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
August 13, 2015 by
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
How to Cook Khao Soi
July 30, 2015 by
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 Ayam Pongteh
July 15, 2015 by
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
Travel Diary Sabah (Part 2)
March 29, 2015 by
Print PDF It was late by the time our transport pulled up to the Ocean Wing lobby of Shangri-la Rasa Ria where our arrival was greeted with the sound of traditional gongs. There are 2 Shangri-la resorts in KK, and Rasa Ria is the secluded one 45 minutes out of town. It also has its own Orang Utan sanctuary. The Shangri-la brand is known for its » Read More
Travel Diary Sabah (Part 1) – Seafood
March 28, 2015 by
Print PDF I’d never been to Borneo, but at the end of nearly 3 weeks of gruelling filming for our Asia: Food | Travel | Mystery pilot last year, my co-presenter and co-executive producer Robb Demarest and I made a quick trip over to Sabah for 2 days. We knew there was a lot of interest in Sabah and Sarawak as locations for the show, based » Read More
How to Make Penang Pasembur Salad
September 5, 2014 by
Print PDF Pasembur (aka mamak or Indian rojak) is a signature Penang salad with a sweet potato-based sauce, that I used to enjoy a long time ago in my Seremban hometown. The wet market in the centre of town had a stall that sold it (and may still do after 30 years, for all I know) and it was Chinese-run, unlike most Indian rojak stalls. This » Read More
How to Cook Penang Kapitan Chicken Curry
August 26, 2014 by
Print PDF Kapitan Chicken Curry is one of the more popular dishes in my range of frozen Prepared Meals, but as anyone who's watched any of the cooking videos on my YouTube Channel would know, I'm a big believer in shortcuts; I'm the first to admit a lot of liberties are taken with my recipes. When I was in Penang, I had the opportunity to » Read More
Jackie M’s Travel Diary – Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort, Penang
August 26, 2014 by
Print PDF Most Westerners who've travelled to Malaysia will almost invariably have covered Penang, so they're often surprised to find they know the place better than I do. I have to admit being a "southerner" - I was born and raised in Seremban, 40 miles south of Kuala Lumpur - Penang has always been a little outside my radar. My recent trips » Read More
How to Cook Nyonya Kapitan Fish
August 17, 2014 by
Print PDF When I gave up my IT career back in 2002 to get into “this food thing” - as it’s disparagingly referred to by some in my family- it wasn’t out of any altruistic reason so much as it was a way for me to recreate my memories of Malaysia through its food. A dozen years on, thanks in large part to no longer having to run a restaurant, » Read More