Bowhunger: We Aim, And We Never Miss
- Full Circle
- Apr 21, 2019
- 6 min read
Updated: May 25, 2019
by Qistina Nadia Dzulqarnain
An aura of relaxation greets those that step within the surroundings of this cosy place, and for just a while, you feel like you’ll be able to get through all those piling troubles that you have to deal with. When your appetite craves some comfort food cooked with care, they have just the right dishes on their menu to satisfy and appease those cravings.
Add on a knack for making customers feel like family even on their very first visit, and you’re left nearly downright addicted to going to Café Bowhunger.
You’re left marvelling at what happens when you put together a few young adults with some passion in what they enjoy doing and a whole lot of dedication to prove themselves; an end product filled with possibilities and potential, or in other words: Café Bowhunger.
Bowhunger is a relatively new creation, being in operation for less than a month to date. Café Bello is what they are called during the daytime, a quaint shop lot transformed into a restaurant in the Petaling Jaya area. They have been in business for about a year now, serving a variety of local dishes, mainly targeting office-hour crowds from nearby working spaces.
The idea to open at night under a different name was proposed by the owner, Ahmad Azhari Baharil, 56, to his son, Muhammad Haziq Iskandar bin Ahmad Azhari, 20. Mr Azhari believes that the location of the café is also ideal for the night-time crowd as they are located very nearby to both Universiti Malaya and Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Petaling Jaya, thereby putting them smack in the centre of students craving some sort of relaxation and chill.
“Our location is unique in its own way,” Mr Azhari explains, “where else in Petaling Jaya can you find a place that’s as santai as ours at night?”
Haziq will soon be just 20 years old with no current plans on furthering his studies after receiving his STPM qualifications from Kolej Tingkatan Enam Petaling Jaya.
After spending even the littlest amount of time with Haziq, it becomes a little bit clearer
how everyone within the vicinity of the café manages to stay so upbeat and energetic.
Not one to listen to those that tell him that there is only one set pathway to success, he is not letting his age nor level of education stop him from pursuing his own brand of greatness.
Having this unquestionably difficult goal in mind has not affected his personality for the worst in the slightest; in fact, he and every other young companion on this journey seem to be enjoying themselves, and you find yourself naturally attracted to that kind of optimistic energy.
“Stop thinking, and start doing” is what Haziq lives by, and his decision to venture into the food and business world can be seen as him living exactly by these words.
Realising that this pursuit is not something that can be done alone, Haziq gathered a few close friends and together, they came up with the idea of Bowhunger, meant to symbolise an arrow aiming for satisfaction.
One of the friends recruited to join him is Mirza Adam Beg bin Mirza Arshad Beg, 20. Beg is a Universiti Teknologi Petronas student, presently pursuing a degree in Business Information System. “Whatever I learn during my studies can be integrated into the business as a way for us to improvise and improve,” Beg says in answer to why he decided to help Haziq out with Bowhunger.
Haziq acknowledges that Beg plays a really big part in the development of Bowhunger, especially with the addition of Beg’s Volksburgers to the menu.
Bowhunger aims to be unique and memorable, and no better words can describe the experience of having a Volksburger.
Volksburger is a self-started burger brand, named as such because of Beg’s attachment to his Volkswagen Cross Touran. The recipe for the patties are all created by Beg himself, with some help from YouTube and his mother.
Beg first started off by making beef and chicken burgers, and vegetarians around the area can rejoice because finally, no more eating just fries while everyone else has their own meat burger. In an effort to cater to a very specific crowd, he plans to have a vegetarian burger on the menu soon. For the vegetarian option, he wants to try experimenting with a mushroom patty cooked in a similar way as the meat patties so as to retain the flavours that make a Volksburger.
“Good grilled burgers are hard to find around this area, and affordable ones are even harder to come across”, Beg notes. He emphasises that each patty is made fresh daily and grilled over a charcoal fire to make sure optimum freshness and juiciness. A thick and creamy cheese sauce is the final and signature touch to a Volksburger.
