IsTun Mahathir Asia's next gourmet baker?

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters Life!) - After introducing gourmet croissants to Malaysia, a national politican icon is now cooking up an invasion of Southeast Asia of the baking kind.
Tun Mahathir Mohamad plans to turn his Japanese-style bakery business into a chain with outlets throughout the region, his business partner said.
The 82-year-old politician, who is currently in hospital recovering heart bypass surgery, is chairman of the firm operating "The Loaf", Malaysia's first fancy bakery and which opens its second, and biggest, outlet this week.
"I think we can go to Singapore at the end of 2008 and Jakarta, Bangkok, Phuket and Bali in 2009," Jiro Suzuki, Tun Mahathir's Japanese partner, told Reuters.
"It will be either through franchising or joint venture," said Suzuki, speaking at the new two-million-ringgit ($588,000) outlet in Kuala Lumpur's swanky shopping belt of Bukit Bintang, The Pavillion.

"Ultimately, we will go for the initial public offer within five years," he said, adding that the 334 sq metres flagship store could be profitable within two years.
Unlike existing Malaysian chains, "The Loaf" offers about 100 kinds of premium bread, pastries and muffins prepared by a Japanese chef using traditional Japanese baking techniques.

The first store, on the northern resort island of Langkawi broke even within a year of opening in July 2006, Suzuki said.
Malaysians eat mainly noodles, nasi lemak or rice cooked with coconut and roti canai, a type of flatbread, for breakfast.
At The Loaf, patrons pay 5 ringgit for breakfast croissants, but a French bakery in a Japanese department store across the street charges less than half that amount for its version.

Tun Mahathir himself has been sampling some of his bakery's offerings while in hospital, his family said.
"We've been getting deliveries at the hospital and Dad's enjoyed the creme caramel for dessert a couple of times," his eldest daughter, Marina, wrote on her Internet blog.
Tun Mahathir drew inspiration for the shop from his favourite Tokyo bakery called "Johan".
Tun Mahathir had some business experience before turning to full-time politics, running a medical clinic and petrol kiosk. He retired in 2003 after 22 years in office as prime minister.

photo courtesy of jinggo http://minaq-jinggo.fotopages.com/





tunku : way to go Tun, wish best of luck and hope that one day The Loaf will be a successful brand through out the world.this is what we call WALK THE TALK.will be visiting and eating there hopefully in 2 weeks time.