix of Korean and Western dishes, ranging from kimchi bokkeumbap (fried rice) to basil pesto chicken pasta.
If you’ve been hunting for them, you’d also be able to order croffles here (a blessed union of waffles and croissants, for the unenlightened).
Shop listing: https://beanbrothersmy.grab.shop/
13. Bröom Artisan Bakery, Taman Paramount
At Bröom Artisan Bakery, you’d find the creations of head baker Ryan Wong which include Danish and French pastries, along with beverages you’d expect at a café.
Ryan had honed his craft in London and Melbourne (globally known for its café culture) for a cumulative 6 years before returning to Malaysia to share his experience via good food.
The café also serves a wide variety of savoury meals, such as nasi ulam, prawn curry laksa, a smoked salmon bowl, a vegan mushroom rice box and many more mouth-watering offerings. You can also buy full loaves of sourdough here too.
Shop listing: https://broom.grab.shop/
14. Pepo Pizza, Seksyen 51a
For something that’s not coffee or café food, we have Pepo Pizza on the list. Wood-fired pizza crusts just hit different (and I’m sure many would agree with me), and this rustic offering is exactly what the PJ pizza spot has in store.
Aside from classic pizzas, you’ll find artisanal and dessert ones too, along with pasta and antipasti, which make up the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal.
Shop listing: https://pepopizza.grab.shop/
15. The Bao Guys, SS2
Sometimes food can be so good that it’s a crime, but we can’t verify if that’s the case here. What we do know, however, is that the 3 co-founders behind The Bao Guys were law students who turned to the food industry when job prospects were low during the pandemic.
You can probably guess what is their specialty based on their name, but expect combos such as coriander chicken married with fresh onion lime slaw and a spicy Thai mayo, or have a bowl of Vietnamese pho in a bao form, which consists of braised lamb with onion basil lime slaw. If you’re ordering for more than 1, they have box sets of 3 or 6 too.
Shop listing: https://thebaoguys.grab.shop/
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These brands were already Grab merchant partners to begin with, but through the Grab Online Shop campaign, customers can get the same good value while the stores enjoy better sales.
In all, it’s quite the win-win situation, and hopefully this support will see these stores through the pandemic so they can be enjoyed via relaxed dine-ins once again.
Featured Image Credit: Kalico Coffee / Beans & Yogurt / Nasi Dagang Corner Maggi Ketam Tomyam & Seafood