A Corner Worth Turning
By Aileen Anthony
It started like most hungry evenings do—scrolling through our AirBnB host’s list of local eats, trying to separate the familiar from the surprising. One name stood out: Hakami’s Gourmet. Just burgers, the description read. I almost skipped it. Malaysia’s seen one too many soggy “gourmet” attempts. But something about this one called out—and I’m glad we listened.
The first good sign? I asked for a recommendation and got an instant answer. If you’ve eaten around Malaysia, you’ll know that’s rare—locals are often too modest to declare a favourite. But Hafizol Hakami, the owner, didn’t hesitate. No hard sell—just confidence.
Then came the burgers.
Every bite was a revelation. No oily aftertaste, no overloaded sauces—just honest, flavour-packed burgers made entirely from scratch. Served with proper cutlery, no less. As a festive bonus, we even got some Raya cookies—hand-delivered by Hakami’s mother, Puan Anisah, who smiled warmly as she offered and declared a “rare one—pineapple cheese!” .
It was too good not to ask for the inspiration behind the business.
A Burger with a Backstory
The name says it all—Hakami’s Gourmet is helmed by Hakami himself. The recipes? Inherited from his mother, who learned them while studying in Canada, under the wing of her French-Canadian foster family. Now rooted in Kg Sungai Ular, the business is a quiet but confident outpost of flavour and family pride.
Hakami’s journey didn’t start in the kitchen. He was once based in KL, working in communications. But when Covid hit in 2020, he left the city and returned home.
“I started out making frozen patties in my mom’s kitchen and sold them door-to-door around Kuantan,” he shared.
Encouraged by requests for ready-to-eat burgers, he began serving customers on his home verandah. The turning point came in November 2020, when surfer friends from Langkawi—stuck in the village due to lockdown—suggested transforming an old slaughterhouse in his backyard into a cafe.
“We had a tight budget, so we DIY-ed everything with recycled materials, YouTube tutorials, and our own creativity,” and the rest as they say, is history.
Passion on a Plate
Open daily except Mondays, Hakami’s Gourmet is proof that you don’t need a prime location to serve something special. Fusing global inspiration with heartfelt hospitality, Hakami has built a burger haven off the beaten path—one that tastes like home and ambition in equal measure. And to a surfer, a seafront, a stone’s throw away – what more can one ask for?
Sometimes, the best meals are more than just food. They’re stories you can taste.
