When we first opened the restaurant, we tried to be something for everyone. We offered anything and everything under the sun you can think of, from cakes at the counter to a brunch menu alongside our current menu.

We called ourselves a contemporary Malaysian restaurant, so our guests took us for a fusion restaurant / an interesting café with thoughtful food / a bakery that was maybe a restaurant if you walked in / a Malaysian restaurant—but not. Bridging that gap was a lot simpler than we expected after inviting perspectives from our own team. Until this day, how we navigate anything else is by checking in with our team first.

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Our lowest point coincided with a high identity crisis. We weren’t doing great, seemed headless at the time, and the team had poor confidence. Then, we asked ourselves how well we knew our regulars: Of the five servers I was working with at the time, we could only rattle off five names.

We embarked on a mission to be more authentic, and at any chance we could, address our guests by name while introducing ours.

That was a game changer.

We all know that there is no such thing as "the best restaurant in the world", but there is that elusive mirage that you just might have a favourite restaurant. So we set out to pursue this narrative: "How do we become your favourite restaurant?" Did we remember the last meal you had with us, or the last joke you shared with us that other time? If we can do that, we stand a better chance of becoming your favourite restaurant. We learned it wasn’t so much about what we cooked or served, but more of how we could make you feel.

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When you really break it down, each of us is only a small cog in the machine. A great dining experience is the sum of many small things done consistently well.

We've established key rituals that keep us on our game, whether it's pre- or post-service meetings, roleplaying hospitality scenarios, or wordplay sparring—these drills keep our team highly engaged. Having this lens on helps everyone take their work seriously as a craft, while also not taking ourselves too seriously.

It's a privilege to be in the restaurant business because we have the opportunity to be a for-profit business with a principled stance.

At Table & Apron, we seek to impact communities across different spectrums. We have strong ties with our SS20 community in Damansara Kim, from pitching in with water shortage supplies to contributing green compost to different parts of the park.

We've addressed food insecurity, especially during this time of pandemic, by working with like-minded folks like Joyce from Pit Stop Community, which serves the homeless community, and supporting local produce purveyors in the Taman Tun Wet Market like Alan from Robert Greens whose business has been impacted by the rise of supermarkets over the last decade.

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If you think we are in the business of food and service, think again! We're learning to appreciate every year what it means to be in the business of people. That means inspiring our talents to becoming better versions of themselves for the good of the industry and those around them.

I'm fortunate that I've been surrounded by people who are better than me at many things. In my prior life as a cook, I always wanted to master a craft. Although I don't cook much anymore, it has become our obligation to clear pathways for cooks to become better at their craft. That alone is a legacy worth having.