Kristang food is an underrated gem in the canon of Malaysian cuisines. It's a cuisine from Malacca that, while similar to Peranakan or Baba-Nyonya food, has heavier Portuguese influences, evidenced by its clever use of vinegars, spice, and European flavours to blend with the sambals and curries of the local cuisine. From Devil's curry to Beef seccu, seybahs to sugee cake, Chef Melba Nunis guides us through the intricacies of these dishes, and speaks of her journey in championing Kristang cuisine...
Nov 13, 2019•33 min
Marrying his Belgian roots and classical French techniques with Asian influences and a Japanese shokunin-like work ethic, Chef Emmanuel Stroobant has made a name for himself in this region of the world. He's written cookbooks, starred in his own TV show (Chef In Black), and opened two Saint Pierre restaurants—in Singapore and most recently in KL—to boot. We sit down with him this week to talk about his story, his culture-blending cooking philosophy, and he sheds some words of wisdom to budding c...
Nov 06, 2019•26 min
Marrying his Belgian roots and classical French techniques with Asian influences and a Japanese shokunin-like work ethic, Chef Emmanuel Stroobant has made a name for himself in this region of the world. He's written cookbooks, starred in his own TV show (Chef In Black), and opened two Saint Pierre restaurants—in Singapore and most recently in KL—to boot. We sit down with him this week to talk about his story, his culture-blending cooking philosophy, and he sheds some words of wisdom to budding c...
Nov 06, 2019•26 min
Snacking is an integral part of any cuisine. In Malaysia, you can find kuihs, chaats, and Chinese cookies everywhere, all year round. They're great and all, but we all know they're not always the best for our health and body... Good thing there are people out there who are changing that! So this week, we talk to Malaysia's F&B unicorn—Amazin' Graze—and learn about how they're making healthier, tastier, and all around better snacks for Malaysia, Asia, and the world, really! See omnystudio.com...
Oct 30, 2019•30 min
Breaking Bread has been graced by its first celebrity chef—David Rocco! (Does this make us legit now?) We talk about his experiences as a TV show host and executive producer, explore the intersection of Italian & Malaysian food cultures, and dissect his bubur cha-cha tiramisu invention. Oh, and he drops a bombshell announcement on the show too! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 22, 2019•29 min
It's World Food Day! So this week, we're raising awareness on the issues of food security and farming in a Malaysian context. And we're doing it through John-Hans, who's looking to shake up Malaysian agriculture with his modern Malaysian farming company— Cultiveat . We learn about the pitfalls of traditional farming, the problems Malaysian farmers often face, and how technology can be harnessed to help grow luscious, sumptuous plants! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Oct 21, 2019•36 min
It's rare to find good Mediterranean food in KL. But now and then, we hear whispers of a restaurant making waves in our food scene. This week, we talk to the owners of one such restaurant—Parklife, a vegetable forward, Ottolenghi-inspired Mediterranean restaurant serving 'contemporary London cuisine'. While it might at first sound like a mixed bag, with a killer hummus, luscious platters of grilled vegetables, and lashings of salacious salads, Parklife is definitely here to bring vegetable-sexy ...
Oct 10, 2019•26 min
Peanut butter is the world's commonest breakfast condiment. Even in Malaysia, where kaya reigns supreme in the realm of spreads, peanut butter still gets a lot of love. So this week, skip your Skippys and put aside your Peter Pans, as we talk to the co-founders of Jobbie, a home-grown, premier peanut butter brand with big dreams and even better peanut butter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 04, 2019•32 min
In Malaysia, food writing often seem to be relegated to the lower echelons of the literary world, when really, it can be so much more! So this week, we brought in two veteran food writers, Julie and Dee May, to discuss the decline of food writing in our country, tackle the perennial debate of print vs. digital, and lay on their thoughts and advice on how our nation's food writing scene can improve! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Sep 27, 2019•31 min
Eating insects might be a squeamish, hair-raising affair to some, but with the world's population looking to outgrow food supplies, there's a growing number of people looking to bugs for an alternative source of protein. This week, Kevin Wu, founder of Ento, talks to us about his motivations behind setting up his cricket roasting company in KL, changing people's perception of eating insects, and we even get to taste some of his insects on the show! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...
