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ETHAN LAU

Ethan Lau is a food writer based in Kuala Lumpur. He currently writes for the Malay Mail, and was previously the digital editor for the MICHELIN Guide Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

Featured Articles

Malay Mail •

Jason Yeoh on two decades in Malaysian food TV, why he’s not afraid of losing tradition and his new series, ‘Axian’s Local Eats’

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 — Long before the age of content creators, AI-generated scripts and “influencer voice,” there was the food television boom. The turn of the century was the golden age of food and travel programming on TV: Andrew Zimmern, Bobby Chinn and David Rocco took viewers to the far reaches of the globe — though I always got a tickle watching them exoticise food from our part of the world — and then, of course, there was the man himself: the very face of food and travel TV, often imita...
Malay Mail •

Fine dining is dead. Long live fine dining

COMMENTARY, July 26 — Last month, I finished the final season of The Bear, the FX drama about fine dining chef Carmy Berzatto who returns home to run his late brother’s sandwich shop. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. For one, it was immensely rewarding to watch Richie Jerimovich — once bitter and broken after the loss of his best friend, Carmy’s brother Michael — evolve into a slick, lovable, foul-mouthed, front-of-house manager who found newfound purpose staging at a three-Mi...
Malay Mail •

From Michelin-starred kitchens in Singapore to a food court in Kuala Lumpur: How Ong Ai Li and Josh Chua built Nude in Bangsar

KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — A tiramisu costs RM15, and some passersby at Ong Ai Li’s old stall, Nude Bakery, in Kuchai wanted her to know exactly how outrageous that was. They didn't just say so; they brought proof.  “They would go out of their way,” Ong says. "They would go to the pasar malam and buy a tiramisu double the size of ours to show to my face and say, ‘Nah, see? This is a RM15 tiramisu!'" Looking back, Ong can only laugh. Just earlier that year, she was the Group Executive Pastry Chef at...
Malay Mail •

No such thing as a free lunch: The problem with influencers as ‘food reviewers’ in Malaysia

COMMENTARY, May 31 — My frustration begins where it often has, lately: an Instagram post.On their profile, MalaysianPAYGAP, a community initiative for salary transparency in Malaysia, posted a short clip with Ming Chun, one of Malaysia’s more prominent food influencers who has successfully carved out a niche for himself as a self-appointed ayam gepuk “connoisseur”.For the uninitiated, it is a dish of fried and smashed chicken, typically paired with a spicy sambal, cashew nut paste, fried cabbage...
Malay Mail •

Chef Nobu Matsuhisa on 10 years of Nobu Kuala Lumpur and the importance of people, patience and simplicity

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — Chef Nobu Matsuhisa is a figure that hardly needs an introduction, but one almost always follows. At 76, his eponymous empire spans more than 50 restaurants and over 40 hotels in more than 20 countries. He’s often credited with reinventing the way the world eats sushi, first in Los Angeles and New York, then everywhere else. But don’t just take my word for it. In Nobu, a documentary centred on his life released earlier this year, Ruth Reichl, former restaurant critic for T...
Malay Mail •

Fermented tea leaves, chickpeas and ‘mohinga’: A night of Myanmar food and beer at S Double One Restaurant, Desa Sri Hartamas

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 — My friend Hong, a fellow writer and avid “foodie” – a label that makes me squirm, and I hope makes him squirm too – is an interesting character. When he’s not talking about meeting Japanese wrestlers of Korean descent in Osaka or putting me on to Beck’s 2008 album Modern Guilt, he’s usually double, triple, quadruple texting me about getting linopot delivered to my house, eating egusi and fufu at a place that no longer exists, or that time he ate horse steak in Amsterdam. H...
Malay Mail •

In a shack off Old Klang Road, Restoran Lim Kee Sdn Bhd serves a superb bitter gourd fried ‘dong fun’ that tells a story of grit and perseverance

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — To the naked eye, Lim Kee is nothing more than a patch of curbside covered by a corrugated zinc roof.Beneath it, people gather around loose tables and chairs, their faces illuminated by the pale glow of fluorescent lights.All are here to eat some form of fried noodles – Hokkien mee, wat tan hor and even fried pak kor, a seldom seen chewy Hokkien rice cake – but most are here for the signature dish: bitter gourd fried dong fun.But Lim Kee is more than just a plate of noodles...
Malay Mail •

