How to Make Chicken Lorbak (Loh Bak)

Lorbak (aka Loh Bak) is a delicious Nyonya meat roll from Penang that's served with two different types of sauces. Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort's Chef Chai showed me how this is made in this live cooking lesson held recently for guests of the hotel. INGREDIENTS: 1.2 kg Chicken thigh fillets, sliced into thin strips 200 g Turnip (yam bean » Read More

How to Cook Jackie M Prawns – Fish & Hunt Australia

Back in my Concord restaurant days one of the most popular menu items was my Butter Soft-shell Crab - a dish I made up based on various interpretations of the Malaysian butter sauce (not to be confused with the sauce in Indian butter chicken) craze that was taking over restaurant menus in Malaysia. I say “made up” because this “butter sauce” thing » Read More

How to Cook Thai Mushroom Salad (Laab Hed Fang)

A quick and easy salad using cooked local mushrooms and fresh herbs. Recipe and instructions by Chef Kamsin of Shangri-La Chiang Mai. INGREDIENTS: 500 g Straw mushrooms 80 g Shallots 20 g Ground rice 20 g Spring Onion 10 g Chilli flakes 80 g Galangal 10 g Kaffir lime leaves, chopped 3 tbs Fish sauce 50 g Lime juice 10 g Coriander, » Read More

Chiang Mai Travel Diary – Part 1

I have to admit I resisted travelling to Thailand for the longest time because I was annoyed at constantly being mistaken for a Thai cook back here in Sydney. (Yes, I know. Petty.) Over the last 12 months however, I had started to hear good things about Thailand from serious Malaysian foodies.  I began to play with the idea of travelling to » Read More

How to Cook Chiang Mai Snail Curry

I was keen to draw a distinction between the cuisine of Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, and what we here in the West know as Thai food i.e. Pad Thai, red/green/yellow curry and the like. Because Chiang Mai is landlocked, seafood does not feature that prominently in its recipes; I was told pork is very popular, which I have to admit gave me pause » Read More

Press Release: Jackie M Charity Wine Dinner in the Pyrenees

I've been invited by Rainbow Gallery Café in Victoria's Pyrenees wine region to do a Malaysian wine dinner on Saturday 5 September. After the media storm of the last couple of weeks over baby Noah, I've asked that part of the proceeds go towards Down Syndrome NSW. The 5 courses I'm preparing will be gluten-free, and if you book by 14 August, » Read More

How to Cook Khao Soi

I had the opportunity to visit Chiang Mai last month courtesy of Shangri-La Hotels and whilst there I filmed a series of cooking videos consisting of dishes unique to that part of Thailand. I’ll write about my Chiang Mai travels in a separate post, but right now I just want to get this recipe across to you. This is the first in the series, and I’m » Read More

How to Cook Sambal Prawns – Everyday Gourmet TV

This is my Sambal Prawns recipe from my recent segment on Channel Ten's Everyday Gourmet with Justine Schofield. Keep an eye out for my other upcoming appearances featuring more Malaysian dishes. INGREDIENTS: 12 large prawns (shell on) 4 tbsp tapioca flour 2 egg whites, whisked 3 cups cooking oil Fresh coriander, to garnish Sauce- 3 » Read More

How to Cook Ayam Pongteh

I’d never had Ayam Pongteh - a Nyonya dish that originated not in Penang but in Malaysia’s other Nyonya hub of Melaka. It was one of those recipes I’d come across many times over the years of learning my craft but frankly I think the reason I never attempted it was because it looked almost too easy to be worth trying. Golden Sands Resort by » Read More

Fish and Hunt Australia – How to Cook Chilli Crab in 15 minutes

Malaysia’s southern neighbour likes to lay claim to this dish’s origin, hence why it’s more widely known as “Singapore Chilli Crab” but we all know it’s actually Malaysian ;)  I’m teasing (I love Singapore); anyhow this is my take on it - with belacan added for good measure to give it extra depth. I need to point out the use of belacan is not de » Read More