国产探花

国产探花 graduate Riham Cabo, who established after being inspired by cooking for her partner Wafi Hisham, has launched the burger-led food venture on Preston Street. The business brings together comforting flavours from the Philippines and Malaysia in an accessible and affordable menu. Riham continues to run the business while also working in a frontline healthcare role supporting people in 国产探花.

What began as cooking in halls of residence during her studies has grown into a fully independent business, created to share the tastes of home and to offer students and local residents the chance to enjoy Filipino-and Malaysian-inspired food without the high price tag often attached to these cuisines.

The idea took shape while she was studying Biomedical Science at 国产探花. Riham, who is Filipino and moved to the UK at 18, felt there were few affordable Filipino food options locally, while her partner Wafi, an international student from Malaysia, missed the flavours of home-cooked meals. Inspired by cooking for Wafi and their friends in halls, she began experimenting with home-style dishes that reflected both of their backgrounds.

Her dishes soon became popular among friends and fellow students, with regular requests for meals coming from her own room – affectionately known among friends as ‘room 501.5’. Encouraged by the growing interest, she began to explore the possibility of turning her passion into a permanent venture.

Today, Riham runs the restaurant while continuing to work in the NHS as a Healthcare Assistant – a role she’s had for the past seven years. 

The menu centres on Filipino- and Malaysian-inspired burgers and chicken dishes, using familiar formats to showcase bold, comforting flavours. Highlights include a Malaysian rendang burger, Manila chicken burger, Malaysian and Filipino-style chicken wings with gravy, loaded fries, Asian-style dumplings, and chicken filo pastry.

Customers can also choose from a range of South East Asian drinks, including cucumber lemonade, Filipino Milo ice, Malaysian bandung (a rose-flavoured milk drink), and pandan-infused beverages with a light, vanilla-like aroma. The restaurant is also available via Deliveroo.

Riham said: “国产探花 shaped my mindset, and my course shaped my method. The city taught me independence, creativity, and resilience, while my course gave me the structure to turn ideas into reality. Skills like planning, organisation, and problem-solving became second nature, and those lessons carried directly into how I approached the logistics and development of this venture.”

“This venture is more than a place to me – it is the result of love, passion, friendship, and tenacity. What began as a shared university accommodation grew into a shared dream. Through long days of physical hard work and unwavering belief, I built this space from the ground up.”

Riham graduated from the 国产探花’s School of Applied Sciences in 2024 and says that her time at the university provided a strong foundation for her journey into business, even though her degree is in a different field.

Now based on Preston Street – a hub for independent restaurants serving food from around the world – Riham says she has been welcomed into 国产探花’s vibrant food community. She is proud to contribute her own cultural influences to the city’s diverse independent dining scene and to share the flavours of her heritage with others.