In chef news: Homegrown culinary artists push Malaysian cuisine to greater heights

RECENTLY, the culinary world has witnessed many achievements by Malaysians. 

Just last week, self-taught chef Mano Thevar received a second Michelin star for his restaurant Thevar in Singapore, which received its first Michelin star a year ago. 

In all honesty, the success is great given that the restaurant business was one of the industries that were most heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Hence, any positive news regarding food connoisseurs especially those from Malaysia is worth applauding. Lucky for us, there is plenty to celebrate!

A taste of Malaysia up in the clouds

Seen as an attempt to push Malaysia’s culinary flair, Qatar Airways is collaborating with celebrity culinary artist Chef Wan for their latest business class menu offerings, made exclusively for passengers of the tier, in celebration of the airline company’s 25th anniversary.

An exclusive food tasting session was hosted at De.Wan 1958, with the celebrated cook in attendance together with Qatar Airways regional manager (Asean) Datuk Muzammil Mohamad and Qatar Airways vice president of catering services Shashank Bhardwaj.

“Ensuring our inflight meals are memorable is definitely a key focus, and it’s especially important for a country with a rich food heritage like Malaysia,” said Bhardwaj.

This is an attempt to reflect the airline’s commitment to providing the best inflight experience, having won the prestigious Skytrax Airline of the Year award six times.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Malaysia’s culinary pride and joy, Chef Wan, as having his signature dishes available onboard our business class is definitely another great reason to fly with us,” he added. 

The menu predominantly features a selection of local favourites that range from Malay (traditional and fusion) to Nyonya, including an exclusive heritage recipe of nyonya curry laksa that was passed down through the different generations of Chef Wan’s own family.

Guests were served with a trio appetiser of a choice, between poached prawns and mango salad with glass noodles, Duo Pomelo salad with lime and chilli dressing, and lastly, the seared scallop with tuna papaya salad.

Among the options, one that hit well with the Malaysian palette was the poached prawn combo. Boasting an Asian touch, thanks to the mango, resembling closely to what a miniature kerabu manga would be like. 

It’s fresh where the flavours aren’t too complex to digest – a great pick me up that serves as an introduction to what passengers can expect from the later courses. The prawn was a good size too, despite the dish being a type of appetiser.

The charcoal-grilled fish fillet with spicy Portuguese sauce, paired with lemuni rice, okra and chili padi, as well as lamb kuzi served with Terengganu style rice, cashew nut and acah buah. The menu also includes Malaysia’s favourite sweet treat of Goreng Pisang also made it to the menu, and has been given a Chef Wan twist as Deep Fried Caramel Bananas.

Simple but unique recipes for all

Chef Annette Isaac, or more fondly known as Chef Nette, has published her first cookbook entitled ‘What to Cook Laaa…’ which aims to help preserve and cultivate Malaysia’s unique and diverse cooking heritage.

Joined by Raja Permaisuri Perak Tuanku Zara Salim, the launch event took place at TCH Foodworks earlier this month with a food demonstration and tasting session held exclusively for the press by the star chef herself.

The motivations behind producing Annette’s recipe book was to encourage readers to set-up a simple Southeast Asia style kitchen, and realising her philosophy to get everyone empowered with the innate ability to cook. 

‘What to Cook Laaa…’ hopes to resolve some of the dilemmas busy people have to endure daily, wondering what to eat whenever meal time comes around. This solution emphasises on having these decisions fulfilled by firing up quick bites and hearty feasts out of the comforts of one’s home.

“Cooking is simple and I want to bring forward the love of preparing good, healthy and simple dishes,” said the chef, believing that a large part of our heritage is embedded and is passed from generation to generation through cooking.

Annette herself has enjoyed cooking since her childhood days, and during her early 20s she would be the designated cook when travelling with friends. Even back then she was discerning in her cooking, ensuring that the food she prepared matched various taste buds.

What sets her cookbook apart is the recipes reflect Annette's passion for the culinary arts, as well as her adventurous food palate. Her talent for creating recipes and styling food is delivered through simple yet delicious dishes.

Published by the MPH Group Publishing, ‘What to Cook Laaa…’ is available at all MPH Bookstores nationwide and online. For more information, visit mphonline.com.

Spreading love for sambal and kaya pandan in America

It’s another recorded win for Malaysian food, when Seremban native Auria Abraham’s range of products under the brand Auria’s Malaysian Kitchen, has become a hit in households across the United States.

Earlier this month, Auria managed to bag the bronze and silver prizes under the renowned New York Fancy Food Show (NYFFS) after presenting two entries. The winning recipes were for her lime leaf sambal, and pandan kaya spread.

Auria's Malaysian Kitchen is currently the only Malaysian food brand manufactured in the US today. The main motivation behind the company is to bring the memories of flavourful Malaysian food we grew up loving to a different and bigger.

Winning the awards at NYFFS was an honour for the 'mom-preneur' as it serves as a confirmation that her Malaysian-inspired food products have great potential.

Having moved there in the 90s to pursue her studies at the Berklee College of Music, her foray into the food business began when she found herself craving for homecooked meals. Bored of unsavoury cafeteria food, Auria learned some recipes from her mom to cook Malaysian dishes for herself while abroad.

Slowly growing a passion for the culinary arts, she began to sell her dishes at pop-up markets, street fairs, and food festivals around Brooklyn.

*Auria opened a booth at the Malaysian Winter Market in Bryant Park in 2012 prior to establishing her company. Her booth attracted so many customers with a long waiting line. Some eagerly waited up to 45 minutes just to taste her food.

The first product that the Auria introduced to the market was the hot chilli sambal, which is considered one of her star products. Later on, options such as the lime leaf sambal, salted caramel kaya, and pandan kaya were made available across supermarkets, primarily in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. – The Vibes, July 19, 2022

*Listen to ‘Tasting Malaysian Culture on Your Tongue, with Auria Abraham - A Way To Go’ for more information on Auria.