KOTA KINABALU, Dec 16 — A halal food supplier and his chef colleagues have joined forces to launch Kota Kinabalu’s first soup kitchen, aiming to provide 200 free meals a day.
Named Dapur Kita-Kita, or “Our Kitchen,” the initiative is located in Bandaran Berjaya.
It is staffed by five-star hotel chefs rostered by the Sabah Chef Association, while halal food supplier Jetsin Sdn Bhd fully funds the ingredients.
Jetsin’s managing director, Datuk Koh Chung Jade, and Sabah Chef Association president, Adrian Chong, said the project was inspired by stories of minimum-wage workers and hospital patients’ families struggling to afford proper meals.
“We’ve heard countless accounts of workers relying on plain rice and instant noodles to fill their stomachs. Some families looking after loved ones in hospitals couldn’t afford food or accommodation,” said Koh.
“We wanted to ease their burden and ensure no one in KK goes hungry.”
The kitchen, which began operations today, serves packed meals from Monday to Saturday, between 11.30am and 1.30pm, or until 200 packs are distributed. It remains closed on public holidays.
Koh rented a corner shop lot near his office to serve as the central kitchen and set up a container kiosk for food distribution.
Today’s menu featured rice with green curry chicken, tempura crab sticks, and optional corned beef stew.
Meals are available to anyone, no questions asked, though visitors are requested to show their MyKad to help maintain distribution records.
“Many people coming for meals aren’t from KK. This indicates they’re likely working here and struggling to make ends meet or saving to send money home,” Koh observed.
Koh and Chong hope the project will encourage support from NGOs and local businesses to sustain and expand the initiative.
“We can manage on a small scale for now, but with additional help, we aim to expand to include food deliveries and a larger operation. Community support will be key to achieving this,” Koh said.
Jetsin is funding the programme through a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) grant.
“To ensure sustainability, we focus on trust and transparency, so people feel confident collaborating with us,” Koh added.
Chong, who is also the executive chef at Hyatt Regency Kinabalu, said chefs from prominent establishments, including the Sabah International Convention Centre, Nexus Karambunai Resort, and Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria and Tanjung Aru resorts, have pledged their support.
“Each day, five to six chefs, along with volunteers, help prepare and pack meals,” Chong said, highlighting the strong industry backing for the initiative.
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