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Home , Adam Liaw, Malaysian cuisine, MasterChef Australia

TEXT Suzanne Lazaroo feature ILLUSTRATION Vivian Loh

THE MALAYSIAN INVASION can’t help feting the national , it’s just who we are. Check out some passionate foodies flying the Malaysian culinary flag abroad – plus, exports that do us proud!

HERE’S so much to with technique and given character For some, it’s opening a Ping Coombes, who wowed the judges Malaysian and South East Asian Malaysians who have really gone celebrate about Malaysian by a unique history. restaurant in a foreign land, like with her versions of wantan and dishes. Christina has been appointed places – our top national export, palm . The sheer diversity, Little wonder then that our Bernard Yeoh, whose Kai Mayfair ! the Malaysian Food Ambassador, oil, has found a home in all for one thing. The building delicious culinary heritage seeps in London serves up contemporary Others have woven their foodie under the Malaysian External over the world and become a popular blocks of the national into our very pores, runs through interpretations of Malaysian love into the ether of cyberspace – Trade Development Corporation staple ingredient in the . T And home-grown company cuisine come from every major our veins and makes its home in . Kai Mayfair is and ex-restaurateur Jackie M (Matrade)’s ethnic group in the country, the our hearts. You can put a Malaysian possibly the only Malaysian-owned is based in Australia and has over initiative, and will also be promoting Brahim’s and pastes are a , Indians and Chinese, and anywhere you like, but there will restaurant to have a Michelin star a million followers on Google+, the country’s products, like Brahim’s way to take a bit of home with you on the smaller groups contribute come a time when nasi lemak glittering on its pennant. who tune in to watch her appealing and Lingham’s. your travels. Its subsidiary, Brahim’s their fair share too. (Hurrah for sounds its clarion call and the only The popular MasterChef cooking demo videos. And then there is , Airline Catering, services 36 airlines Portuguese Eurasian debal , answer is: satu bungkus! competition has quite a few alumni Over in the United States, - whose promotion of Malaysian food worldwide, and sometimes slips a Nyonya pongteh!) Flying the national foodie flag with a local link; the Australian born, California-based Low Bee Yinn overseas is more of a vocation than box of nasi lemak onto their fold-out There’s such a glorious borrowing on the international scene is almost instalment of the series has seen a set up the popular Rasa Malaysia anything else. He’s been at it for 40 tray tables. that goes on, with each culture second nature to many Malaysians, slew of competitors with a Malaysian food blog, and gets about 100,000 years, and his success as the country’s We’d like to wish all these making great contributions to form who share their patriotic culinary connection, including the ever- unique visitors a month. On the east first food ambassador is as much due wonderful foodies Selamat Hari the Malaysian foodscape. Every dish passions via their own kitchens. But popular, boy-next-door , coast, Christina Arokiasamy teaches to his charisma as his food knowledge Merdeka. Keep up the great work is imbued with its own individual there are those who have taken it who won Season Two in 2010. The cooking classes at her Washington and cooking skills. guys! The country couldn’t hope for and herbs, touched lovingly several steps further. MasterChef UK 2014 winner is Wan home kitchen, sharing recipes for Finally, there are some other more delicious ambassadors. F

