In an exclusive interview with Top 10 of Asia, Lee Sai Wah, Director and Founder of Marina Seafood & Steam Era, reflects on his journey from Hong Kong to Malaysia and the vision behind this exceptional restaurant. Built on years of perseverance and industry experience, the restaurant group represents his belief that fresh, steamed cuisine is both the healthiest approach and the future of Chinese dining, locally and beyond.
When Lee Sai Wah arrived in Malaysia from Hong Kong in 1997, he carried determination and a belief that hard work could eventually carve a place for him in a foreign land. What he did not yet know was that this journey, marked by loss, reinvention, and relentless perseverance, would one day give rise to Marina Seafood, a restaurant group redefining how Chinese cuisine is experienced.
Marina Seafood represents far more than a dining concept. It is the culmination of decades of struggle, learning, and evolution in the food and beverage (F&B) industry, anchored by a simple but powerful philosophy: steamed is the healthiest way.
Lee’s early years in Malaysia were anything but glamorous. Entering the F&B industry as an outsider meant navigating cultural differences, language barriers and a workforce with high turnover. Recruitment was difficult, and staff retention was even harder. At times, entire kitchen teams would leave overnight.
“I remember those days very clearly,” Lee recalls. “Every day, I woke up at three or four in the morning to go to the market to buy ingredients. My wife had to take on part-time work washing dishes and delivering goods just to make ends meet.”
He shared that his first venture into Hunan cuisine was a restaurant that operated at a loss for six consecutive years. The shop was small, the rent was high, and the business kept losing money. With limited capital, he could not afford competitive wages, making it even harder to retain skilled workers.
There were nights when the pressure became unbearable. “I cried alone,” Lee admits. “I felt helpless and anxious. But I told myself I couldn’t lose hope. If I gave up then, everything would be over.”
Instead, he endured. He swallowed the bitterness, the grievances, and the tears, and kept going.
For years, Lee operated mid-to-lower-end restaurants, yet progress remained slow. It was only after carefully observing customer behaviour that he recognised a crucial shift in consumer expectations.
“Mid-to-high-end customers care deeply about freshness, health and quality ingredients,” he explains. These people are not just eating to be full. They are eating to enhance their health and maintain their well-being. This realisation became the turning point.
In 2014, Lee made a bold decision to pivot entirely, founding Steam Era Seafood Hotpot Restaurant. Instead of competing in a crowded, price-driven market, he chose to focus on live fresh seafood and steamed dishes, targeting discerning diners who valued quality and wellness.
“Upper-class consumers are very particular about healthy eating,” Lee says. “Steaming preserves the original taste and nutrition of ingredients. Nutritionists all agree that steaming food is the healthiest way.”
By choosing steamed seafood as the core offering, Steam Era entered a niche with inherent barriers to entry. Live seafood requires heavy investment, technical expertise, and strict quality control. For newcomers, survival rates are low. For Lee, however, this difficulty was precisely the appeal.
In short, Marina Seafood’s concept is built around one uncompromising principle: freshness above all else.
Live seafood, often still moving, is displayed and prepared in full view of diners. Using advanced steam technology, dishes are cooked directly at the table, allowing guests to experience the food at its peak.
“We steam the dishes in front of our guests,” Lee explains. “They can see the seafood, fresh, lively and jumping around. The colour, aroma, flavour and temperature are all perfectly balanced. This is the highest level of culinary artistry, something ordinary restaurants can’t achieve.”
Unlike traditional kitchens where food cools as it travels from the kitchen to the table, Marina Seafood eliminates distance entirely. When the lid is lifted, steam rises, aromas bloom, and the dish is enjoyed immediately, piping hot, just as it should be.
Lee often compares it to tea. “If the water isn’t hot enough, the tea doesn’t taste good. Food is the same. Temperature matters.”
This attention to detail resonated strongly with customers. Marina Seafood did not rely on advertising. Word-of-mouth spread organically, from satisfied customers to their families and friends.
Beyond freshness, Marina Seafood’s success is deeply rooted in technology and standardisation.
High-end steam equipment allows for precise control of time and temperature. This is something that human hands cannot replicate consistently. Each dining table effectively becomes a mini kitchen, ensuring uniform quality regardless of location or staff.
This system creates what Lee calls a built-in “firewall”.
“Live seafood farming is technical and expensive. Steam technology requires capital and expertise. These are not easy to copy,” he says.
By reducing dependence on star chefs and focusing on replicable systems, Marina Seafood achieved something rare in the restaurant industry: scalability without compromising quality.
After 30 years in Malaysia, he believes the company has achieved the perfect balance of timing, location and people. Today, the group owns five brands and operates sixteen outlets, serving diverse communities.
Recognising Malaysia’s multicultural fabric, Lee has adapted his strategy, from serving mainly Chinese customers, to global audiences, and now to local Malaysian Muslims.
Marina Seafood Restaurant & Steam Era Hartamas, a Muslim-friendly seafood restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, has gained strong traction among corporate diners. Meanwhile, DeeRiang, steamed fast-food brand, marks Lee’s next major chapter.
“We want to bring Chinese food to 1.9 billion Muslim brothers and sisters worldwide,” he says.
DeeRiang’s first outlet opened in Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur serving Xiao Long Bao, dim sum, noodles and other handcrafted dishes. Lee’s five-year plan is ambitious: 50 halal restaurants across Malaysia. Despite the scale of his businesses, Lee’s leadership philosophy remains deeply human.
“My responsibility is to set direction, bring people together and trust talent,” he says. “The size of your business depends on how much you can trust others.” His guiding principle is clear: customers first, employees second, shareholders third, and himself last.
He is known for treating staff well, ensuring they eat well and live well. “If you want employees to take care of customers, you must take care of employees first,” he explains. It is this culture that has sustained Marina Seafood’s growth and resilience over more than a decade.
For young people entering the F&B industry, Lee offers candid advice. “There is no such thing as quick money,” he says. “The more you want to get rich fast, the less money you make.”
Opening a restaurant requires patience, capital and long-term thinking. Losses for three to six years are normal. The era where boldness alone guaranteed success is long gone. Equally important, Lee emphasises the value of giving. “Always think of others first. The more you think of yourself, the less you get. The more you think of others, the more you gain.”
Today, as Marina Seafood sets its sights on Johor Bahru, Penang, and Singapore, Lee continues to begin each day with gratitude. “Every morning when I wake up, I feel thankful,” he says. “At least my mood is good. And when your mood is good, everything else becomes better too.”
From adversity to ascendance, Marina Seafood is not just a restaurant brand. It is a living testament to resilience, innovation, and the quiet power of steaming forward, one step at a time.