As human beings, we are all obsessed with food. It is not only taste that appeals to us, but we are eagerly interested in appearance, texture, and presentation as well. For those reasons, Narifa Bibi Ally has been taking social media by a storm with her delightful cuisines.
Founder of Tek Ah Taste, Narifa Bibi Ally
Narifa was born on the 3rd June 1995 at the Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital to parents Bibi Zalina Ally and Wajid Ally. She grew up with her two (2) siblings in Courbane Park, Annandale, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
Reminiscing on her childhood, Narifa recalled being an ambitious young girl who was allowed to follow every one of her dreams. As a result, she attended the Annandale Primary School and was awarded a spot at the Annandale Secondary School.
Noteworthily, Narifa obtained passes in nine (9) subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and then went to pursue the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) at Queen’s College.
In 2015, the former Annandale Secondary School student was accepted into the Dentistry programme at the University of Guyana and had since completed the programme.
Tek Ah Taste
Having a passion for cooking and eating, Narifa created an Instagram page named “Tek Ah Taste” on the 18th of July, 2019, where she posted dishes she made. But little did she know that it would have turned out to be something even more prominent.
At the time, she used her phone to take out the pictures but later purchased a Nikon digital camera for the job.
“As my following and fan base grew, persons became eager to try my cooking, and though the idea of a business was entertained, my Dentistry studies took precedence,” she said.
Narifa added, “It wasn’t until late 2020 when an avid fan requested that I prepare an exquisite dinner for two, and very long afterward, I was invited to make a pop-up sale at Brazo’s Gift Shop by its proprietor.”
According to the young businesswoman, another one of the driving factors that encouraged her to launch her business was the fact that Muslims are restricted to where they can eat from and what they can eat due to the limited availability of Halaal food.
She added that although a restaurant might use halaal meat, the ingredients they use to prepare the meals might not be halaal. This prompted her to develop her skills to prepare restaurant-worthy meals using ingredients not routinely used by the average Guyanese household while keeping the meal 100% Halaal.
Over the years, I made an effort to try new ingredients and new recipes and gradually improved my skills. My ‘customers’ were just my family members at that time. However, being an art student in the past, I thought that I needed to present my creations in an artistic and attractive manner like how it’s done professionally.
Tek Ah Taste provides a variety of pre-ordered food items that are listed as “available” on its page, which include sauces, foods, and desserts.
Not every food item on the page is listed as available because some foods are so expensive to make that it’s not feasible financially to make just one serving since we’re not a restaurant.
Jugging another job and managing Tek Ah Taste, Narifa said that one of her main challenges is balancing the two and keeping up with orders. Nevertheless, she noted that the populace has been responding positively to her small business.
At first, fear of failure was a big deciding factor in whether or not I would make pop-up sales, but the reviews so far have been great.
When asked about what makes Tek Ah Taste stands out from its competitors, Narifa said;
I don’t see other food businesses as my competitors but rather my allies. But what sets me apart would be the choice of food because I love experimenting with different cuisines, especially Asian cuisines. I also ensure that I am aware of the science behind how a certain dish is prepared.
Narifa hopes to expand her business and open a fine dining 100% halaal restaurant. Narifa hopes to expand her business and open a fine dining 100% halaal restaurant. You can contact Tek Ah Taste on both Facebook and Instagram.
“Work smart, not hard! And life’s too short and beautiful for you to be following just one of your dreams,” Narifa concluded.
