This has left many in the lurch once again with restaurants taking one of the hardest hits.

But in a valiant attempt to take things in stride, one restaurant in Kuala Lumpur is using this lull in business to help others who are facing even darker times.

During the MCO last year, Shankar Santhiram, founder of The Fire Grill in TTDI, raised a whopping RM62,300 in donations that he used to cook 10,003 hot meals for the country’s most needy and marginalised.

“What of the lives of the refugees in Malaysia, those who are handicapped and the underprivileged, and those who depend on a daily wage – how are they able to put food on the table now? What can we do for them?” Shankar asks.

When the current MCO was made official last week, Shankar and his team quickly launched The Fire Grill MCO 2.0 Meals Initiative, pledging 20% of the restaurant’s revenue to prepare hot meals for Persatuan OKU Sentral and Kechara Soup Kitchen.

This means, every time a customer orders a plate of piping hot char kway teow or Shankar’s Mystery Curry Box from the restaurant’s delivery menu, they will indirectly be helping a hungry family out there, tuck into a filling, tasty and nutritious meal too.

But wait, what’s this Shankar’s Mystery Curry Box that seems to be the star of the show?

The catchy tagline ‘Think of it as South Indian omakase’ definitely fits the bill as this box comes with a curry of Shankar’s choice (chicken, lamb, fish or prawn), rice (steamed, ghee, tomato, cumin or biryani), a side of vegetables and of course crunchy poppadoms to make the meal complete.

That means a customer will never know what combination of dishes will be delivered to their doorstep until the box arrives and they take a peek inside.

Don’t like surprises? C’mon, be a little adventurous as this is one surprise you can count on to taste like heaven and straight out of your dear mum’s kitchen.

Shankar says curious customers often beg him to reveal the contents of the mystery curry box. But wild dogs couldn’t drag it out of him – it wouldn’t be much of a mystery then, would it, he says cheekily.

“It’s a mystery for me too! I wake up in the morning and plan on what’s in the Mystery Curry Box for the day. I like to think of it as an extension of my house coming to your house.”

FMT was blessed to sample Shankar’s Mystery Curry Box recently and what a divine experience it was.

From out of the paper bag, came the glorious Prawn Thokku, a type of prawn masala, a generous bowl of Prawn Tannisar with Murungai Leaves, fluffy white rice and poppadoms – it was a sight to behold and a pure joy to eat.

For RM29, Shankar’s Mystery Curry Box was extremely filling and delicious down to the last mouthful.

Can’t handle the spice? Not to worry as Shankar has thoughtfully toned-down the heat level so all his customers can tuck-in without the fear of burning their tongues.

And if you’re a hardcore fan of hawker fare, try The Fire Grill’s Penang Char Koay Teow. Generously loaded with prawns, beansprouts, chives, eggs and loads of wok hei, you’ll be transported back to the streets of Penang in a single forkful.

There are many other tantalising dishes on The Fire Grill’s MCO 2.0 delivery menu from tandoori lamb chops and lamb varuval pizza for diehard meat-lovers to mushroom aglio olio and bendi with sour cream for vegetarians.

“We have been blessed because we received solid support from our customers during the non-MCO days.

“But yes, now because of the MCO, we find ourselves struggling once again and we’re not generating our usual revenue,” he says, but adds that now’s not the time for Malaysians to worry about profits but to show their depth of kindness and solidarity.

“The poor and unemployed in our society are facing the brunt of the MCO way worse than others,” he says.

So, even with business taking a hit, Shankar and his team are committed to donating 500 meals a week to Persatuan OKU Sentral and Kechara Soup Kitchen.

It has been tough going however, as the restaurant’s revenue in the previous week was not enough to cover expenses and they had to dip into their own pockets to make up for what was lacking.

“I’m actually making a loss since we are depending on well-wishers (for donations) and those who do not have the time to cook themselves to order our food,” he says.

When asked why he chose Persatuan OKU Sentral and Kechara Soup Kitchen as the beneficiaries of this initiative, he replied that it was because he had much admiration for the “spectacular” work they did.

“They go out and reach people that are unable to be reached due to the MCO,” he said, clearly touched by their efforts.

So, now you too can play your part in helping the needy by purchasing a meal today here. After all, community spirit is what being Malaysian is all about.

The Fire Grill
24, Jalan Datuk Sulaiman
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
60000 Kuala Lumpur

Operating hours: 12pm – 7pm (closed on Sunday)