SINGAPORE: Noorman Mubarak, a 46-year-old former flight steward, once earned up to $20,000 a month as a project manager in the oil and gas industry. Yet, he finds himself in a bold career shift driven by family values and a genuine passion for food.
According to The Straits Times, he left behind a profitable job to embrace his hawker roots back in 2017. Drawing on a childhood steeped in the hawker tradition—helping at his parents’ stall in Ang Mo Kio—Noorman ventured into the culinary world by launching Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang at Yishun Park Hawker Centre alongside his wife, Ms Puti Andam Dewi Henry, 39, and a long-time friend.
A leap of faith
Noorman’s decision to leave the corporate world was spurred by the birth of their first son when he was just 37. Tired of the relentless travel demands of his previous job, he chose instead to build something lasting at home.
Finishing up his studies at the University of Queensland and earning a degree in business management along with his deep personal connection to hawker culture, he invested $50,000 to set up the stall. In the beginning, he juggled his full-time job with early morning shifts at the stall until the demands soon became too great—urging him to quit his corporate role just two months later.
Now working up to 16 hours daily, Noorman crafts every element of his dishes from scratch, including the sambal that simmers for hours to achieve the perfect flavour.
Family at the heart of the business
Ms Puti, who also has a background as a flight attendant, has been an unwavering pillar in the business. Despite a recent issue—when a National Environment Agency warning prompted a social media controversy over her not being physically present at the stall—she has since appointed a nominee to manage the daily operations during her maternity leave.
She continues to oversee the stall’s finances, administration, and operations while they maintain daily communication with their staff and visit the stall up to three times a week. Their combined efforts have transformed the humble hawker stall into a thriving chain employing 100 staff across 26 outlets with an annual revenue of $7 million.
Trials, tribulations and triumphs
The journey has not been without its setbacks. Financial challenges emerged when several outlets suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Noorman even endured surgery for a slipped disc. Yet, a turning point came when the Yishun Park outlet was featured in the Michelin Guide Singapore 2021.
This accolade sparked a period of profitable expansion, and despite experimenting with a higher-end restaurant concept that ultimately proved unsustainable, Noorman’s resilience shone through.
Looking to the Future
Today, the aim is to expand to 50 outlets across the island while realigning the business model to prioritise more coffee shop outlets over high-rent food court stalls. Though he admits that up to 40 per cent of his outlets are not yet profitable and his salary remains 25 per cent lower than in his previous career, Noorman remains steadfast. “I want to create generational wealth for my children,” he says, underscoring a journey marked not just by personal sacrifice but by the enduring hope for a better future for his family.