Another thing equally difficult to come across is hard workers, but rest assured that there is no shortage of those in the Bowhunger team. Nur Moena A. Bakr binti Shukri, 20, is a first-year Anthropology and Sociology student at Universiti Malaya and the latest addition to the Bowhunger family.
“The positive vibe that everyone there gives off makes the job easier to handle,” she says when questioned if being a waitress at Bowhunger is tough. “Time management is definitely something I have to work on, but this job is a necessity for me and it’s nice to be able to work somewhere fun.”
Bunyamin bin Hasbullah, 20, is the Head Chef of Bowhunger, and he is also a student of Universiti Malaya. Currently a first year Applied Geology student, he admits that at times it can be difficult to find a balance between work and study.
Being in charge of the kitchen of an upcoming café is no easy feat, but he believes that all the effort that he puts into his work will eventually be worth it. “I have some contacts in the Food and Beverage industry from when I used to work at a different restaurant, so Bowhunger is really just me trying to market my food products to a wider audience,” Bunyamin tells me over a cup of Bow Tea, a self-created concoction of green tea and chocolate.
The menu at Bowhunger consists of original recipes, with items such as Butter Chicken and Mac & Bow, the latter being their signature item consisting of creamy macaroni and cheese topped with bite-sized chicken pieces that have been marinated in their homemade blend of spices. One of the main selling points of Bowhunger is definitely their unique menu choices that cannot be found anywhere else.
Granted, the dishes might seem common but Bowhunger manages to add their very own twist and flair to them, thereby turning an ordinary plate of food into something delectable and satisfying.
In the kitchen, he is aided by Muhammad Amir Imran bin Sazali, also 20 years old. Unlike Bunyamin and Moena, Amir is currently not a student and is instead already working at Amariq Renovations. Among one of the first few people contacted by Haziq regarding Bowhunger, he too plays a big role in the handling of the business.
Being the one with the most working experience among the rest, he finds it easier to be able to identify issues that they commonly face. “Management is the core of a business,” Amir stresses, “problems have to be dealt with as soon as they appear.”
Amir agrees that there are pros and cons to running a business with some of your closest friends; you benefit in terms of being able to communicate easier, but at times things can get messy when no one wants to be serious.
This lack of seriousness can at times be a good thing if twisted into something like ‘relaxed and laid back’. It helps in making the people who drop by to the café feel as if they are truly welcome. But understandably, Amir brings up valid points about how there is a time and place for everything, and they must be able to understand this.
A rather heavy burden to be placed on the shoulders of 20-year-olds, but rest assured that they have yet to show any signs of giving up.
Undeniably, there has been no shortage of complications throughout the journey of Bowhunger. The common consensus among all who played a part in building it is that from the aspect of potential, there is no doubt about it.
“Economic conditions must also be taken into account,” Mr Azhari points out, “we cannot charge too high of a price because then no one would come, but charge too low and we’d end up losing money instead of making it.”
The pricing of items on the menu are set according to their targeted audience, namely students. Portion sizes are fairly reasonable and fulfilling, with guaranteed good food. For example, a plate of Mac and Bow is priced at RM12.90 and a plate of Butter Chicken with rice is only RM9.90.
At the end of the day, Bowhunger is the story of an adventure between a group of friends all trying to make their way in this world and leave a mark somewhere along the line.
The atmosphere of the cafe is unlike any other, and there seems to be some sort of spirit driving the people behind the curtains to be better and push forward despite whatever adversities that they face.
No one expects much from a bunch of 20-year-olds, but with the sort positivity that they spread almost contagiously, you find it hard to not root for them from the very bottom of your heart.
Give them a visit for yourselves and experience all that they are in person! Located at No. 13, Lorong Universiti C, Seksyen 16, Petaling Jaya, 466350, they open at 8pm and close at 2am every week from Wednesday to Saturday. Currently closed for Ramadhan, they will be reopening in June with even more to offer to those that drop by.
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