KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 — No special treatment — not even for politicians. That’s the line influencer-entrepreneur Khairul Aming is determined to hold as Malaysians continue scrambling for a reservation at his much-talked-about Rembayung restaurant in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur.

Since opening on January 6, Rembayung has become something of a cultural moment. At midnight, thousands rush online hoping to secure a slot. TikTok is flooded with first-taste videos. 

And fans who once followed Khairul Aming’s cheerful “dapur KA” cooking clips now watch him navigate something far more complicated: keeping a 200-seat restaurant fair, orderly and drama-free in a country where “VVIP treatment” often lurks in the background.

Rembayung itself carries the weight of personal ambition. Built with RM4 million on an 8,000-sq-ft site, the restaurant blends rustic architecture with the Kelantanese flavours Khairul Aming grew famous for — the very flavours that made his Ramadan sambal a nationwide phenomenon. For many diners, scoring a seat feels like witnessing a creator’s dream come to life.

But with popularity comes pressure. And one rule Khairul Aming refuses to bend is the restaurant’s strict reservation-only policy, even for the powerful.

In a TikTok livestream that quickly circulated, he addressed rumours of political figures walking in freely.

“Walk-ins are not allowed. If you see politicians entering, it’s likely their aides, junior staff or PAs made the reservation,” he said.

“That I cannot control because they have a booking — but walk-ins, I do not allow.”

It is a stance shaped by principle more than convenience. 

Khairul Aming — full name Khairul Amin Kamarulzaman — built his entire brand on accessibility, relatability and fairness. And he knows saying “no” to influential people can be uncomfortable.

“I’ve already informed my staff. I want to be fair, and it is not easy,” he said.

“We may look harsh, heartless or arrogant, but that is the price of fairness.”

For many Malaysians, that sentiment struck a chord. In a society where doors often open faster for those with titles, Khairul Aming’s insistence on treating everyone the same — from students to CEOs to MPs — is part of why people root for him.

The human story behind Rembayung isn’t just its viral food or the difficulty of getting a table. It’s the quiet honesty of a creator trying to build something big while holding onto the values that made people trust him in the first place.

And for now, fairness — not fame — is the most important item on his menu.