&

INCIRCLE

COME FULL

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1683 Jalan Perusahaan, Auto-City, Juru Interchange, 13600, Prai, Penang, Malaysia.

The name of Thor Corr Phou Zi is a direct pronunciation of the local Penang dialect of Hokkien, Thor Corr, relative to the Automotive Industry, is an insider name for principal, or new. Amongst industry veterans, to be known as Thor Corr is something to be proud of as it typically refers to official brand dealerships. Phou Zi is a small, cozy shop.

Hokkien is a fading dialect, it is beloved much like the kopitiam.

For Manfred, it is reference to his passion & history within the car industry, working with the high standards and quality of premium automotive brands like Volvo & Lexus is no easy feat.

This was his retirement job at 50 years old.

Automotive | Lifestyle | Local

A local kopitiam nestled within Taman Serendah residential apartments in Sungai Pinang.

The story of Manfred, our ex-colleague & good friend.

THOR CORR PHOU ZI

A

B

behind the

roth

SCRATCH, STARCH &FINISH

Carbs

Cabriolets

Manfred is the owner and head chef responsible for the first ever fish Curry Mee in Penang, hence, why they are the “Principal Shop”. He painstakingly prepares fresh fish by de-boning and slicing into fillets, simmering the soup base with his special recipe and even stir-frying the chilli paste in a massive wok every morning.

It is a paradigm shift from the typical work-day of the car industry, and it is a difficult challenge, especially when entering a competitive Penang Food & Beverage market.

I guess we review food now

It is a massive change and shift from the car industry, and it is a difficult challenge, especially entering a competitive F&B market.

The difference between these two industries are stark, in terms of business model, and the physical labor required is intense, pasar runs, deboning and filleting the fish, cooking the chilli paste, all while dealing with customer complaints & internal HR inconsistencies.

The result of this labor- A rich, thick broth is served with okra, fresh slices of fish and tomatoes, a spoonful of mean-looking chilli that intensifies the entire dish. The menu offers English breakfast sets, soft boiled eggs as well as toasts with butter & kaya.

THE ESSENCE OF SERVICE IS CRUCIAL

Manfred has worked in different subsets of the service industry- as a vocalist & professional emcee, currently as a restaurant owner, & 8 years in the Car industry. He tells us that regardless of job title or industry and to provide excellent service is to continuously communicate with peers, friends and customers, getting constructive feedback and improving along the way. We agree with this statement, but the meaning of it has diluted over time, it has become a cliché and a chore within the industry to “always listen to the customer”, and we believe that this is to do with lack of true communication. Service providers, regardless of industry, like to give on their terms to fix issues, and so what happens Is that communication becomes selective, you only want to hear what you have an easy solution for, and customers repeat the same issues because their problem is not solved. Listening. Real listening; and real problem solving.

THANK YOU

For a meal cooked with passion, kopi o’ brewed with heart.

Good Luck to you, and we hope your chilli stays as spicy as ever.