Crave’s founder upholds family tradition of giving back by donating proceeds to charity this Hari Raya

For hundreds of thousands of Singaporeans looking for a good, tummy-satisfying meal, the familiar green logo of Crave Nasi Lemak comes as a welcome sight.

Whether you’re craving fish fillets, chicken wings or curry chicken, a packet of nasi lemak never fails to hit the spot, especially after a long day at work.

But for Crave’s founder Abdul Malik Hassan, food isn’t always about business. It also holds fond memories of his childhood in the kampung, commemorating the holy month of Ramadan and celebrating Hari Raya.

“Ramadan is the holy month for the Muslims. We always believe in giving back to the community,” Abdul Malik said. His father, who established the Selera Rasa nasi lemak stall in Adam Road, would pack around 50 to 100 packets of the savoury meal and donate them to the mosque. Those in need would also receive donations of essentials like rice.

“My dad always taught us that whenever you have the means, you should give. He taught me that when we do business, it’s not just for ourselves…so it’s not everything about you, and this world is just temporary,” Abdul Malik said. He also credited his grandfather for instilling a spirit of generosity in the family.

According to Abdul Malik, his father was a familiar figure to customers, seen “smiling” at the front of his shop. From time to time even if it wasn’t Ramadan, if someone dropped by but didn’t have enough money to buy a plate of nasi lemak, his father would treat them to a meal free of charge so they wouldn’t go away hungry.

Whoever had the good fortune to taste the legendary Selera Rasa nasi lemak is in for a treat – today it has grown to become a nationally-beloved brand, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong even serving it to Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo when the latter made an official visit to Singapore in 2014.

A more joyful Hari Raya celebration

As Muslims celebrate this Hari Raya season, things will be much different, owing to the lifting of certain Covid-19 restrictions on house visits.

Abdul Malik noted that in the previous couple of years when the pandemic was raging, the Malay Muslim community mostly abided by the restrictions, even if they would have liked to visit their families during the Hari Raya period. But now they can have a bigger celebration.

For Abdul Malik himself, he plans to visit his relatives in person (no video calls this time) and is looking forward to a joyful gathering.

Celebrating Hari Raya in the kampung was different than modern times, Abdul Malik recalled. Unlike HDB estates, it was easier for the whole community to celebrate together.

After performing morning prayers, Abdul Malik and his family would visit every house in the kampung one by one. And even if he didn’t recognise the adults, they would all recognise him.

“This kampung spirit is different from (what we have) now,” he said, a little wistfully.

But even if those days are long past, Abdul Malik and the folks at Crave are doing what they can to build up that community spirit.

Recently on Mar. 25, the Crave family conducted a food donation drive, partnering with FoodBank Singapore (FoodBank SG). Many of the employees, even store managers, spent time to pack food and other essential items for donation to Care Corner Marsiling.

Abdul Malik said he is “very proud” of this charity drive. In previous years Crave had done similar charity events, but this year he said he was proud of the team for taking on this new initiative with Foodbank.

While organising the food drive and visiting the families of those in need, Abdul Malik said he recognised that while Singapore may be a financially-sound country, there are still people who need assistance.

Share A Meal

To continue the legacy of giving back to the community, and on a larger scale this year, Crave came up with their “Share A Meal” collaboration with FoodBank SG. For every purchase of their Hari Raya bundles, Crave will be donating part of the proceeds to FoodBank’s beneficiaries.

Hari Raya Bundle For one

Featuring a mouth-watering assortment of Crave’s nasi lemak treats, you can choose a bundle for one, which includes one packet of nasi lemak, one drink and two pieces of otah (one original and one prawn).

The nasi lemak comes with selar fish, fish fillet, and you can add a chicken wing (S$0.40), a chicken cutlet (S$0.70) or curry chicken (S$2.40). You can also get an iced bandung, an iced calamansi or UFC coconut water for your drink.

The bundle costs just S$7.90 for an in-store purchase, or S$9.50 for delivery. And best of all, Crave will donate S$1 to FoodBank SG with each purchase made. Feed yourself and help to feed someone in need at the same time.

Hari Raya Bundle for two

If you’re sharing a meal with someone (or just super hungry, it’s understandable), you can get the bundle for two. You’ll get two boxes of nasi lemak, one with a chicken cutlet and the other with a fish fillet, and the same option of extra ingredients if you desire. You’ll also get six pieces of otah (three original and three prawn) and two drinks (same choices).

This costs S$16.90 for an in-store purchase and S$20.10 for a delivery. For each order, Crave will donate S$2 to Foodbank SG.

Ramadan Feast

If you are looking for a hearty meal with three to four people, you can get the Ramadan Feast bundle. You’ll get a bucket of chicken wings (six pieces) that comes with three scoops of chilli and ten pieces of otah (five original and five mix). You can choose to add on plain Nasi Lemak at S$3.50 if you don’t want to miss out on the rice.

This costs S$19.90 for an in-store purchase and S$20.10 for a delivery. For each order, Crave will donate S$2 to Foodbank SG.

The promotion and collaboration with Foodbank SG will last until May 31. Next time you’re feeling extra peckish, why not grab a bite to eat at Crave, and help out those in need as well.

Top image courtesy of Crave.

This is a sponsored article by Crave.