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Dining dispatches from Southeast Asia

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Throwback to that time I wandered around the streets of Milan with @victoriacheng and @kloren1023 while savouring this delicious gelato made with Sicilian pistachios. Thank you @travisgoh for introducing and educating me on the wonders of this magic ingredient!

On the final night of the #spyoungchef event, we were treated to dishes whipped up by the judges. This one's by chef @margaritafores — named Asia's Best Female Chef in 2016. It's a bowl of Laing, a Filipino dish of taro leaves cooked in coconut milk with prawns and dressed with taro chips and crispy prawn heads. Earlier on the trip and on the van from the airport to the hotel, we discussed how there are many similarities between the cuisines of maritime Southeast Asia. Cooking stews with coconut milk is certainly one of them. There's even a similar dish in Malay cuisine, except that the stew is thinner with more water and the leaves used are cassava shoots. No surprises that this was my favourite dish that night! 😍

I've had chef Virgilio Martinez's dishes thrice now — twice in Singapore and once in Milan for #spyoungchef (unfortunately not in Lima yet, but soon!) This time around it's a dessert of white fleshed dragonfruit with textures of amazonian cacao. There are cacao nibs, chocolate ganache (or mousse? I can't be too sure) and a plate that's completely covered in cacao powder. This is nothing less than an incredible plate of textures and a divine combination. The magic lies in how the fleshiness of the fruit meets the sweetness of chocolate and the bitter crunch of the cacao nibs — a sweet marriage of ingredients that's right under our noses here in Southeast Asia, but few, if not none, have dreamt of putting together.

In Milan right now for #spyoungchef and having Franco Pepe’s pizza. Everything I read about his pizza is true and it tastes incredible. Who would’ve thought pizza could be this good? Pictured: mozzarella di bufala, 12 month aged grana padano DOP cheese cream, tomato compote, basil flowers, shaved 24 month aged grano padano DOP cheese, extra virgin olive oil.

I’ve been raving about @nadodikl for over a year now and I’ve just dined there again some weeks back. Behold one of the amuse bouche, inspired by the banana leaf – a popular South Indian style of dining here in KL. . It’s a false meringue with teeny tiny portions of sides that traditionally go on the actual banana leaf. . There are restaurants where sometimes the amuse bouche is the best thing on the menu. Nadodi isn’t one of those. In fact this time, the flavours are bigger and the techniques are bolder. What hasn’t changed though is the humility of the kitchen and that fiery South Indian soul unleashed like a naga upon some spectacularly detailed creations. There are layers and layers of innovation here but at the heart of it all are it’s flavours that remain steadfastly rooted in tradition.

One of the first meals my colleagues brought me to when I arrived in KL was banana leaf at Bangsar. It's a big thing here unlike in Singapore and I think most of it has to do with the fact that eating with your hands is very much a part of life for the majority of the the city's residents. This is one of those times where you think to yourself, "Okay, I don't need to have this for the next month or so." But then once you're home and laying in bed at night, you start thinking about how delicious it was. This picture is a study of balance. Those dark shrivelled chillies? Roasted and stuffed with salt. The crispy red things? Deep fried bitter gourd. There is sweetness in the raita, umami in the curries and spiciness all around. And then, imagine this medley coming together on that bed of biryani and you get mouthful after mouthful of flavour. I've got to go back one last time before I leave.

I’ve been living in Kuala Lumpur for a month now and have access to resources and people who’ve been pointing me into the right direction as I go about learning more about my own culinary heritage. In homage to my temporary home, I decided to make Nasi Ulam, or rice mixed with raw herbs. Ulam in Malay refers to plants, often foraged that form an important part of the dining tables all across the Malay archipelago and Nasi ulam has many renditions depending on which region you’re in. In Singapore, this has all but disappeared commercially as we don’t have access to these ingredients. Still, I’ve managed to clobber together a decent selection; there’s pucuk belinjau, daun salam and daun kemangi, on top of things like laksa leaves, Thai basil, kafir lime leaves and torch ginger flower. This dish is made using beras item from @langitcollective, an heirloom black rice variety grown in the highlands of Sarawak. This is all plated on a ceramic plate made by @thirty3eleven — I’m a little obsessed with her beautiful creations. It’s important to me to support local entrepreneurs, the small ones who pour their heart and soul into what they do. I’ve much more to say and do with ulam, and I’m working on a recipe post, along with all the delicious details of the culture around it. But until that’s ready, here’s a picture of this morning’s labour. I hope everyone’s had a good lunch. ❤️

The best beef bourguignon I’ve had in my life is surprise surprise not in Singapore, not even Paris. Heck, it’s not even in a restaurant, but in a KL culinary school during a class meant to stimulate the environs of a restaurant. It is so refreshing that there is no pretence here but just the desire to cook good food. The beef is fork tender, the gravy is soul-shatteringly deep and that halved roast garlic was a sheer joy to smear all over the beef and savoured together. Thanks @darrenteohmg for asking me along!

Throwback to that time I kept thinking about the walnut tart at one Michelin starred @saintpierresg. #tbt

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Dining dispatches from Southeast Asia, and beyond.

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Recent Posts

Modern Malaysian cuisine blooms in the kitchens of Beta KL
Photoessay: Saturday morning at a Malaysian Farmer’s Market
Gaggan’s head chef Rydo Anton hopes to represent Indonesia to scale new heights
The definitive directory of ceramic studios and makers in Southeast Asia
How to grow a kombucha scoby in Singapore

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