Sep 19, 2019•22 min
Ping Coombes first rose to fame when she won Masterchef UK back in 2014, flooring the judges with her Malaysian flavours and techniques, and winning the finale with Malaysia's national dish of nasi lemak. Since then, she's written a cookbook, opened a restaurant in London, ran dozens of supper clubs, and became a kick-ass mom to two daughters. We speak to her about her kooky supper club dishes, motherhood, and the future of Malaysian food. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Sep 13, 2019•27 min
Açaí might seem like the superfood du jour, but with a cult following in communities throughout the world, this Brazilian berry has found it's way to Malaysia in recent years. Yeoh Jun Yong and Cheah Wen Khyn, founders of Cabana Açaí Bar in Publika, were one of the first to serve açaí bowls and smoothies back in 2017. Two years on, their love for açaí is still as strong as ever. On this episode, Jun & Khyn share how their mixed martial arts background led them to açaí, and talk about their m...
Sep 05, 2019•21 min
Ah, nasi lemak. It's a dish that—as even McDonald's can attest to—is undeniably Malaysian. And though we might know how and where to get the best nasi lemak, its history and cultural significance is a subject that is rarely talked about. So this week, in full Merdeka spirit, we seek to learn more about our national nasi from food historian Nadge Ariffin. We talk about the 5 key components of nasi lemak, the meaning behind its name, and its historical ties, with a cute little genesis story to boo...
Sep 03, 2019•28 min
Malaysians might remember a time back in 2014-15, when soup kitchens were the talk of the town. Politicians debated over them, newspaper headlines sensationalised them, and they were sure to come up over mamak stall conversations. Even though the talk on soup kitchens have mostly died down since, many of them still operate in our cities, Kuala Lumpur especially, providing food and services for the poor and underprivileged. Joycelyn Lee and Andrea Tan, founders of one such soup kitchen—Pit Stop C...
Aug 19, 2019•34 min
Tempeh is one of the few key fermented foods that originates from the Malay archipelago. And in recent years, this funky, soy product has grown in a big way, especially with the rise of meat alternatives and a global shift towards a more plant-based diet. To tell us all about this funky, fermented food, is Azimin Saini from Tempeh Culture, a tiny tempeh (pardon the pun) business from Singapore. He talks about his heritage, weigh in on the recent tempeh boom, and reveals a few tempeh cooking tips...
Aug 13, 2019•22 min
Tempeh is one of the few key fermented foods that originates from the Malay archipelago. And in recent years, this funky, soy product has grown in a big way, especially with the rise of meat alternatives and a global shift towards a more plant-based diet. To tell us all about this funky, fermented food, is Azimin Saini from Tempeh Culture, a tiny tempeh (pardon the pun) business from Singapore. He talks about his heritage, weigh in on the recent tempeh boom, and reveals a few tempeh cooking tips...
Aug 13, 2019•22 min
Tempeh is one of the few key fermented foods that originates from the Malay archipelago. And in recent years, this funky, soy product has grown in a big way, especially with the rise of meat alternatives and a global shift towards a more plant-based diet. To tell us all about this funky, fermented food, is Azimin Saini from Tempeh Culture, a tiny tempeh (pardon the pun) business from Singapore. He talks about his heritage, weigh in on the recent tempeh boom, and reveals a few tempeh cooking tips...
Aug 13, 2019•22 min
Malaysia's food writing scene might seem to be languishing. But there are movers and shakers out there, initiatives that are changing up the scene, encouraging more and better scholarship of food. The Fay Khoo Award is one of them. Named after the legendary Malaysian food personality, the award looks to improve the state of food and drink writing in the region. Its director, Bettina Chua Abdullah, talks to us about her third year running the award, and discusses the state of food writing in Mala...
Aug 05, 2019•29 min
Ahh, cake... We all love them, we all crave them. But despite our lifelong love for cake, the cake scene in Malaysia has shifted from old school bakeries to custom cakes made by home bakers. So we speak to Jessica Ting and Tao, two prominent cake-makers in the Klang Valley, to learn about their sweet beginnings. They share their wild cake stories, and weigh in on the boom in custom cakes in KL. From modelling cakes in the shape of the KL Tower, to a story about poop cake, to the very first cake-...
Jul 29, 2019•28 min
Despite pizza's undoubtedly Italian origins, it has spread across the world over the past century, popularised in American cities like New York and Chicago, then further catalysed by the spread of pizza franchises like Domino's and Pizza Hut. In Malaysia too we seem to be in the throes of a pizza wave, with artisanal pizza parlous taking over the torch from the pizza franchises of old. We talk to one such Malaysian pizza upstart—myPizzaLab. Its founders, Chin Ren Yi and Jared Yeo, tells us about...
