[top photo: Food promotion: A trishaw rider outside the Jom Makan outlet in London's Pall Mall East.]

By Choi Tuck Wo

LONDON: Move over, horse-drawn carriage. Here comes Malaysia's very own pedal power - the trishaw - to promote the country's culinary delights to Londoners.

For one year, 10 trishaws, carrying advertisements by Jom Makan Malaysian Restaurant, will go all over central London in conjunction with the outlet's first anniversary.

With slogans proclaiming "Fast Fresh Malaysian Food" and "For the Best Satay in London," the trishaws will cruise through tourist spots such as Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Soho, Chinatown and Covent Garden.

For a start, pictures of four popular Malaysian hawker dishes - satay, mee bandung, mee goreng and nasi ayam kukus (Hainanese Chicken Rice) - have been featured on this environmentally friendly mode of transport.

"It's meals on wheels. We're promoting Malaysian food through Jom Makan," said restaurant managing director Mohd Zuhri Abdullah after the trishaw launch by Malaysian High Commissioner to Britain Datuk Abdul Aziz Mohamad on Tuesday.

Zuhri said they decided to choose trishaws instead of plastering their advertisements on magazines and billboards as these vehicles were very visible in central London, even when they were stationary.

"While waiting for passengers, they can attract attention from passers-by with their mouth-watering pictures of satay and other delicacies," he said.

He added that during weekends when there was a shortage of taxis in the city, trishaws were a popular mode of transport.

Zuhri added that it planned to open London's second Jom Makan outlet in Westfield, Europe's largest shopping centre, by the end of October.

Abdul Aziz described the trishaw campaign as an innovative marketing strategy to stay ahead, especially during these economically challenging times.

"They can create a lot of awareness, particularly from people looking for good quality yet reasonably priced Malaysian food," he added.

-The Star/Asia News Network