Heading to Nusa Dua, Bali? Here’s a roadside ‘sate babi’ you cannot miss

BALI, Oct 3 — The next time you get your Eat, Pray, Love on and book a Bali getaway, do yourself a favour and get out of the hotel.No, you won’t find Javier Bardem pretending to be Brazilian (his irrepressibly Spanish accent gives him away), but if you’re lucky, you’ll find something better.Nusa Dua is far away from the rowdy clubs and sweaty surfers in Seminyak and Canggu, but also a safe distance from the cult-like brand of yoga expats in Ubud.Developed as a resort area in the 1970s, it’s an e...
Malay Mail •

A unique ‘omakase’ experience in an unassuming Pudu ‘dai chow’ where a well-travelled chef delivers his take on traditional Chinese cooking

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 — At night, Jalan Gelang and its surrounding lanes are some of Pudu's quieter roads, though they are just a stone's throw from the bustling Jalan Pudu and its lively wai sek kai (food street). One of these lanes is home to Restoran Cai Ji, popular for steamed fish head, but I’m more interested in what’s on the corner: Restoran 满满818茶室 x 人生大事火锅. I wouldn’t bother translating the name – it's crucial that you use this for finding it on Google. Located at the corner of Jalan Gel...
Malay Mail •

In conversation with: Lau Ka Hong and Celine Choong of Atelier Binchotan, the hottest table in KL

KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — Standing over white-hot coals, Lau Ka Hong often cuts a reserved and aloof figure.The 34-year-old chef and co-founder of Atelier Binchotan spends most of his time with his back to diners, though he insists it’s not in his nature to be so withdrawn from them.Even when he faces the counter while preparing a dish on the pass, his laser-focused gaze rarely shifts from the task at hand.You might get a smile when he serves your food. “It’s not that I don’t like talking (to dine...

Latest Articles

Malay Mail •

Enjoy a satisfying plate of ‘char kuey teow’ from Pei Yin Char Kuey Teow at 111 Bee Fatt Restaurant, Damansara Utama 

PETALING JAYA, Sep 13 — In this line of work, I get all sorts of tips in all shapes and sizes. Over drinks with a friend. Chatting with my aunt(ies). Being sent a zoomed-in screenshot of my friend’s colleague’s boyfriend’s sister’s Instagram story — you know, the sort of boots-on-the-ground journalism we’ve come to expect in our time.In a first, I was tipped off to a char kuey teow stall after my parents tried it at a birthday party. It was a grand affair — the sort with themed costumes and besp...
Malay Mail •

Sun Kar Hee Restaurant in Taman Kok Lian serves up seafood delight with their ‘pao fan’

KUALA LUMPUR, Sep 11 — The first time I tried pao fan — a classic Teochew dish of rice submerged in a pork or seafood broth, usually topped with crispy rice — it unlocked something in me. Growing up, I did enjoy my rice sufficiently lubricated, but submerging it entirely in broth felt a touch too close to congee territory, which I hated. I wanted banjir, not Guantanamo. Any concerns about rice soaked to a soggy, mushy death in coloured water were immediately quelled by the first mouthful. My first...
Malay Mail •

Root House by gēn, Penang: Chef Johnson Wong’s plan to evolve Malaysian-Chinese cuisine by going back to its roots

GEORGE TOWN, Sep 6 — Root House by gēn opened this year inside the newly restored 1926 Heritage Hotel on Jalan Burma, the latest restaurant from chef Johnson Wong following gēn and Communal Table by gēn. The recipient of the Michelin Guide Kuala Lumpur and Penang 2024 Young Chef Award, Wong built his name by spotlighting Penang produce at his fine-dining flagship, gēn. Root House takes the same produce and explores it through a distinctly Malaysian-Chinese lens, spread across the dialect groups...
Malay Mail •

Swee Xiang Restaurant, Klang: This ‘hong bak’ is king in ‘bak kut teh’ country

KLANG, Sept 3 — My friend and colleague Keertan, who has the biggest collection of colourful shirts in the office, recently graduated with a Master of Public Policy degree. It was a moment of celebration not just for him, but for me too, as it had been the main thing putting off our long-overdue makan appointment. It was one that I was determined to make him keep, as he’s the only person I know willing to make the 30-plus minute trip to Klang on a weekday for lunch with me. Which is why, on a rec...
Malay Mail •

