Executive Chef Ridzuan Malek has led the culinary team at Hilton Petaling Jaya for over a decade. As part of Hilton’s Green Ramadan Campaign, his team focused on developing new creative dishes that use ingredients that were once considered waste. But for Malek, it’s not just about reducing waste—it’s a matter of faith, responsibility, and pride.

“Our religion already teaches us—do not waste, especially during Ramadan,” he says. From one fruit, you can make juice, jam, pickle… even grow a tree from the seed.”

Malek has worked in hospitality for over 30 years, with a deep passion for cross-cultural learning and a leadership style shaped by purpose and generosity. He saw Green Ramadan as an opportunity to experiment—and elevate sustainability as part of the property's evolving culinary identity.

Honeydew and Melon Peels to Homemade Jams

Inspiration began with the breakfast buffet’s fresh juices. Instead of tossing the peels and trimmings, Ridzuan’s team started transforming them into jams and pickles.

“Every morning we blend honeydew or papaya for juice. The leftovers still have flavor and texture. So we started cooking them down with sugar, and thickener—and now we serve them daily. Soon we will mae be homemade orange marmalade from orange ring.”

The result? A surge in variety—from four to ten types of homemade spreads and pickles—crafted entirely from what would once have gone to waste.

“It saves cost, yes. But more than that—it shows our team and our guests that local fruits can be a star product.”

Coffee Grounds to Dessert Delights

For Malek, creativity is key. During Green Ramadan, a creative zero waste dish was the silky coffee panna cotta—now a guest favorite. The team repurposed spent grounds to create it - one of many dishes born from a new mindset.

Ramadan Buffet Adjustments

Ramadan buffet waste is often highest at the start of the month. The team responded with a smart redesign:

• Smaller portion sizes
• Smaller containers in buffet display
• Guest messaging about extended buffet hours

By the final week, food waste had dropped to just 10–15g per guest—a reflection of both strategy and guest education.

Training with Purpose

Malek wants this mindset to extend beyond Ramadan. He’s planning an internal competition to challenge chefs to develop new dishes from byproducts, off-cuts, or surplus.

“We need to train newcomers from day one,” he says. “Let them feel proud that they’re reducing waste.”

It’s part of a wider culture shift that includes everything from redistributing surplus food to orphanages to growing herbs in the hotel’s on-site greenhouse.

His advice to fellow chefs?

“Waste less. Give more.”

For Chef Ridzuan Malek, sustainability isn’t an initiative—it’s a way of leading with integrity, rooted in faith, and served with purpose.