LONDON: In an unusual change to his daily routine, popular Malaysian restaurant operator Sugendran Gopal from Roti King here, hung up his apron and slipped into a more formal attire.
He was scheduled to meet Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah for an afternoon tea at the Malaysian High Commission in London last week.
Sugendran was one of 50 guests, members of the Malaysian diaspora in the United Kingdom, invited to the event.
He went with his brother, Summan, where they were introduced to the Malaysian monarch, who is on a special visit to the UK with Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
"It was really a proud moment for the team from Roti King to meet the king," said Sugendran, who had been serving food from his eatery, Roti King, in Euston since the royal couple's arrival last month.
"His majesty said he loves our food very much and joked that I made him fat!" said the entrepreneur who started from humble beginnings here, sharing space with other restaurateurs until he acquired his own premises in Euston.
He later continued his father's legacy by opening Gopal's Corner in Market Hall in Victoria.
Gopal's Corner in Market Hall near Oxford Circus is still closed since the lockdown last year.
Sugendran said their majesties would order mi goreng, murtabak, roti canai as well as Indian style okra and long beans.
During the meeting with members of the Malaysian diaspora the royal couple also engaged with members of the community, having their photos taken with them.
"His majesty has lot of respect for the people and appreciates what we are doing here.
"We carry the Malaysian flag and we are very proud to be Malaysians.
"I feel very much appreciated and I have a lot of respect for our king, who is down to earth," Sugendran said.
Sugendran hoped their majesties would visit his restaurant one day.
During their visit, the king and queen had a meal at Ibu, a popular Malaysian restaurant in London.
Unlike their first visit in 2019, they had to limit the number of meetings with Malaysians here due to strict standard operating procedure (SOP) to curb the transmission of Covid-19.
Their majesties were introduced to members of the business community, students and professionals, including Dr Masliza Mahmod, associate professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Oxford, Dr Farah Roslan, who invented the disposable hijab, and Cheryl Ellron-Boulter of Makan Bites.
Cheryl, who posted about her meeting with the royal couple on Facebook, described the king as kind and approachable.
During the special visit, their majesties also visited the Battersea Power Station development and the Tun Abdul Razak Rubber Research Centre in Brickendonbury.