Visually-impaired cook looking at bright future

DENGKIL: A local restaurateur defied all odds when he used his cooking talent to earn a living and support his family even after losing sight in his left eye in a workplace accident.

Mohamad Farid Mohamad Rasidi, also known as Chef OKU (disabled chef ), serves a range of cuisines from Morocco to Beijing at his restaurant, that he runs with his wife Siti Nur Zawani Najlaa Abdul Hamid.

Dina Corner, located in Kampung Semarang, started operation in 2011 six years after Farid had his accident.

Despite working with only one eye, Farid navigates the kitchen with finesse, attending to orders from customers who are greeted with a message on their tables that reads:“Please be patient, disabled chef in action.”

“Only the patient frequents my shop. In the early days of my business, I almost had a confrontation with a customer due to delays in fulfilling his order. The experience spurred me to improve my cooking efficiency to ensure customer satisfaction.”

“My left eye will not regain sight as it was hit by a falling rock at work, which damaged the tissues behind the socket,”he said, adding that he also suffers a bulging right eye due to a thyroid condition he was diagnosed with in 2014. Yet, that has not dampened my spirits. Who would have thought my love for exploring foreign cuisines while working abroad would support me now?”

Sharing the menu, Farid said all rice-based dishes were prepared with fragrant rice and a blend of herbs.

“The recipe originates from Beijing. I like to eat herbal rice, a dish I have tried to recreate after enjoying it many times while working in the city.

“What I find delightful is that whenever I prepare fried or chicken rice with the herbal variety, the customers’ response is positive. They appreciate the fragrant dish,” said Farid, who previously worked in engineering and technical plumbing at a private company.

The other 35 items on the menu include Beijing-style chicken, Chinese-style ginger chicken, sizzling chicken noodles, hand-pulled noodles, mee suah and marmosa claypot soup, a recipe from Morocco.

“Our restaurant features a range of affordable dishes, all priced from RM2 to RM16. We also provide free meals for disabled customers.”

Farid, who also offers work opportunities for locals and persons with disabilities, said he regularly seeks guidance through counselling services provided by the Social Welfare Department.

“The counsellors often pay me a visit. They observe how I interact with customers to see how I am doing emotionally.”