Jason Yeoh on two decades in Malaysian food TV, why he’s not afraid of losing tradition and his new series, ‘Axian’s Local Eats’

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 — Long before the age of content creators, AI-generated scripts and “influencer voice,” there was the food television boom. The turn of the century was the golden age of food and travel programming on TV: Andrew Zimmern, Bobby Chinn and David Rocco took viewers to the far reaches of the globe — though I always got a tickle watching them exoticise food from our part of the world — and then, of course, there was the man himself: the very face of food and travel TV, often imita...
Malay Mail •

Kedai Makanan Soon Kee: Shark ‘lips’ and one fearless ‘si tau po’ in Segambut

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — “Is this the right place?” my girlfriend asked. “I don’t know. My dad said to look for a bunch of car workshops, and I assume these are the workshops we’re looking for.” I replied, painfully aware that this end of Segambut is practically made up exclusively of car workshops. Ever since my father’s office moved to Jalan Ipoh a few months ago, he’s become our household’s de facto guide for the best food around Jalan Ipoh and Segambut. We were following up on a tip from him...
Malay Mail •

Chef Andy Choy on his culinary journey, building a restaurant empire and his upcoming fine dining restaurant Villa A.C. in Kuala Lumpur

PETALING JAYA, Aug 23 — There’s no other way to say it: chef Andy Choy is building an empire. In the last two months, he’s either revamped or opened four new brands. June saw the arrival of Mala Bistronome, a fusion malatang spot in TTDI born out of Zaataru, the short-lived collaboration with Ameer Alzalek (Leen’s, S.A.J. Bistronomy) and Joel Kirk. In July, his hospitality group Cendul debuted Fleur Bakehouse, a Peranakan-inspired viennoiserie on the ground floor of Menara Access World in Seksyen 1...
Malay Mail •

How to actually pair wine with Malaysian food

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 — As a country, Malaysia is what you would call a “dry culture”. It has nothing to do with rainfall or water supply, but everything to do with alcohol. In a wet culture, drinking is routine, woven into daily meals — a pint at a pub lunch in the UK, a glass of wine with dinner in France. In a dry one, it gets pushed to the edges: weekend parties, big celebrations, the after-work beer, the occasional brandy binge at a wedding. Wine has come a long way here since the days of Jac...
Malay Mail •

Tsukishima Monja Koboreya, Bukit Bintang: KL gets its first taste of Tokyo’s ‘monjayaki’

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 16 — The phrase “ugly delicious” gets thrown around a lot to describe dishes from our part of the world. It’s meant as a self-aware compliment: this won’t look good on Instagram, but it’s tasty. It’s real. Authentic. And yet, it’s never sat right with me. Why are some dishes — sometimes entire cuisines — deemed “ugly,” and others not? More pressingly: why do “our” dishes make up so much of that first category? Any wannabe food stylist can turn a charcuterie board or a pasta tray...
Malay Mail •

Asia Curry Noodle Cafe, Ara Damansara: Come for the curry ‘mee’, stay for the coconut shell-roasted pork

PETALING JAYA, Aug 14 — My unceasing, all-consuming love affair with curry mee is well documented: I eat it, and write about it with the same undiminished joy. And if the many bowls I’ve slurped down have taught me anything — some good, some great, some a crime against curry mee — it’s that good curry mee can come from anywhere. Sometimes it’s from a place you least expect. When I visited Tian MiMi Secret in Ara Damansara earlier this year, I drove past Asia Curry Noodle Cafe on my way out. The pro...
Malay Mail •

After Leen’s and S.A.J. Bistronomy, chef Ameer Alzalek ventures into ‘shawarma’ with Bab Shawarma and Grill in TTDI

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 — When chef and restaurateur Ameer Alzalek started Leen’s, he was selling hummus and traditional Syrian dishes at pop-ups and for home delivery during the pandemic. A dedicated following formed, and by the end of 2022, Leen’s had a brick-and-mortar home in TTDI. A year later, S.A.J. Bistronomy, its sister restaurant, opened basically next door. Then, in 2024, Leen’s was awarded a Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide, a recognition it has held onto since. After spending a decade...
Malay Mail •

