This serial entrepreneur invested RM200K to start a M’sian cafe specialising in “air manis”

From a lawyer to an airline pilot, investment banker, tax litigation consultant, and now an F&B entrepreneur who founded Boima Manis, Sashi Sekaran Selvarajah has worn many hats throughout his career.

When it comes to cafes, food often takes centre stage, but Boima Manis dares to be different. Instead of focusing solely on culinary delights, this charming establishment in Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, has carved a niche for itself by celebrating the art of crafting exquisite sweet drinks.

However, it isn’t just another mocktail bar. In fact, the team behind it decided to steer clear of the term “mocktail,” as there is nothing “mock” about their creations, Sashi said.

“Boima is actually the childhood nickname of one of my advisors, and Manis simply means sweet,” he told Vulcan Post.

“We swapped out ‘mocktails’ in favour of Manis because we wanted to be truly Malaysian, whether by language, meaning, or experience.”

Boima Manis actually started in Singapore, serving private events to gauge market interest.

“It went well and is still going well, privately with no hoo-hah and no advertising, and we intend to keep it that way for now in Singapore.”

“We analysed the market, saw a gap, and decided to start building a value tower in that gap—premium-crafted non-alcoholic beverages using fresh fruits, herbs, and spices,” he shared.

Encouraged by the success, Sashi and his team decided to bring Boima Manis to Malaysia, continuing their strategy of quiet, private catering to gather data on market preferences.

The art of crafting recipes

The recipes at Boima Manis seek to blend flavours that cater to every palate, with flavours that are meticulously crafted and tested to ensure they meet the highest standards.

The flagship drink, aptly named The Boima, is a cinnamon and thyme-infused orange beverage that has become a customer favourite.

Another standout is the Apple Mustika, a concoction that Sashi claims requires a premium palate to truly appreciate its depth of flavour.

And then there’s the Watermelon Bandung, a refreshing twist on the classic Malaysian drink, Air Bandung. Their drinks range from RM12 to RM20 in price.

The team develops the food and air manis menu entirely in-house, drawing inspiration from global locations.

“Our chief recipe man has an exceptional knack for blending flavours, and I was personally impressed, which is rare for me,” Sashi beamed.

“The process of flavour curation is so intricate that even the sweetness level is tested using varieties of sugar—cane sugar, molasses, agave, and stevia—to ensure the flavour profile is top-notch.”

Other than drinks, they also offer mains and snacks such as Briyani Maggi Goreng, Steak and Truffle Pasta, and Boima Wings with sauces.

“Our team of drinks and food advisors consists of myself, Sajit Sudakaran (an O&G sonar engineer), Sathis Paandi (a family business veteran and salesman), and Lijin Vijayakumar (an instructor pilot who also operates underwater RVs at ports), all based around the globe,” he shared.

“We have an active community-based recipe creation mechanism operating continuously in Singapore, Australia, and Malaysia. We store all thoroughly tasted and tested recipes in our recipe bank for progressive roll-out to the market.”

According to their website, they have 365 recipes. “365 was to signify the concept of one-a-day for a whole year,” said Sashi. They’re rolling out the flavours bit by bit, and already offered around 40 drinks as of July this year.

Challenges and triumphs

As with any new business, Boima Manis has faced its share of challenges.

One of the biggest hurdles was getting the product noticed, especially given their decision to operate from the first floor of the Radia Commercial building in Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, away from the more visible ground-level spaces.

“It sounds counterintuitive,” Sashi admitted. “But we wanted our customers to be away from the hustle and bustle and have a good view of the Radia Sports Arena.”

Training the staff to meet the high standards of Boima Manis was another challenge, given the level of detail required in preparing their beverages. But Sashi and his team have taken it in stride.

“We keep it simple with word of mouth, social media, community relationship building—nothing fancy,” he shared about the brand’s marketing strategy.

The business was fully bootstrapped by Sashi and his advisors with a capital of RM200,000. They were strict about maintaining top-notch product quality, atmosphere, and employee and customer safety.

“A fair bit was spent to ensure that everything was perfect, but it was worth every penny,” he recalled.

The #airmanis culture

Looking at Boima Manis’ online presence, you may notice that the brand appears to be promoting something it calls “#airmanis culture”.

The concept of air manis, which loosely translates to “sweet drinks” in Malay, is a term often heard in the casual conversations of Malaysians. It’s that refreshing beverage you crave after a hearty meal.

Sashi and his team wanted to take this familiar concept and elevate it into a cultural movement—one where sweetness isn’t just a flavour but a way of being.

“It’s a culture of being sweet, being nice, being proper, having integrity, feeling sweet while having a sweet experience, and being sweet to your neighbour. It’s sweetness going around in circles.”

This culture is ingrained in every aspect of the business, from the ethical practices that guide their operations to the way they engage with their community, he said.

With a growing customer base and a menu that constantly evolves to meet the tastes of their community, the future seems bright for Boima Manis.

“We are more than just a commercial business; we are a community contributor,“ Sashi shared.

“We are cooperative—we cooperate first as a community and maybe compete later when we are all on the same footing. Equity, not equality. That’s simply the #airmanis culture—Be-Manis lah.”

Featured Image Credit: Boima Manis