Folks, the Cabramatta Moon Festival is coming up again on Sunday 23 September, 2018. As per last year, a certain "superstar chef and Cabra Community member" (hey, I'm just quoting the Cabramatta FB page) will be onstage to do a cooking demonstration, so if you're based in Sydney, do try and catch me at 3.10pm on the John Street main » Read More
How to Cook Sang Har Yee Meen (Crispy Freshwater Prawn Noodles)
September 4, 2018 by
I remember Sang Har Yee Meen (literally, freshwater prawn crispy noodles) as a popular dish at open-air restaurants in Malaysia, but they're actually pretty easy to make at home. If you're not too fixated about using freshwater prawns, you'll save a few bucks by using a cheaper and more commonly available variety like the banana prawns pictured » Read More
Concord Hospital Market & Other Events – Important Announcement
September 4, 2018 by
If you're one of my Concord Hospital Market customers, or have plans to visit over the next few weeks, I just wanted to let you know the market is suspended until 11 Oct 2018 due to construction work on the grass area where it's usually held. HOWEVER, during this period, a small number of stalls (3-4) will be set up in the grounds of the » Read More
Chillies (30 Days 30 Asian Ingredients Series)
September 2, 2018 by
In this Live broadcast on Chillies, I cover the different types of chillies used in Malaysian and Southeast Asian cooking, and explain their uses and preparation methods. I also reveal a good, cheap substitute that I’ve encountered in my recent trips to my local non-Asian fruit and vegetable shop, and how to “hack” the flavour to achieve the same » Read More
How to Make Nyonya Soon Kuih aka Chai Kueh
August 27, 2018 by
This is a more recent recipe for Soon Kuih or Chai Kueh that I used during one of my Live Asian Kitchen broadcasts on Twitch. I was much happier with the texture of the skin, which was softer and less rubbery, hence why I'm posting it here. (BTW kuih and kueh are the same word in Malay; they can be used interchangeably, though kuih is a more » Read More
How to Make Yong Tau Foo with Chee Cheong Fun & Tim Cheong
August 21, 2018 by
I used to sell this at my now-defunct restaurant on Majors Bay Road in Concord, Sydney, and I still make and eat it on a semi-regular basis (anyone who watches my Live Asian Kitchen will vouch for that) so much so I assumed I’d posted the recipe on my website long ago. That was until someone on Instagram asked for the recipe and I thought I’d » Read More
How to Cook Crab with Yee Meen Noodles
August 14, 2018 by
Mud crab with ginger and shallots and yee meen noodles is a bit of a special occasion dish at Chinese restaurants here in Australia because of its price tag, but it's actually quite easy to achieve at home, especially if you use cheaper varieties of crab like I did here. I usually go for spanner crabs, which usually go for about 1/3 the price tag » Read More
How to Make Kuih Bingka Ubi (Baked Cassava Cake)
July 31, 2018 by
Kuih Bingka Ubi or Baked Cassava Cake is about as simple a Malay kuih as you can make, and the bonus is that it's gluten-free. If you're based in Sydney, you should be able to find grated cassava easily in the freezer section of Indian and well-stocked Asian grocery stores - it's a definite timesaver. BTW I know I've posted this recipe on this » Read More
How to Make Yee Chai Peng (Ear Biscuits)
July 24, 2018 by
Yee Chai Peng (Cantonese for “ear biscuits”) were these intriguing spiral-patterned, curved fried pastries from my childhood in Malaysia, which were crunchy, slightly sweet and yet savoury. The only ones I ever ate were factory-made; this wasn’t one of those things that you would find people making fresh at home or at their street stall - certainly » Read More
How to Make Perfect Roti Canai Dough
July 2, 2018 by
A Wok Around Asia Recipe By Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur When I got into this whole “food thing” back in the day, I had to learn how to make everything myself through trial and error, because hawkers in Malaysia were notoriously secretive about their craft. One of these recipes was for roti canai (roti prata if you’re Singaporean), and I’ve » Read More