Syafrini Azmi's nightly delivery service depends on careful loading and tight timing, with thousands of meals travelling hundreds of kilometres before dawn. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: While most people are asleep, thousands of packets of Kelantanese food are on the move.

Packed into vans and collected from locations such as Tumpat, Wakaf Che Yeh and Machang, nasi berlauk, nasi kerabu, kuih and other favourites begin an overnight journey towards the Klang Valley and beyond, arriving in time for early-morning customers.

One of the key people involved in this nighttime delivery chain is Syafrini Azmi, who has been running Nasi Berlauk Kelate Express for about a decade.

The 38-year-old told Bernama that the venture started modestly with around 200 packets per trip. Today, a single run to the Klang Valley can carry more than 3,000 packets, while another of his routes serves parts of Terengganu and Pahang.