Asians sure do love their rice and there are so many ways to have them. The team at Royal Rice Rolls thought that it is best to have them in the form of rolls! The best part is, you get to have your Asian flavoured taste buds satisfied with their Asian fusion rolls. Get to know Raden Ain, the founder of Royal Rice Rolls and how it all rolled into action.
Meet Raden Ain, The Founder Of Royal Rice Rolls
“Greetings! I’m Raden Ain.”
Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Raden Ain grew up with her grandmother who was an amazing cook. Growing up, her mother used to pack her school lunches that always caught the attention of her friends. From there, Raden thought “Hey, I could just charge a bit. Would you buy it?” This was the start of her little venture i.e selling lunches she would have packed for her such as sandwiches, kebab, nasi lemak and even chocolate chips to her friends!
To her surprise, these friends would then bring other friends to buy from her too. This business which started when she was in primary school even continued throughout high school. “I guess I was pretty destined to join the F&B business”, Raden reflected.
Why Rice Rolls?
Having furthered her studies in the US, Raden’s experience of living in a different country opened her eyes to endless possibilities. The one thing that interests her the most while travelling and living in a different country is none other than their food culture.
“I was very inspired by the local neighbourhood’s eateries that were so loved by the patrons.” These eateries sell a variety of food ranging from local pizza joints, ice cream, burer, Indian food, bagels and even sushi.
What interests Raden the most is that the owners do not necessarily come from the same culture as the food they are selling. However, one thing that unites them is their respect and admiration for the food from their genuine warm welcome up to the little details in each serving. Not only that, these sellers ensure that their food is tailored to the local’s tastes and preferences. They sure bring fusion to a different level.
Raden has chosen rice rolls due to her love for Korean and Japanese delicacies. “I find joy in the process of mixing and matching ingredients, coming out with a refreshing menu and then sharing them with the public”, Raden shared.
She does feel like she carries the mission to popularize locally-owned and made rice rolls – be it sushi or kimbap to the locals. She feels that it will allow us to demonstrate that we not only can produce tasty food but also commercially competitive brands.
What Makes Royal Rice Rolls Different Than The Others
“GongJu Roll brings to the table a fresh look and taste of Asian fusion rice rolls. We are probably one of the very few brands where you can find a good blend of Japanese and Korean sushi rolls as well as other Asian savoury tastes”, explained Raden.
True to her words, Royal Rice Rolls offer rolls which contain danmuji (Korean Pickled Radish) paired with Chicken Teriyaki (a Japanese dish). Moreover, Royal Rice Rolls also experiment with other Asian tastes. Take for example their Ulam Pedas Chicken Tempura. “It is a seasoned rice mixed with Javanese ulam pecal paste, giving it an interesting kick to the Japanese style tempura fried chicken”. If that is not enough to tickle your taste buds, you can also opt for their Party Boxes which can cater to different occasions and taste.
Learning from her experience with the local eateries overseas, Raden takes cues from what Malaysians love and makes sure to incorporate it in her rolls. “Malaysians love cheese and fried food, isn’t it?”
Due to her acute sense of business and experience, their first crunchy fried roll, Kkrab is their most loved and recommended roll. Kkrab is fried crab mayo roll. Pair it with Cheesy Munchkins – exploding mozzarella cheese with crab mayo wrapped in seasoned rice and then fried to a crunchy golden brown, it is a match made in fried and cheese filled heaven.
How Are These Special Rice Rolls Made
Unlike Mr. Krab, Raden is more than happy to share the process of making their delicious rolls. “Our standard rice rolls have seasoned rice, danmuji (pickled radish), slices of carrot, and salad before adding their respective fillings according to flavors; such as Chicken Teriyaki, Bulgogi, and Tuna Mayo – to name a few. We have our own mixture of seasoning for rice (we do not use mirin), a recipe for pickled radish, Teriyaki, Gochujang and Bulgogi sauces”, Raden explained.
The flavours are decided based on the order i.e whether it is a Full Roll (10 pieces), Half Roll (5 pieces) or a Party Box which consists of various flavours.
Raden’s Journey Throughout The Years
Even though she has had her own experience of selling food when she was younger, Raden admits that it was difficult piercing through the F&B business. Learning the ins and outs of the business and management from zero were her biggest challenge.
“We had a humble start as a home-based delivery (business) that later grew into a physical shop, which progressively required the establishment of processes of purchasing, cooking, training, quality maintenance, and so on”, she shared.
Apart from that, she also said, “Breaking into this niche market was also not an easy start for us and it is still a continuous challenge to educate potential customers on the uniqueness of our products.”
Despite all of the challenges, Royal Rice Rolls are constantly brainstorming, doing research and developing their products in order to explore new flavours, snacks, or mixed boxes. They pay particular attention to the type of poultry, complexity, taste, and the visual aspect of their products.
What’s In Store For The Future of Royal Rice Rolls
Raden has big plans for Royal Rice Rolls. “Other than expanding our current menu and adding seasonal ones, we are currently just about to venture into frozen food starting with our Cheesy Munchkins”, said Raden. Now, lovers of their rolls can get their frozen products and fry their favorite cheesy rice balls at the comfort of their homes for only RM18.50/pack (10 pieces).
Moreover, Royal Rice Rolls are also looking at bottled products for their sauces. Not only that, they also hope to open outlets in the Selangor area particularly in Shah Alam and Bangi. Let’s hope all their plans roll into motion smoothly!
Gongju Roll
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