Bihun Sup Utara literally translates as Northern Vermicelli (aka rice sticks) Soup; it's famous in Kedah, which is in the northern part of the peninsula of Malaysia, and it consists of vermicelli that's been soaked in turmeric to produce a yellow noodle, served with beef bone broth and a sweet sambal. Masters of Malaysian Cuisine chef and » Read More
How To Cook Nasi Kebuli (Crispy Chicken & Rice)
January 29, 2022 by
Nasi Kebuli is a fragrant rice and crispy chicken royal dish that's famous the Malaysian state of Pahang. The word "Kebuli" is an abbreviation of the royal honorific "ke bawah duli (yang maha mulia)" (kind of like "his Majesty" etc.). I didn't grow up in Pahang so this backgrounder on Nasi Kebuli is courtesy of our Masters of Malaysian Cuisine » Read More
How To Cook Pandan Chicken Curry & Pandan Rice
March 12, 2020 by
As someone who's run a Malaysian food business for decades, I'm always trying to strike a balance between maintaining "authentic" flavours while cutting down on time spent in the kitchen (thanks to labour costs and staff shortage issues). My friends at MyBlueTea.com.au recently sent me some samples of their natural pandan powder (made from pure » Read More
How To Use The Keep Warm Setting On Your Cooker For Sous Vide Cooking
December 5, 2019 by
I mentioned in the past that the keep warm setting on your electric cooker - eg. your rice cooker, slow cooker or Instant Pot - could theoretically be used if you're too cheap (I'm kidding) for a sous vide unit. I had the chance to test it out with my Lao-style grilled ox tongue recipe that I published recently >> » Read More
How To Cook Lao-Style Grilled Ox Tongue
October 24, 2019 by
Lao-style grilled ox tongue is one of my favourite dishes in the world, but the traditional method of tenderising the ox tongue using shredded green papaya has never really turned out to my satisfaction (to be fair, I only tried it a couple of times). I finally decided to use my sous vide unit and the result is perfect. If you don't have a sous » Read More
Steamed Minced Beef with Rice (Yum Cha Recipe)
August 15, 2019 by
Steamed minced beef with rice is one of those dishes I no longer see at yum cha, but I remember it quite well from my weekends as a trolley pusher plus kitchenhand at Choy’s Inn restaurant in Chinatown. The beef mince is actually the same as what’s used for San Chuk Ngau Yoke ie. steamed minced beef balls on beancurd sheets. These things » Read More
How to Make Hainanese Roast Chicken Rice
January 8, 2019 by
I prefer my Hainanese Chicken Rice with roast rather than “white” chicken, though my recipe actually calls for it to be deep-fried, since it produces a crispier skin (it’s a personal preference, folks, I know that’s not how most people make it). Here’s my take on Hainanese “roast” chicken rice; I’ll post a new update down the track, especially if I » Read More
How to Cook Oxtail Asam Pedas
December 10, 2018 by
A Wok Around Asia Recipe by MasterChef Malaysia Judge Chef Jo I had the privilege of meeting Chef Johari Edrus during my last trip to Kuala Lumpur, and I was intrigued by the concept of his restaurant, Symphony By Chef Jo, located in Damansara City Mall. The cuisine is "eclectic", meaning it derives ideas, styles, and tastes from a broad » Read More
How to Cook Stir-Fried Xinjiang-Style Cumin Lamb
October 11, 2018 by
I’m not going to claim this stir-fried Xinjiang Cumin Lamb dish is the real deal (hence why it’s titled Xinjiang-STYLE) since I’ve yet to even visit China, plus I’ve adapted it to accommodate what I had on hand ingredients-wise along with my own flavour preferences. I discovered that half a leg of lamb (my recent purchase - see previous post) » Read More
How to Make Spicy Lamb Skewers with Cumin
September 18, 2018 by
I first got a taste of spicy cumin lamb skewers during what was meant to have been a satay feast at my parents' house in Sydney's southwest. In amongst the hundreds of Malaysian satays that were cooked up that day, there were also some Xinjiang-style lamb skewers; apparently it was a dish introduced to them by their new northern Chinese friends » Read More