Tendon Kohaku: The ‘tendon’ chain bringing satisfying ‘tempura’ rice bowls to TTDI

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 — When I was younger, in my early twenties, my party trick was boring dates with facts like “You know, tempura actually originated with Portuguese Jesuits arriving in Japan”. It was almost always met with a flat “Wow, that’s so interesting.” Occasionally: “What’s a Jesuit?” And now, reader, you find yourself on the receiving end. Peixinhos da horta, a Portuguese dish of battered and deep-fried vegetables – usually green beans – is widely seen as the precursor to Japanese tempur...
Malay Mail •

Koha Bistro, Old Klang Road: A Dewakan alum brings restraint and refinement to all-day bistro fare

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — The profile of a chef has never been bigger than it is today. Food media — us included — are mostly responsible for that, and the trend really took hold in the early 1990s, when television turned the likes of Emeril Lagasse and Bobby Flay, and later Gordon Ramsay, into household names beyond the restaurant world’s own circles. But the social media age has taken that attention further still. As restaurants scramble for new ways to stand out, even chefs well outside the fine...
Malay Mail •

At De Maw Restaurant in Cheras, the bony ‘ikan terubuk’ is cooked soft enough to eat whole

KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 — The fish arrived at the table. There isn’t much on the plate, just the fish accompanied by a plastic figurine of a man fishing. A server brings bowls of oil, seasoned soy sauce, crispy garlic bits, thin strips of fried ginger, and coriander for garnishing, followed by two wide spoons that she wields like twin axes. After a brief pause to allow me to whip my phone out and hit record like a gormless influencer, she begins cutting into the fish. Crrr-ack. Crisped up by the care...
Malay Mail •

Two Malaysian bars named in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026: Three X Co named the Best Bar in Malaysia at No. 32, while Bar Trigona ranks No. 38

MACAU, July 29 — Last night, two Malaysian bars were named in the 2026 edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars at a ceremony in the Wynn Palace, Macau. Despite dropping from last year’s No. 15 ranking to No. 32, Three X Co earned the title of Best Bar in Malaysia after Penrose’s surprise drop out of the 50 Best list. Hidden away on the third floor of Bangsar Shopping Centre, the bar has been an integral part of the Klang Valley cocktail bar scene since it was founded in 2017. It first appeared on the Asia...
Malay Mail •

Fine dining is dead. Long live fine dining

COMMENTARY, July 26 — Last month, I finished the final season of The Bear, the FX drama about fine dining chef Carmy Berzatto who returns home to run his late brother’s sandwich shop. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. For one, it was immensely rewarding to watch Richie Jerimovich — once bitter and broken after the loss of his best friend, Carmy’s brother Michael — evolve into a slick, lovable, foul-mouthed, front-of-house manager who found newfound purpose staging at a three-Mi...
Malay Mail •

Duo Dining brings OUG’s seafood pork noodles to Desa Sri Hartamas

KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — We’ve all had this experience. You’re hanging out with friends, talking about where you like to get your nasi lemak, your char kway teow, and then you hear that dreaded phrase. “Wah, so far? Cannot lah.” I’ll admit, I used to think little of people who consider themselves “foodies” and weren’t willing to drive for food. But I’ve come around to recognise the persuasive powers of the two P’s — parking and petrol. I sympathise now. For years, there’s been one place I haven’t...
Malay Mail •

Arthur Chang crowned champion of Malaysia Best Sommelier Championship 2026, sweeps four awards

KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 — Arthur Chang has been crowned champion of the Malaysia Best Sommelier Championship 2026, organised by the Sommelier Association of Malaysia (SOMLAY) at St Giles Mid Valley from July 17 to 19. Speaking to Malay Mail moments after the announcement, Chang said relief was the first thing he felt. “I finally started to breathe again. I was just holding my breath the entire time,” he said, adding that the competition was far from easy. “It’s given us a lot to think about in term...
Malay Mail •

In Bukit Ceylon, KL, find Venezuelan ‘arepas’ and single-origin artisanal chocolate at Miss Coco Cafe

KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 — One of the things I look back on most fondly from my time in the US was meeting people from all over the world, and one who stood out for me was a young Colombian student named Juan. He was in the same freshman class as me, which meant we spent a lot of time together during orientation activities. He was never seen without his bright blue headphones, and whenever I think of New York now, I think of his surprisingly deep voice pronouncing “York” with a “J” in place of the “Y...
Malay Mail •

Steak, duck ‘confit’ and pork chops in a retro-themed Chinese ‘social club’: Soon Heng Social Club in Taman United delivers substance in style

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — What comes to mind when one thinks of Taman United? The horrific peak-hour traffic on Old Klang Road perhaps? Better yet, what comes to mind when one hears of a “social club” in Taman United? Whatever it is, it probably isn’t anything like Soon Heng Social Club. Located above a tea shop, the restaurant can only really be spotted at night, when its neon sign comes out to play. The hawk-eyed may also notice Soon Heng’s vintage sign above the stairway — acquired from an antique...
Malay Mail •

The Home Cooking Dishes, Sungai Way: Known for ‘tor dei char siew’ and poached ‘kampung’ chicken, but the roast pork steals the show

PETALING JAYA, July 12 — As a self-professed bak zaam gai (white cut chicken) fanatic, I’m often sent recommendations by friends and peers eager for my verdict on their local spots.Truth be told, not all of them pan out. But such is my enjoyment of the dish – I’ve been described as an iPad kid, but with the tablet swapped for white cut chicken – that even a halfway decent version can salvage an entire meal if the rest of the dishes fall short.Thankfully, that wasn’t the case at The Home Cooking...
Malay Mail •

Looking for your ‘ikan bakar’ fix? Head to Restoran Shin Lin Kee in PJ New Town

PETALING JAYA, July 9 — As a kid, my parents often encouraged me – in their own heavy-handed way – to try a wide variety of food.Some things were love at first sight: sambal belacan, roti bom, foie gras. Others, like abalone, baked beans, and durian... not so much.I remember slurping down my first snail with real joy. I also remember my first oyster slinking its way down my throat. I dreaded the oyster forever after.Naturally, I held a grudge.But my parents had a rule they practically beat into...
Malay Mail •

Wawafish: A Guizhou-flavoured gem in KL's Petaling Street

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 — Petaling Street has no shortage of “vibey” bars and restaurants, where tourists come in droves and atmosphere, aesthetic and alcohol tend to take precedence over culinary excellence. Collectively, these outlets engineer the feeling — no matter how fleeting — that you, too, belong to the trendy, hip crowd, provided you can get with the vibe. But that doesn’t mean there’s no good eating to be done around these parts. Street food remains a dependable option in some pockets, b...
Malay Mail •

Bacio, Mont Kiara: ‘Vitello tonnato’, ‘spaghetti aglio e olio’ and a lesson in true Italian hospitality

KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 — Italian restaurants, by virtue of the cuisine’s unceasing universal appeal, are a dime a dozen in Kuala Lumpur. But the actual variety of dishes on offer remains limited to the specific brand of Italian cooking that’s proved popular with Malaysians: safe, uninspired pasta and pizza. And although we have finally started coming around to Neapolitan pizza in the last few years, our reluctance as diners to expand our palates beyond what our TikTok and Instagram algorithms tell...
Malay Mail •

Yan Kee, Pudu: A grandson’s attempt to carve out a claypot chicken rice legacy of his own, beyond Heun Kee’s shadow

KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 — When Heun Kee Claypot Chicken Rice in Pudu announced its permanent closure earlier this year, the news was met with a mixture of surprise and resigned acceptance. The bulk of it came from regulars who had been patronising the restaurant for the better part of two decades — before it received a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide. But confusion also followed. A similarly-named establishment in Taman Connaught, Cheras, acknowledged the closure, but put out a statement saying...
Malay Mail •

From Michelin-starred kitchens in Singapore to a food court in Kuala Lumpur: How Ong Ai Li and Josh Chua built Nude in Bangsar

KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — A tiramisu costs RM15, and some passersby at Ong Ai Li’s old stall, Nude Bakery, in Kuchai wanted her to know exactly how outrageous that was. They didn't just say so; they brought proof.  “They would go out of their way,” Ong says. "They would go to the pasar malam and buy a tiramisu double the size of ours to show to my face and say, ‘Nah, see? This is a RM15 tiramisu!'" Looking back, Ong can only laugh. Just earlier that year, she was the Group Executive Pastry Chef at...
Malay Mail •

Bon appétit: What makes a restaurant a ‘bistro’ — and why is KL suddenly full of them?

