KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 2): AirAsia Group Bhd’s in-flight menu brand, Santan and T&CO, has opened its first Asean fast food restaurant in Mid Valley Megamall here to enable more customers to enjoy its Asean cuisine offerings and coffees at affordable prices.

“The opening of this flagship restaurant is the beginning of something great for the Santan and T&CO brands. We have seen a significant appetite for our in-flight menu offerings beyond our flights across the region and this is our answer to that demand," said the general manager of Santan Restaurant and T&CO Cafe, Catherine Goh, in a statement today.

"We are very proud to extend what started out as an in-flight menu into new markets and reiterate our support for local and Asean producers, suppliers; apart from creating new job opportunities with affordable franchising. By the end of 2020, we aim to have five owned Santan restaurants and 100 franchisee-operated restaurants and cafes within the next three to five years, with expansions in global markets,” Goh added.

The opening of the flagship restaurant cum cafe today was officiated by the Domestic Trade & Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, and witnessed by AirAsia executive chairman Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, AirAsia chief executive officer Tony Fernandes, and AirAsia president (RedBeat Ventures) Aireen Omar.

According to AirAsia, the shop features a smart menu equipped with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning which is able to recommend popular dishes based on time, past ordering patterns, as well as demographic taste. Customers can order directly from santan.com.my, as well as T&CO mobile app.

“Foodies can now indulge in Pak Nasser’s Nasi Lemak and Uncle Chin’s Chicken Rice on-ground, as well as other dishes inspired by popular Asean cuisines such as Pineapple Fish Noodle from Cambodia, Chicken Inasal with Garlic Rice from the Philippines, in addition to Asean-sourced coffee and tea, snacks and desserts inspired by local flavours such as the Nasi Lemak Quinoa Wrap and Onde-Onde Cake,” it said.

To celebrate the opening, Santan is offering customers a limited-time online promotion where Pak Nasser's Nasi Lemak with Chicken Rendang is available at only RM5, while BIG members get to enjoy free coffee with every T&CO app download.