Maple Asaro On How Being Obsessed Leads To Extraordinary Results

It takes more than stamina to be a dancer, creative, and entrepreneur all at once. But the way Maple Asaro sees it, passion and fulfilment have always come before the bottom line. “If money becomes the driving factor, you set a lot of limitations, and you don’t operate from the heart,” she says. That equilibrium was forged long before hospitality entered the picture—first as a professional dancer in the performing arts scene, and later as the founder of Bobbi’s Pole Studio Malaysia. So, when she met her husband Federico Asaro, who began building Samadhi Retreats in 1999, she carried that same discipline into their partnership.

In time, their partnership evolved into a hospitality collective spanning jungle-framed retreats and a portfolio of dining destinations such as Tamarind Springs, Barra Restaurant, Barraca Mediterranean Restaurant, and their latest Italian concept, Warung Putih. “To be successful at something, you need to be somewhat obsessed with it. When you have that obsession, it shows you’re passionate, and you’ll do whatever it takes to make it work,” Maple says. “Having a healthy mindset is crucial when you want to become an entrepreneur or start something new. It really matters because that means setting realistic goals and thinking about what you want to achieve.”

“We started 25 years ago with just six tables at Tamarind Hill, and that’s something we’ve kept as a tradition. Every new restaurant we open, we start with six tables and see how it goes, so we’ve never had a five- or 10-year financial forecast.

“I truly admire my husband’s vision and his aptitude for seeing things differently. He can look at abandoned houses or neglected properties, which most people would overlook, and see opportunity instead of loss. I would say he’s more of the ‘hardware’, while I’m more of the ‘software’ of the company. We’re both creative but in different forms.

“The most challenging part is filling the tables and seats in the restaurants. The F&B industry in Malaysia has evolved so much and become incredibly competitive, particularly post-pandemic, as many have stepped out to open their own cafes and restaurants. But I think it’s a good thing to have competitors because it means the industry is growing, and we need that. We’re just very grateful that we’re still around growing our brand.

“Our location is our unique selling point. We’re surrounded by nature and we build around our existing terrain as part of our synergy. Take Tamarind Springs, for example. The maintenance can be quite tricky at times, but to us, that’s part of the aesthetic. We would never put something overly brick and mortar in the middle of the jungle or cut down trees to make something fit. We want to blend in and become part of nature, not the other way around.

“I think the feminine side of any business or industry is very important. When the masculine aspect of management overpowers the feminine, it can become too much of a rat race. We need the hard, but we also need the soft. When we come in as business leaders in the F&B scene, it creates a much better balance and it definitely opens doors for younger women who want to follow in our footsteps.

“The most important lesson I’ve learnt in this business is having good, reliable people on your team. It’s a people’s business and having good people stay long enough means our regular customers get to know them, and they, in turn, get to know our customers. That familiarity makes a difference.”

Samadhi Retreats

Photography by Anna Rina

This story is part of Robb Report Malaysia’s special series on Women in F&B.