30 FLAVOURS AUGUST 2014 AUGUST 2014 FLAVOURS 31 WAN LOVE

N the beginning, there was After walking away from potential to be the next big thing in Chef Wan. an accounting career and the world, he adds. “When I Long before the celebrity getting an associate degree in I filmed my series, East Bites West chef was a thing, the effusive, Professional Chef Training and with Chef Wan in the UK, there was outspoken chap (real name, Hotel Management from the a Bite Challenge segment, where pretty much never used: California Culinary Academy and locals determined whether a local Datuk Redzuawan Ismail) was a Ritz Escoffier Diploma from the dish or a dish I cook tasted better putting Malaysian food on the Hotel Ritz Paris, Chef Wan realised – like curry puffs versus pasties, international map, and giving the the great appeal and potential etc. Twelve out of 13 challenges varied cuisine of the country a for Malaysian food on the world were won by my dishes, which face and voice. In 2007, he was stage, working extensively with just goes to show that our food awarded the Lifetime Jury Award Matrade, Tourism Malaysia (which really appeals to everybody. Even at the World Gourmet Food and appointed him its first official the most conservative Brits were Media Awards in Beijing; in 2009, culinary ambassador) and national loving and the rest!” he was named the Best Celebrity carrier, Malaysia Airlines. Apart from being drawn to the Television Chef at the Gourmand Drawing on his extensive fantastic flavour and wonderful World Cookbook Awards. contacts, he escorted many variety of Malaysian food, Chef His endearing, larger-than- Malaysian food companies and Wan is always amazed at its power life persona, and enthusiasm for chefs over to Europe, under the to unite – a power he would like to drawing on the larger cultural and Matrade banner. “At the time, see drawn on more. ethnic culinary map in his television not too many people were well- “That is what food is about, shows and cookbooks have won travelled and had international it is love, it is all about being him legions of fans the world over. contacts, so I took them over there together and eating together,” This love of eclecticism and a desire so they could build their brands,” he says, waxing lyrical. Which is to celebrate various cultures has says the chef. why fighting over food – whether always come naturally to him, Malaysian food has awesome debating its origins or using perhaps due in part to his own appeal, he feels, and he slipped into cultural and culinary differences mixed heritage: his father has Malay the role as the face of the cuisine to divide groups – is, in a word, and Thai blood, his mother, Nyonya because he had the knowledge “stupid” to him. and Japanese. and communication skills to share “One of the best things about Today, as he marks 40 years in his love for it. “And when you do our food is its diversity,” he says. the F&B world, Chef Wan shows no cooking demos, you have to have “Our nation is built on many signs of kicking back and relaxing. personality and charisma,” he adds. cultures and ethnicities, you Instead, he has just launched a new The long lines that form for his book cannot rewrite history. A part of Chef Wan, 55, cookbook to mark the milestone signings and demos are testament us comes from others, and that is celebrit y chef, (400 Resipi Terbaik Chef Wan: to his magnetism. something to celebrate. Eat and Meraikan Kegemilangan 40 Tahun To promote Malaysian food be happy. In Malaysian food, you Malaysia Pengalaman Kulinari) and is set to internationally is to create a can find love and peace – we have add to his Wan Market restaurant global brand, he says. “We need eaten together and lived side by chain, which serves up food from a consulting body of professional side for so many years now, and South East Asian countries. With F&B consultants to sell Malaysian we need to pass this on to our

Yap Chee Hong the first already operating in restaurants overseas, to be children – celebrate each other’s , new Wan Markets will discerning as to who should get festivals, respect each other’s Chef Wan stands in front of a soon be opening in Malaysia’s financial help from the government differences, be proud because we specially-commissioned painting of his Cyberjaya, with Jakarta, and to provide training,” says have so much.” grandmother; the mortar and pestle and Singapore’s Geylang area next Chef Wan. Now that’s Wan Malaysia she used is still in his kitchen today.

PHOTOGRAPHY on the agenda. Malaysian food has amazing talking. – Suzanne Lazaroo

32 FLAVOURS AUGUST 2014 AUGUST 2014 FLAVOURS 33 It’s in her blood A diplomatIc AffAir

ACKIE M is a chef, ex-restaurateur, Her kaya and butter , HRISTINA Arokiasamy made her name through the peninsula on the way to their TV personality, cookbook and e-mag her take on the traditional by giving cooking classes at her home destinations. When you a dish from J author, plus a proud single mother with a Malaysian twist, is exemplary in C in Kent, Washington, sharing unique Malaysia, you’re experiencing a melting pot of – to name just a few of the many hats showcasing how she has substituted South East Asian dishes with Americans game cultures coming together in one cuisine.” she wears. But the adage that the whole custard with a local delight folded within, for new flavours. It’s no surprise that this Christina herself is of the fifth generation of is greater than the sum of its parts holds to suit Australian tastebuds. merchant’s daughter – incidentally, the title of a family of spice merchants who settled in old true for her. Not only is she one of the Jackie harvested the use of social media her first cook book published in 2008 – has Malaya. “My great-great-grandfather was captain bigger on Australia’s early on and touts over one million followers been appointed Malaysia’s Food Ambassador of a ship belonging to the East India Company, food scene, but her involvement in social on Google+, making her account one of the to the United States, under the Malaysia and my family is still involved in the spice media has seen her spread the Malaysian most followed in Australia, with fans hailing Kitchen Programme. She now conducts classes at business today,” she says. influence across the world – through food from the United States, India, the Middle food festivals and conventions, etc. “Growing up in Malaysia, my home was of . East and Africa. The appointment by Matrade will see her always filled with the scent of herbs and spices Jackie’s culinary career had She is humbled by the fact that some promoting the country’s restaurants and that wafted from the kitchen. I was exposed unconventional beginnings. She started tune in religiously to watch her cooking as well, including ready-made products to the world of spices at an early age. I could out as an IT consultant but planted her demonstration videos, which sometimes like Lingham’s chilli , Brahim’s Curry always smell the scents of , cardamom, flag in food territory some 15 years ago. go on for 45 minutes. After meeting her, Paste, Nona’s , Asian ’ , fennel, chilli, star anise and She did this to cure an itch for our local this writer understands her appeal. There’s Malaysian Sauce, and Boh . cinnamon wafting from my house, before it was cuisine that Australia simply could not something quite raw and genuine about “In this role, you walk a fine line,” says even within sight.” scratch. Under her tutelage at frequent her that makes Jackie, despite her years the -born Christina. “You need It is probably these exotic smells and ground events and through social media, abroad, truly Malaysian. As the to have passion for Malaysia’s beautiful that have helped Christina win American hearts. her home base, , has come a long saying goes, you can take the girl ingredients, but also understand the way The US-based National Restaurant way in terms of Malaysian food. It is with out of the kampung, but you Americans approach food. Association (the largest food a glint in her eye and a smile on her lips, can’t take the kampung “They want healthy options that taste good, service trade association by that she coyly mentions that there is still out of the girl. but they are also looking for convenience and membership in the world) a lot of confusion over what constitutes – Samantha Low approachability. I have taught listed Malaysian cuisine as Malaysian food versus other South East to over 300,000 Americans, introduced them to No.3 on its list of top flavour Asian like Thai and Indonesian. our products and made the style of cooking trends for 2014. And with Originally from , Jackie more approachable. that, interest in our cuisine tries to blend the authenticity of “I hope that more Americans will come is poised to grow. her hometown offerings and her to accept our cuisine, the same way they’ve – Ooi May Sim stepmother’s cooking into her own style. embraced Thai, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, It’s a challenging balancing act, trying Vietnamese and Korean. It is much more to remain true to what she remembers approachable than most Americans think and while catering to an Australian audience. we’ve taken great strides in awakening the The fame of her precedes American palate to the flavours of my childhood. her, but even that, she notes, lacks the “Malaysia is beautifully situated in cockles one would usually find in the the region. For over 500 years, seafarers, dish back home. “Certain ingredients are missionaries and other travellers passed unavailable Down Under,” she groans.