COMMENTARY, June 21 — Take a gander on social media, or even swipe around on Google Maps, and it would seem the newest type of restaurant catching on in the Klang Valley is the bistro. It’s spread across the city, from the centre to neighbourhoods like Mont Kiara or TTDI, even all the way out in Bukit Jalil. Restaurants and cafés remain more prevalent for now, but the arrival of the bistro hasn’t been limited to physical restaurants; otherwise, Q Bistro and every other mamak with “bistro” in its...
Malay Mail •

Nasi Lemak Pak Man is Damansara Utama’s newest spot for ‘nasi lemak’, with satisfying ‘sambal paru’ and ‘rendang ayam’

PETALING JAYA, June 19 — Nasi Lemak Pak Man is the latest contender to enter Damansara Utama’s nasi lemak scene, throwing their hat into the ring with the likes of Village Park, Say Yes Cafe, a branch of Tanglin and many other roadside stalls in the area. The scene is a hotly contested one: on weekday mornings, it is not uncommon to see groups of working folks gathering around car boots and makeshift stalls to grab breakfast before heading into the office; on weekends, the line at Village Park s...
Malay Mail •

Reban in Aman Suria brings the farm-to-table approach to PJ with air-dried, antibiotic-free ‘kulit naga’ roast chicken rice

PETALING JAYA, June 14 — Remember when farm-to-table first burst onto the scene in restaurants throughout the Klang Valley? It’s okay, me neither. But then it got a rebrand: now, these restaurants have “seasonal” menus; the produce is “locally sourced” and “sustainable”; and each chef somehow has a personal connection with the farm even though they’re all using the same few suppliers.Alright, that last remark was a little unfair. You’ll encounter this mostly in fine dining restaurants, occasiona...
Malay Mail •

Capital cuisine: Three Beijing restaurants bringing China’s regional cuisines to Beijing’s fine dining tables

BEIJING, June 11 — Beijing does not immediately strike one as a culinary destination. The buildings are towers of glass and steel, the roads wide enough to lose yourself in, and the scale of the city is designed for movement. It is a capital in the most literal sense — built for business, not pleasure.Almost everyone I met on this trip had come from somewhere else. Our guide was from Nanjing. A chef from Henan. A waiter from Fujian. It is a city that has always drawn people in from the vast inte...
Malay Mail •

Capital cuisine: Two Beijing restaurants pushing the boundaries of modern Chinese fine dining

BEIJING, June 7 — There is a version of Chinese fine dining that the world has long been sold: elaborate banquet halls, exotic ingredients like shark’s fin, lazy Susans the size of a small satellite dish, and a deep reverence for tradition.Beijing, as the country’s capital for eight centuries, has perhaps been an unlikely, yet historically fitting custodian of this idea. The city’s culinary identity has long been defined by the grandeur of its past: the Forbidden City’s kitchens, the Qing dynast...
Malay Mail •

Scarborough Fish & Chips in Tanjung Rhu, Langkawi: Great fish and chips and the best seat on the beach

LANGKAWI, June 5 — When I was 12 years old, my parents took me to Langkawi for the very first time. It was a short trip, only three days, but it has stayed with me for the longest time because of two significant milestones, or as the kids like to call them, core memories. I had my first beer (marvellous), and for the first time in my life, I enjoyed a plate of fish and chips on the beach, sitting under the hot tropical sun and gazing at the brilliant blue waters of the Andaman.At the time, I tho...
Malay Mail •

No such thing as a free lunch: The problem with influencers as ‘food reviewers’ in Malaysia

COMMENTARY, May 31 — My frustration begins where it often has, lately: an Instagram post.On their profile, MalaysianPAYGAP, a community initiative for salary transparency in Malaysia, posted a short clip with Ming Chun, one of Malaysia’s more prominent food influencers who has successfully carved out a niche for himself as a self-appointed ayam gepuk “connoisseur”.For the uninitiated, it is a dish of fried and smashed chicken, typically paired with a spicy sambal, cashew nut paste, fried cabbage...
Malay Mail •

