This business by father-son duo Chandrakanthan Ratnam and Kishan Kumar Reddy Chandrakanthan boasts authentic Malaysian flavours and the freshest seafood that will ignite your taste buds.
On Crab Story Venture’s delivery-only menu is a delicious array of oceanic offerings. Dive into their signature crabs, prawns and clams, prepared in your choice of curry, masala, or Kam Heong styles.
Craving spice? Savour their sambal or sambal petai prawns. Feeling ravenous? Opt for the generous seafood platter that includes squid and vegetables.
Crab Story Venture has attracted devoted repeat customers and enthusiastic reviews on Instagram, with inquiries and orders from as far as Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and even overseas!
Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, 35-year-old Kishan shared about the origins of the business. “During the pandemic, my business went down and I started selling live crabs by the roadside,” the security surveillance entrepreneur said.
This side hustle slowly picked up and customers began sending him photos of their cooked crab dishes, prompting Kishan and his father, a retiree, to ponder a bold move: selling their own homecooked meals.
“My dad is a great cook. One day, we made Kam Heong and masala crab, I took a photo of it and posted it on Instagram with a price,” Kishan recalled.
The response was unexpectedly immediate and overwhelming. Orders streamed in, demanding more than just crabs. And thus, in 2020, Crab Story Venture was born.
Chandrakanthan, who has been cooking since before he got married, adds his own touches to recipes passed down from his mother.
He emphasises the importance of taste-testing his creations. “When I taste my cooking and enjoy it, that’s important. If I don’t enjoy the taste, I will say no. I won’t accept it. I will cook the dish again.”
And even at age 70, he acknowledges he still learns from resources such as YouTube – a testament to his drive for constant culinary improvement, crucial to the success of the business.
But popularity has come with its own challenges: their small kitchen struggled to keep up with growing demand. Big orders meant sleepless nights, overflowing deliveries, and a kitchen resembling a “war zone”, as Kishan put it.
The eve of Deepavali in 2022 is an example: nearly 50 orders tested their mettle. For 48 hours, the family became a well-oiled machine, cooking, packing and delivering, sacrificing their own celebration to feed others.
“Somehow we survived,” Chandrakanthan said gratefully, adding that they had been driven by their customers’ smiles and the joy of creating culinary magic together.
Today, big orders are broken down into manageable portions and, given their shortage of manpower, Kishan only accepts a limited number of orders per day.
Tasting notes
A recent feast for FMT Lifestyle was a symphony for the senses. The crab masala, succulent morsels in a rich gravy, is an invitation to slow down and savour every bite.
The crab Kam Heong, a tapestry of fragrant spices, dances on the tongue, begging to be paired with fluffy white rice.
And the prawn sambal, a fiery masterpiece, unleashes a kaleidoscope of flavours that lingers long after the last bite.
As for the future, Kishan dreams of a dine-in restaurant in Kuala Lumpur with franchises in Penang, Johor Bahru and beyond.
To aspiring home-based cooks contemplating the culinary business, Chandrakanthan said “passion and patience” are important, while Kishan emphasised the importance of consistency and resilience in the face of naysayers.
“Go against the world, and the universe will answer you,” he concluded.
Learn more about Crab Story Venture and place your orders via Instagram.