Letter to Editor
THE Malay proverb “ada udang di sebalik batu” refers to ulterior motives or hidden agendas behind a certain act or event.
Forgive this inquisitive mind but one cannot help but think that there are indeed some funky-smelling prawns behind a purported promo for a restaurant in the swanky Kuala Lumpur neighbourhood of Ampang Hilir.
Dubbed SteakvMe (by No Coffee No Brain), this establishment serves fusion cuisine with steaks being a specialty.
However, a clip featuring Muslim-looking models/influencers (in traditional songkok and hijab no less) dining while promoting the said restaurant has since surfaced.
OK, so far, no problem. Plenty of restaurants do that, especially those without official halal certification from JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) to indicate that the eateries are ‘Muslim-friendly’.
But in the case of SteakvMe, an eagle-eyed foodie though noticed that this establishment not only served alcohol but also had porcine dishes on the menu!
Now, marketing is one thing. False advertising is another.
I am pretty sure this clip would run afoul of the law as it quite clearly trying to make the restaurant look “Muslim-friendly” when it is clearly not.
Hidden agenda
Now, no matter how liberal an interpretation you apply, this restaurant’s menu most definitely does not fall under that category. Any right-thinking Malaysian (not just Muslims) know that.
This is not just misleading but can even be construed as being extremely offensive as some netizens seem to view this promo clip as. If the intention is to offend, this clip seems to have had the desired effect.
This is where things get interesting. This clip does NOT appear on the restaurant’s Instagram nor Facebook platforms.
So the proprietors can actually claim ignorance and say this was a review by independent influencers who dropped by unannounced.
I have been unable to ascertain the identity of the supposed promo spokesperson/influencer in the clips (nobody in the comments have identified them or provided a link).
But the cynic in me begs the question. Watch the clip and tell me if this feel independent or paid for? With claims of “best chicken chop in Ampang” alongside promos for its Argentina-sourced steaks, it feels exactly like a restaurant-endorsed clip.
Could there be a hidden agenda? There have been many calls to insist that non-Muslim-owned eateries have official halal certification if they wish to serve Muslim customers.
Incidents such as this only ups the ante for such calls as the video is clearly sending the wrong message.
Could this be the work of agent provocateurs keen on pushing the narrative that non-Muslim-owned restaurants cannot be trusted with the simple “no pork, no lard” signage? Or worse yet, a sign of declining Islamic values that Muslims seem happy to dine in such establishments.
Act of sabotage
Anyone living in Malaysia and possessing some semblance of gray matter would know that showing supposedly Muslim customers in a restaurant that serves pork was a no-no. I mean how tone deaf can you be?
This leads me to the conclusion that this was done deliberately to raise the heckles of Muslim consumers into demanding that halal certification is mandatory.
For the record, I am NOT against the mandatory halal certification of restaurants that serve Muslims.
But rather that such an enactment must cover ALL F&B (food & beverage) establishments, including those owned by Muslims.
After all, it is constantly highlighted that cleanliness and hygiene is essential to a makan shop getting its halal accreditation so all diners would benefit from such a move.
I cannot – by any stretch of the imagination – come up with a scenario that justifies SteakvMe’s marketing faux paus, if indeed, they are behind this insidious clip.
It really does appear that this restaurateur’s did miss his coffee when he agreed to this video – unless he was given plenty of incentive to do so.
The other conclusion is the mystery pair of Muslim-looking diners in the clip are cybertroopers doing their bit of mischief through the medium of food reviews.
If it is the former, it really is idiocy in the extreme. If it is the latter, it is a good ploy which effects will reverberate for a while yet. – Sept 25, 2026
Editor’s Note: Those who wish to sample non-halal menu or protest with placards can head over to SteakvMe (by no coffee no brain) at 1-G, Jalan Excella 1, Taman Ampang Hilir, 55100 Kuala Lumpur or another referenced location nearby at 6, Jalan Ampang Utama 1/1, Taman Ampang Utama, 68000 Ampang Jaya, Selangor.
Conspiracy Theorist
Georgetown, Penang
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
