The legend of Mamalee tells the story of a Malaysian lady, who through perseverance, affection and talent eventually overcame adversity to bring us the taste of home.

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Born in Kuala Lumpur to a poor family of twelve children, Betty Lee had to start working at a very young age. Having to help her mother create the meals for the family based on limited ingredients, Betty developed not only exceptional cooking skill but also creativity by which the minimal culinary resources could be put to best use.

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As Betty became a mother of three children, she needed to work for very long hours, yet she would find time to come home and comfort her children with her own cooking. To Betty and her family, the taste of home has brought them the sweetest moments even in the most trying times.

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In the spring of 1990, Betty and her supportive husband brought their family to Canada. Aspiring to introduce the charm of Malaysian cuisine to her new country, Betty bought Cafe D'Lite - then a humble small cafe business serving soup & sandwiches on 2817 West Broadway - in late 1991 and began serving tasty Malaysian dishes. Soon the humble little restaurant became a local favorite, marking the beginning of Betty's taste of home in her new country.

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But the family's fate took a dramatic blow 3 years later. On March 1995, Betty was involved in a car accident by which she became partially paralyzed. Since then, her health was never the same. Nevertheless, Betty quickly came back to work, as she simply could not leave her family and business to chance.

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On August 2005 came another major setback, as a rebuilding project on the restaurant's block forced Cafe D'Lite to relocate. Due to Betty's poor physical health, her family seriously considered closing down the restaurant permanently. Determined to never give up, Betty convinced her family to make a come back. 3 months later, on November 2005, the new Cafe D'Lite opened its door to customers on 3144 West Broadway. Betty's taste of home was back again.

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Fortunately, the 2005 relocation not only helped Betty's family reclaim their restaurant business but also took Betty's taste of home to new heights. The new shop became even busier and numerous local medias, including Vancouver Sun, The Province and Ming Pao began to endorse Cafe D'Lite's exceptional food and legendary taste.

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On February 1, 2013, Betty's family proudly renamed their legendary Cafe D'Lite as Mamalee™ - a unique and humble name more closely associated with Betty's spirit and heritage. The Mamalee brand not only represents Betty's passion for Malaysian culinary excellence but also a continuing commitment to an authentic Malaysian dining experience that is second to none, opening a new chapter for Betty and her family's taste of home.