Following the opening of one “The Oriental Cravings” in Damansara Kim, upset has flared among past customers of the now-closed Oriental Cravings in 1 Utama.
Oriental Cravings pulled down its shutters in September 2021 after 17 and a half years of operating.
Soft launched on March 15, 2025, The Oriental Cravings owned by 23-year-old Kimberly Chew was opened in Damansara Kim, with a team of staff from the old Oriental Cravings, aimed at bringing back the “spirit” of the restaurant.
“I used to dine at Oriental Cravings when I was around eight years old when my maternal grandmother Madam Ong Kit Ching was around. It used to be my second home,” said Kimberly to the Malay Mail, in an article titled “First look: The Oriental Cravings at PJ Damansara Kim marks the return of an old favourite with the iconic claypot ‘loh shi fun’ and more“.
This intended renaissance of the old restaurant had riled Oriental Cravings’ past customer base and long-time patrons, many feeling that the new restaurant had marketed itself as an actual comeback of the old restaurant, despite the owners not being a part of this new business in any capacity.
A source close to Oriental Cravings’ owners had reached out to Vulcan Post alleging that “[the owners] had been blindsided by messages of congratulations on the ‘reopening’ of Oriental Cravings.”
Indeed, the old owners had then shared on social media clarifying, “We are not connected to this restaurant (The Oriental Cravings in Damansara Kim), nor are we affiliated in any way with the Chew family or their group of restaurants.”
The source further alleged to us that “the menu is eerily identical, with only a few additions and ‘tweaks’, and their social media page boldly claims that the beloved ‘Oriental Cravings was reopening’, as if it was the same one that had touched so many lives before.”
Indeed, The Oriental Cravings offers dishes similar in name to the old Oriental Cravings, from Kam Heong Prawn, Creamy Prawn, and Crispy Oatmeal Prawn, to their Salted Mustard Green Soup and Bittergourd and Seaweed Soup.
The source further alleged:
“This is not just a matter of using the same name. It is an outright attempt to deceive the public into believing they are experiencing the same restaurant, the same soul, the same legacy.
But they are not.
What they are being sold is a copy—one that only exists because the original founders, in an act of goodwill, entrusted the Chew family with their former staff. And in return for that, they have taken advantage of it in the most shameless way possible.
[…]
I am reaching out to you in the hope that you will shine a light on this and expose the truth. The public deserves to know that what they see in Damansara Kim is not the Oriental Cravings they remember and loved.
It is a faceless imitation, one that blatantly disrespects the people who made the original so special.”
In a comment to The Rakyat Post’s post covering The Oriental Cravings, a Facebook user stated that “[the] new eatery may be trying to give a sense of continuity in the Malay Mail report by claiming they absorbed all the staff when the old eatery shuttered.”
(Note that the Malay Mail article actually said: “Once Oriental Cravings shuttered, almost all of their staff was absorbed into Farm to Plate, Le Sense and Mera, which are owned by Chew’s family.”)
“The social media posts from WhatsApp sent out by the company and news reports attempted to link/imply that the new company is a comeback of the old. What is the intention? Is this to ride on the goodwill of the old customers?”
“Why not just make it clear that the owners are not linked at all and that the new company was started as a homage to the old? Then it’s up to readers including ex-customers to decide whether to patronise or not,” the user added.
Upset customers have even turned to The Oriental Cravings’ Instagram page, with one user stating, “You’re not the original “Oriental Cravings” located in One Utama before, yet on your [social media] & press articles you claimed yourself to be a comeback of the legend.”
“Reusing the name & selling similar dishes is one thing, yet attempting to make a connection to the original is totally unethical, even if this behaviour of yours may not have a legal issue.”
Some have come to defend the new eatery, however, with a user claiming that “the Chew family had never meant to mislead or to pass off that they were part of the previous management of the Oriental Cravings.”
“From my personal understanding, the truth is that the Oriental Cravings brand was entrusted to the Chew family by the previous owners. On the promise to maintain the good name of the Oriental Cravings, the Chew family has made all efforts to ensure that the taste of the food is maintained for all of its loyal patrons.”
“In short, the Chew family had decided to continue the story of the Oriental Cravings due to overwhelming requests and demands from its patrons, and is committed to continue this never-ending story,” said the user in a comment under the old Oriental Cravings’ recent statement post on Instagram.
Several users replied to this comment, however, stating that the messages that the Chew family sent out claiming to be the old restaurant were “absolutely deliberate.”
Another reply claimed that “[The Oriental Cravings’] now-deleted IG post said ‘We’re back’ and ‘just like you remember’, clearly suggesting it’s the same restaurant. And if they had nothing to hide, why remove comments from ex-customers who pointed it out?”
“And now, a WhatsApp message has been sent out to customers stating ‘We’ve officially opened The Oriental Cravings—yes, that Oriental Cravings, the one you used to love at 1 Utama!’ If this isn’t an outright attempt to mislead people, I don’t know what is.”
“This isn’t just business. It’s dishonesty, plain and simple,” said an Instagram user.
Vulcan Post has reached out to both Oriental Cravings’ owners and The Oriental Cravings’ owners to shed more light on the details in this story, but Oriental Cravings declined to comment further on the issue, and we have been unable to get a response from The Oriental Cravings thus far.
At the time of writing, neither brand has made further public statements on this matter.
Featured Image Credit: Chuang Lanying / The Oriental Cravings
