AMER Adham Kamaruddin was miserable in primary school because he could not keep up with his classmates – at age eight, he still could not read or write fluently.
By then he was diagnosed with dyslexia and only timely intervention by his mother, who patiently taught him to read, enabled Amer to improve.
As he grew older, he became determined not to let his “disability” negatively impact his life.
Today at 23, Amer is an entrepreneur running a thriving cafe in Batu Caves, Selangor.
As his reading and writing skills improved, his confidence soared too, he told Bernama.
When he was in secondary school, he tried to identify his strengths while mulling over career opportunities.
He chose the culinary arts – hardly surprising as his family members are all good cooks, especially in making nasi beriani gam Johor, a dish Amer referred to as “our family legacy”.
“I’ve been exposed to the culinary world since young,” he said.
After completing his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination, Amer studied culinary arts at a private college in Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Since culinary knowledge extended beyond theory to practical sessions, it was easy for Amer to master the preparation of various dishes.
He went on to work for a five-star hotel but was laid off during the Covid-19 pandemic. For Amer, this was the springboard to bigger achievements.
“I decided to start a food delivery business from home.
“I prepared a variety of rice-based and western dishes with the help of my family and close friends.
“We delivered the food directly to our customers in Klang Valley,” said the father-of-one.
Amer, who can now read and write well, said the response from his customers was overwhelmingly positive and far exceeded his expectations.
He was inspired to open a restaurant, Cafe Dyslexia, in Bangi, Selangor, in 2022.
“Unfortunately, I had to close it down after a year as its location was not very strategic.
“It was also far from my home in Batu Caves, which made it difficult to manage the cafe,” he added.
Early this year, Amer returned to the restaurant business by opening another Cafe Dyslexia at Pusat Perdagangan Selaseh, closer to home.
“This location is more strategic and there are a lot of people there.
“Our menu is also extensive, offering three types of cuisines: Malay, Chinese and Western,” said Amer, attributing the cafe’s establishment to the support of his family.