Find a great ‘or chien’ at Lim Fried Oyster in Taman Mayang Jaya, PJ

PETALING JAYA, May 24 — Sometimes it takes a fresh set of eyes to show you something you’ve been missing, especially when it’s been right under your nose the entire time. I’ve lived my entire life next to the neighbourhood of Taman Mayang Jaya in Petaling Jaya, and almost every Sunday morning, my parents and I would drive through it to head to St. Ignatius for mass when I was a kid. And twice a week on weekdays, I’d go to a house for my dreaded maths tuition, kicking (denial), screaming (anger)...
Malay Mail •

Semua House Chicken Rice in Pertama Complex is the ideal city-centre office lunch under RM15, with standout ‘char siew’

KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — This week, I watched Stephen Colbert embark on quite the farewell tour for The Late Show, which was axed last year by CBS. The network called the decision “purely financial”, but it was a fairly transparent display of sycophantic, anticipatory obedience by parent company Paramount ahead of getting approval from the US Federal Communications Commission for its US$8.4 billion (RM33 billion) merger with Skydance. The merger would later be completed, and now, Colbert is leavin...
Malay Mail •

Yakitori Izakaya Kin No Tsubo is the place to be for great ‘yakitori’ and ‘oden’ in Bukit Bintang

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — When life sends me to one of the many watering holes along Changkat Bukit Bintang, whether as an 18-year-old on a tear fresh out of high school, or more recently, struggling financially at a friend’s birthday, I always let out a little sigh of resignation. Resigned, because I know that no matter what transpires over the evening — encounters with drunk tourists or an overeager massage parlour promoter — my dinner will be at best, “just okay”. Not that the area has ever trul...
Malay Mail •

TianMiMi Secret: Discover excellent Hainanese chicken chop and hearty traditional desserts, from peanut paste and ginkgo barley to ‘bubur cha cha’ in Ara Damansara

PETALING JAYA, May 14 — Nostalgia is a powerful thing. Whether it’s being harnessed by Don Draper to pitch the Kodak Carousel in Mad Men or warming Anton Ego’s ice-cold heart in Ratatouille, it is, in Draper’s words, “a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone”. And food is often the vessel through which we come under the dizzying influence of nostalgia: a sight may remind us of a memory, a sound may remind us of the place, and a scent may remind us of the person. Put them all to...
Malay Mail •

Fragrant Town Restaurant brings juicy roast duck to PJ Section 17

PETALING JAYA, May 10 — As a neighbourhood, Section 17 is blessed with a wealth of affordable eating.One particularly abundant stretch is the flats along Jalan 17/1A, where locals head to long-time stalls like Nasi Lemak Pak Din in the gerai makan centre on the corner, or frequent newer arrivals like Bilal Nasi Kandar, which has quickly become a favourite among the working crowd.The rest of the street is home to a diverse mix of mostly Malay and Chinese eateries, with tomyam and ayam gepuk spots...
Malay Mail •

Head to PJ SS4’s Warung Jakarta for Indonesian classics like ‘bakso’, ‘mie ayam’ and ‘soto betawi’

PETALING JAYA, May 8 — As a child, my introduction to mie bakso, the Indonesian dish of noodles and beef balls, was a less-than-ideal one.To be fair, the odds were stacked against it. I was one of those kids who didn’t enjoy any kind of edible ball: fish, chicken, pork or beef, and I had not yet learned how to appreciate the strong, bitter flavour of Chinese celery, which is included to balance out the flavour of the broth.But perhaps the biggest obstacle was the myopic view that, because this i...
Malay Mail •

Hidden inside a home in Sungai Way, Xhin Fhong Claypot Bak Kut Teh serves up old-school comfort in a bowl of ‘bak kut teh’

PETALING JAYA, May 3 — After a particularly heavy night of drinking — for my fellow Gen Z, it’s like a coffee rave, but actually enjoyable — I always crave the soothing, restorative touch of meat in a rich broth.What better way to address that than with bak kut teh?I was in no mood to make the trek to Klang in my decidedly unkempt state. A friend had asked me to check out Xhin Fhong Claypot Bak Kut Teh in Sungai Way after seeing it in a video a few months back, so I decided today would be the da...
Malay Mail •

