Skip to main content

Should Tealive Philippines Include Malaysian Dishes in Its Menu?

Tealive Asia

I've tasted many milk tea brands. However, Tealive is the first one I've tasted that fits into the halal standards. Tealive Philippines has its more or less standard coffee shop food with a halal twist. During the time when the ube flavors came in--I wrote that Tealive may want to invest in the Bangsamoro region. I checked the Tealive Asia Facebook page and found some items not yet served at Tealive Philippines. One of them is the Nasi Lemak Ayam Rendang (picture above). Historically, the Philippines has had its settlers from Malaysia and Indonesia. Taiwanese natives also descended from Malaysians and Indonesians. I even remember seeing how Malaysians and Indonesians are often mistaken as Filipinos.

One might find similar delicacies between Mindanao Malaysia and Indonesia. For example, reading about 25 Malaysian desserts made me think, "It's closer than expected!" The lokot-lokot of the Philippines is similar to the garajilu of Malaysia or Indonesia. The use of coconut pancakes, dadar-gulung can also be found in Malaysia and Indonesia. It's also worth mentioning that the Malaysian-Filipino sweet tooth demographic is similar (read here).

Can Malaysian meals be part of the regular menu in Tealive Philippines? Some establishments will adjust the taste or menu to fit the demographic. Indians tend to offer milder options to Filipinos. Hawker Chan from Singapore has added more salt to the Filipino taste--in their Filipino branches. However, there are halal restaurants around. As a Cebuano, those I know are Persian Palate (which also has some Malaysian food), Shawarma Gourmet, Ya Habibi (which is delivery only, no dine-in), and Hussam Middle Eastern Cuisine to name a few. Given the number of halal restaurants (called by Cebuanos as "kan-anan sa Muslim") in the mall. It could be a yes if the cards are played right. After all, Arab restaurants have survived in the Philippines--even in the non-Muslim dominant regions.

Food in Mindanao and food in Malaysia are similar. If Tealive should consider opening in the Bangsamoro region (which I believe they should)--they may want to sell their Malaysian-style cooking there. It might be best to see which parts of the Philippines should sell Malaysian-style cooking. However, I still believe that it can work if the dishes are modified (in some way) for the Filipino taste. 

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Wanting Wealth WITHOUT Financial Discipline

Many people want to be rich, but not so many people want the discipline on how to be rich. Isn't that the plain hard truth ? As I do this sideline blog , I contemplated whether I should write another post after writing several posts years back, or when I wrote about Venezuela as a cautionary tale . Back on topic, I thought about how financial discipline is something often overlooked. It's easy to talk about Christmas since that's probably the most wonderful time of the year to be spendthrift , only to find out that one's broke by the New Year . The cycle of reckless financial habits tends to restart in January, even when January becomes that time of reckoning between debtors and creditors! January 2026 will end, February 2026 comes, and then the cycle of financial recklessness continues. It's the same cycle over and over! Last Christmas, I remember how DTI Secretary Christina Roque spoke about the PHP 500.00 noche buena, for a family of four . I called it tactless b...
Read more

The Philippines will NEVER Get Richer by Blaming Its Richer Asian Neighbors

Gemini AI Updated: September 27, 2025 It would be nice to talk about the typical blame game in the Philippines. I could remember that, as a child and a teenager, I had this habit of blaming people I disliked for my failing an exam. The reasons are mostly imagined. What I remembered in my later college years was when I met a couple of super irresponsible students. They had this attitude to say something like, "My parents don't care if it'll take me 20 years to finish my bachelor's degree." Some people even say something like, "It's the fault of the rich that we are poor." It was a backfire when I told such people, "Isn't it any wonder why your finances are down? It's because your parents don't even value the money when they don't care if it'll take up to 20 years to finish college!"  Understanding the blame game and why it feels so good Psychology Today presents this on why some people will always blame others . These fin...
Read more

Venezuela as a Cautionary Tale on #SahodItaasPresyoIbaba, Nationalistic Pride, Welfare State Economics

The Sunday Guardian Years ago, I wrote about Venezuela's pride and protectionism , under a more "formal" style of writing compared to my latest posts. I decided to use an even "less formal" and "less academic" tone since I'm not writing a term paper. Instead, it's like how a professor and a student discuss the thesis using first person over third person, using contractions, etc., while the thesis doesn't use such tones. Back on track, I thought about the arrest of Venezuelan President Maduro can spark debate. Was it a violation of sovereignty? I'm no expert on international law. However, Venezuelans can be seen celebrating Maduro's arrest. Right now, I'm using Gemini AI and Google search to help me find some sources for this blog. It's because I don't want my blog to become another gossip central, but a place to discuss facts with my own personal opinions (making sure they don't  derail the facts).  I used Venezuela ...
Read more

Helping Others is Good But Not to One's Own Expense

I advocate for helping others. I believe in helping others but there were times I overdid it. One time, I gave up so much that I had to be stopped. I was told, "If you gave everything now, how can you help others later?" I would donate some sums here and there, without thinking much. I'm not going to write them all. Some of them left me good while others left a bad taste (and a bad record) for me to endure. Sure, I want to help people but I tend to overlook the consequences. Some of the bad habits I had in the name of helping others are like: Being too generous with buying with credit. Eventually, I lost a lot of money which was never recovered . Some seasoned entrepreneurs may admit their own falls including the credit trap pitfall. Being too willing to give a discount without thinking about how it'd affect profits. Sure, a cheap price can draw people near. However, there are times when the prices of goods and services need to be raised to keep a business running. I ...
Read more

Is the Philippines About to Checkmate South Korea as Jollibee is About to Get 70% of Compose Coffee's Equity?

Yes, you read it right--Jollibee is set to acquire 70% of the shares of South Korean coffee brand Compose Coffee. This is an excerpt from the Philippine Star Global : JFC’s wholly owned subsidiary Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd. (JWPL) is set to acquire majority shareholding of 70 percent in Compose Coffee Co. Ltd. and JMCF Co. Ltd., collectively called Compose Coffee, for approximately $340 million . Titan Dining II LP and Elevation Equity Partners Korea Limited will hold the remaining shareholdings in Compose Coffee with effective interest of five percent and 25 percent, respectively. Through JWPL, JFC has a 90 percent participating interest in Titan Fund II , which is focused on strategic investments in food and beverage concepts with the objective to further grow in Asia Pacific food service brands and bring strong global food service brands to the region. It's effortless to start the cheer and dance when a Filipino company opens abroad. This is a meme by the CoRRECT Movement on F...
Read more