Jul 25, 2019•24 min
Ah, spiciness! Many cuisines of the world wouldn't be complete without the aroma and heat of the chili pepper. But really, what is it about spiciness that makes it so saliva-inducing, so flavourful, so head-scratchingly addictive? In this two-part episode, we first learn about the science behind spiciness from Dr. Chong Li Choo, a lecturer and culinology programme director from Taylor's University. Then, we hear from JinnyboyTV's Jin Lim & Brandon Ho about Hot Guys, their latest YouTube seri...
Jul 15, 2019•32 min
Veganism has been shaking up the food world in recent years. From nut butters to açaí bowls to the all-too-common avo toast, we've been seeing more and more vegan foods in our daily meals. So this week, we speak to Ishpal Bajaj, co-founder of Kind Kones, one the most successful vegan brands in Malaysia. He talks about the beginnings of Kind Kones, how his vegan ice creams are made, and touch on the divisive topic of veganism. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jul 03, 2019•23 min
The humble banana is Malaysia's second most consumed fruit, topped only by coconuts, and yes, we have it more than durians! And while the world banana market might be dominated by one variety of banana—the Cavendish—over here in Malaysia, we're blessed with over 100 different cultivars. This week, Siti Aiysyah Tumin, a researcher from the Khazanah Rsearch Institute, talks about her published study of the Malaysian banana industry, divulges some surprising findings, and shares her favourite banan...
Jun 29, 2019•20 min
Barbecue might be a cuisine and lifestyle tied to the American South, but here in Malaysia, we have a booming barbecue scene too. Nazri Jameson from Beard Brothers BBQ—one of the recent breakout stars of the KL barbecue scene—speaks to us about his start, the tribulations of BBQ in Malaysia, and how he makes the perfect beef brisket. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 22, 2019•20 min
Just when you think Malaysia has few atas foods or ingredients, in swoops Malaysian caviar! Yes, tucked away in a little farm in Tanjung Malim, Perak, is Malaysia's very first caviar farm, and possibly the world's first 'tropical' caviar! AJ Lim and Shaun Kenneth Simon from T'Lur Caviar speak to us about caviar farming, debate the shifting trends of the caviar industry, and teaches us how to taste caviar! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jun 15, 2019•29 min
As Malaysians, we might be familiar with our chillies and rendangs, know the aromas of our ulams and seloms, and be able to tell apart halias and kunyits. But how about buah kepayang, temu pauh, and cendawan kukur? The ingredients of our land are so wild and varied, but we've barely scratched the surface of them all in our everyday Malaysian food. Andrew Wong from Open House restaurant shares some of the little-known local ingredients and sambals he's serving at his restaurant, and we discuss th...
Jun 08, 2019•26 min
We're nearing the end of the Ramadan period, and over the past month, there have been bazaars popping up in the evenings all across the country. So in this two-part episode, we explore a few classic bazaar dishes with Haniff Baharudin, and speak to Nik & Stephanie from Mean Mince, who recently set up their very first burger stall at the TTDI Ramadan bazaar, to learn more about the bazaar experience. -- I Love KL Ramadhan Episode See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jun 01, 2019•19 min
The soy bean is a versatile crop that holds mighty importance in Malaysia and many parts of Asia. We use it to make tofu, soy milk, tempeh, miso, and a variety of silky, funky foods. So this week, we talk to Carmen and Joe Lau, siblings and owners of Dáo, a dessert shop in Subang Jaya that focuses on the soy bean. We discuss soy desserts, talk about the differences in soy milk in KL and their hometown of Ipoh, and how they tread the fine line between modern and traditional tau foo fah. See omnys...
May 25, 2019•21 min
While matcha, or green tea, is a common flavour in many modern desserts and drinks, most of the commercial matcha available actually taste worlds apart from the true, artisanal matchas of Japan. Long steeped in rituals and traditions, these Japanese teas can be rich, nutty and overflowing with umami. Lucky for us in Malaysia, we have Syun Hattori and Izzat Iskandar, who are trying to educate and awaken us to these better, bolder matchas. We speak to them about their business—Niko Neko Matcha, an...
May 18, 2019•28 min
Soy sauce plays a major part in our cooking, whether it's in soy braises, seasoning for stir-fries, or even just as a condiment for the half-boiled eggs we have for breakfast. But little has been said about the lengthy, laborious process behind it. To shed light on this humble sauce, Shirley Chia from Musees Soy Sauce shares about the intricacies of making soy sauce, her family's soy business, and how she's taking it into a modern, more artisanal direction. See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...
May 11, 2019•25 min