Kuala Lumpur Cocktail Week co-founder Nicholas Ng on the rise of the city’s cocktail bars, and why international recognition and local perception matter

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 — Finding a cocktail bar in Kuala Lumpur has never been easier than it is today. In the last few years, cocktail bars of every stripe have risen to prominence in the capital. They can be quiet and intimate or raucous and rowdy; the drinks might lean rum-forward or revolve around cacao, and you might find yourself climbing up to a hidden shophouse speakeasy or stepping into the lift of a five-star hotel in the city centre. They range from the traditional to the experimental...
Malay Mail •

Three decades and one generation later, Taman Jinjang Baru’s Kedai Kopi Soon Teik continues to serve its unique mushroom sauce and curry ‘chee cheong fun’

KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 — Deep inside a cluster of flats in Taman Jinjang Baru lies the unassuming Kedai Kopi Soon Teik. For over 30 years, it has served a short, simple list of offerings — curry mee, prawn mee, plain soup and dry noodles — and its unique signature: mushroom sauce and curry chee cheong fun. This isn’t a choice between the two, but a distinct third creation, like the yuen yeung of chee cheong fun, marrying Ipoh-style mushroom sauce with KL-style curry into one saucy symphony.The c...
Malay Mail •

Beneath a pickleball court, Restoran Sfeng brings Cantonese banquet cuisine to Subang Jaya

SUBANG JAYA, April 24 — If you’ve ever been curious about what it might be like to eat banquet-style Cantonese dishes beneath a pickleball court, look no further. Even if you’ve never had that oddly specific thought, Restoran Sfeng in USJ 25 now grants that possibility. Located in the far-off depths of Subang Jaya that border Shah Alam — about five to 10 minutes from both Main Place and One City — the restaurant is the only other tenant in a mixed-use development still under completion, aside fr...
Malay Mail •

Underrated: Peng Yuan Hokkien Mee in PJ Section 14 deserves its moment in the spotlight

PETALING JAYA, April 16 — If you think of Hokkien mee — the KL variety, not Penang — and where to find it in Petaling Jaya, chances are a particularly famous, long-standing spot in Seksyen 14 comes to mind. But what of its less famous, less busy neighbour at the other end of the same row of shops, in Restoran Mei Keng?Though it may not be as established, Peng Yuan Hokkien Mee has been around for decades, spending most of that time in the shadow of its neighbour.It is the quintessential “the othe...
Malay Mail •

Blue Hour is PJ SS2’s new dinner spot for Japanese comfort food like ‘aburasoba’ and ‘tamago kake gohan’ 

PETALING JAYA, April 12 — I’ve always struggled with the question, “If you could only eat one dish for the rest of your life, what would it be?”Not because I imagine myself actually having to make that choice; I’m more of an “answer first, consequences later” kind of person.It’s the hypothetical of getting sick of eating the same thing day after day that weighs on my mind. How could anyone do it? How would I?Except I have, sort of. For four straight years at university, I ate the same breakfast....
Malay Mail •

Spanish wine giant Familia Torres names Luen Heng the exclusive distributor for Familia Torres and Miguel Torres wines in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 — Familia Torres has appointed Luen Heng F&B Sdn Bhd as its exclusive importer and distributor in Malaysia.The partnership was announced at a launch event at Chinese Palace Restaurant, attended by regional manager for Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa, Gil Serra Arnau, who said the collaboration reflects a shared vision of quality and long-term growth.“We’ve been in Malaysia for more than 20 years, but we had a different distribution before,” he said.“Luen Heng F&B...
Malay Mail •

One dish, one-man show: Loba.png in Setia Alam specialises in Taiwanese braised pork rice that’s worth the trip

SHAH ALAM, April 10 — “You like fastidious artisans, eh?”My instinct was to loudly protest, “No!” and to bring up many substantiated examples of not liking particular eateries that my partner had designated so.But it slowly drowned in the sinking realisation that, yes, I actually do. If I recall correctly, my words to her at the time were, “I see a certain romance to them.”Which is why, on a recent weekday, with plenty of better things to do, I embarked on a 30-plus-minute trip to Setia Alam wit...