I’m told Ayam Masak Merah is a ubiquitous dish at Malay buffets back in Malaysia but I honestly don’t remember ever eating it. It could be that my home state of Negeri Sembilan serves up a Malay fare that’s noticeably different to that found in other parts of the country. For the longest time after it appeared on my radar, I wasn't particularly » Read More
Matching Australian Wines With Asian Food
June 26, 2018 by
I was recently sent a box of Australian wines courtesy of Wine Selectors, a wine subscription company which sells wine from over 500 Australian producers, of bronze medal standard or higher. The pack I received was from their Australia’s First Families of Wine Favourites Mixed Collection, and this has given me the perfect opportunity to » Read More
How to Make Seremban Beef Noodles (Ngau Lam Fun)
June 12, 2018 by
This, folks, represents my culinary raison d'être - the world famous Seremban Beef Noodles, otherwise known (in Cantonese) as Ngau Lam Fun; one of countless childhood memories that finally lured me away from IT consultancy and into food full-time some 17 years ago. To expand on that a little, the reason I got into this “food thing” was partly to » Read More
How to Make Jackie M’s XXO Sauce
June 12, 2018 by
I remember when XO sauce started popping up in Chinatown menus as an option for your stir-fried Chinese dishes a couple of decades ago, and thinking it must refer to cognac. I eventually learned that it was in fact a condiment made with dried scallops, an ingredient that’s expensive enough that it would deter me from ever entertaining the thought » Read More
How to Cook Spicy Chocolate Seafood Pasta
May 10, 2018 by
A Wok Around Asia Recipe Courtesy of Symphony By Chef Jo Masterchef Malaysia judge Chef Jo's restaurant, Symphony by Chef Jo in Kuala Lumpur's DC Mall, serves what he describes as "eclectic cuisine" - he draws inspiration from food and flavours from around the world to produce a menu with intriguing-sounding items like Spicy Chocolate Seafood » Read More
How to Make Curry Laksa (aka Curry Mee) – Cooking Class Recipe
April 12, 2018 by
I was invited to do a demonstration cooking class at Kogarah Community Services yesterday, where I made a curry laksa (aka curry mee if you’re from Penang) based on a recipe originally supplied by the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. (By the way, I enjoyed the session enough that I’m currently open to offers to do more of these workshops, so » Read More
The Blue Flower Party That Almost Wasn’t
March 29, 2018 by
“Can you talk?” Phone in one hand, luggage and baby Noah in the other, I typed those words and hit Send from the immigration line at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Almost immediately my Note 8 started ringing in response. All around me were signs that said “No Phone Use Allowed”, but desperate times called for desperate measures. I » Read More
How to Make Kuih Ketayap (Coconut-Filled Crepes)
March 21, 2018 by
Kuih Ketayap - A Wok Around Asia Recipe courtesy of Parkroyal Penang Resort Kuih Ketayap, also known as Kuih Dadar in my part of Malaysia, is a popular teatime snack which consists of pandan-infused crepes rolled with a coconut and palm sugar filling. It's an easy recipe to attempt, and the ingredients should be readily available at any » Read More
How to Make Chicken or Beef Bak Kwa (Barbecued Minced Meat)
March 9, 2018 by
I grew up in the part of Malaysia where this is known as “long yoke” (Cantonese & Hakka), and for a long time after coming to Australia, I had no idea what other people were talking about when they made reference to “bak kwa” (Hokkien) - more evidence of how gloriously splintered Malaysia can be when it comes to food, language and » Read More
How to Cook Malaysian Chicken Curry Noodles
February 26, 2018 by
I wasn’t intending to blog about this Live Asian Kitchen broadcast, because Malaysian Chicken Curry is something I cook on a regular basis and I've already posted the recipe in the past. However, this particular batch turned out different enough (in a good way) that I thought it worth sharing. Plus there's the added element of serving it with » Read More