Jackie M, 47, ChrisTina arokiAsamy, 46, chef and TV personaliTy, author, chef-instruCtor and Australia spiCe guru, the united states

36 FLAVOURS AUGUST 2014 AUGUST 2014 FLAVOURS 37 S St

M E

T’S no surprise that a number T of locally born talents have “ S I graced the kitchen arena of MasterChef Australia. Now living Down Under, these culinary warriors brave extreme scrutiny by the best chefs in the business, with only the crème de la crème Picture taken from Facebook Being on one of the grandest P L ” stages of television cookery, S -born Emily, known as the ‘Spice these individuals have made a Queen’ among her friends and family, cooks much headway in terms of A up a mean . The kitchen bug exposing the wonders of Malaysian cuisine to the world. S St bit her hard after her stint on MasterChef Australia Pride in their roots and early m E T s Part artist, part cook, all , and she is now apprenticing at exposure to the numerous Es Y Malaysian, Poh Ling’s love Brisbane’s Black Bird Bar and Grill, as well I C E for cookery inspired her hit as teaching weekly Asian cooking classes at Vanilla Zulu Cooking School. “ S E television show, Poh’s Kitchen. throughout the competition, I m s w E creating fans among judges and Between the TV screen and viewers alike. S S S s book deals, she is also heavily M S, Even when the cameras stop E J E F invested in the Australia-based rolling, the itch to cook prompts “ S E s food blog, Malaysia Kitchen, many MasterChef M using it to shine the spotlight spread the gospel of our beloved s E on the edible splendours of cuisine to the masses, using their E — Quote from malaysiakichen.com.au her homeland. new-found celebrity status as a b S. platform to elevate the dishes to a higher level. From food blogs, As a young lad, Alvin had a ” social media sites and websites fascination for Malaysian eats. to books and TV shows, it’s clear Nowadays, he keeps busy that their nostalgic memories of ” childhood eats are to be shared bringing his boyhood obsession with the world. – compiled by to the world, spreading the Justin Zack word by constantly updating his website (alvinquah.com.au) with recipes, as well as through his work with Asian food giant, Ayam. T S St c E

I I E i s i S O M S I E s M E m s s B b S E) “ E Us E E s E Es. l S St I E S S m s “ s S E S Sm. E W S E b M s Arguably one of the best-known Malaysian-born Born in , Billy grew up in one I s E s E MasterChefs out there, Adam’s book, of the nation’s foodie hotspots and — Quote from her blog Two Asian Kitchens, TV show, Destination ” was exposed to the smorgasbord “ Flavour, and countless media appearances have that is Malaysian cuisine. Finding Like any true-blue Malaysian, bubbly Tash S ” drawn worldwide attention to the little country a niche online, Billy runs popular discovered her love for food among the S A M he calls home. Adam is cosying up to the camera, food blog atablefortwo.com.au, offerings of street vendors in the Valley b s E SoN 2 with various TV appearances scheduled. His and during her younger days spent nosing M s S S. E latest cookbook, Asian after Work hit the shelves Internet to spread his love for food around her grandmother’s kitchen. Tash runs last September. to the world. – Quote from atablefortwo.com.au ” an Asian-heavy food blog, akitchencat.com.au AUGUST 2014 FL AVOURS 41