Bridging Cultures Through the Art of Cooking: Samantha Tan's Mission to Share Malaysian Traditions
Brunch is my favorite meal of the day, so I knew I’d definitely check out the Malaysian pop-up brunch at Sam Tan’s Kitchen.
The woman behind Sam Tan’s Kitchen is Samantha Tan, who’s an actress by day and a chef by night. Samantha is originally from Malaysia but now lives in Los Angeles. She’s a self-taught chef, specializing in traditional Malaysian cuisine. Also, Samantha was featured on Feastly’s (an online platform that connects chefs with foodies) #GirlsWithKnives blog. What an honor.
Feastly organized Samantha’s third pop-up brunch. The brunch was set in a charming and well-lit loft in the Downtown LA Arts District. I’ve never been to the DTLA before, so it was fun to explore one of LA’s most famous neighborhoods for the first time. The mood was relaxed, and the limited seating made for a cozy atmosphere even though the space itself was rather large. Being an Aspie, I really enjoyed being there with so few people.
Our first course was the kaya toast, which features Samantha’s signature slow-cooked coconut jam. Coconut jam is very difficult to make, requiring hours of careful stirring. Kaya toast is very popular in Malaysia, and it’s a food many Malaysian children grow up eating. Kaya Street Kitchen also serves wonderful kaya toast. You can find Kaya Street Kitchen in the Fairfax District of Central LA.
The second course was bihun goreng, which is fried rice vermicelli. This is another difficult dish to prepare. It’s also one of my mother’s favorites. Samantha’s bihun consisted of french-cut vegetables, bean sprouts, and green onions. Her bihun was delicious and spicy, just like the bihun I ate back home in Malaysia.
I love how Samantha served the food on plastic Chinese plates, which is usually how food is served in Malaysia. The plates with the traditional Chinese patterns made me feel at home.
Our third course was the roti jala, which translates to “net bread” in English. This dish is a teatime snack and is quite pretty. It looks like an old-fashioned lace doily. I was impressed at how beautiful these doily-shaped pancakes were. And the accompanying curry was creamy but not very spicy (likely to suit the average American’s palate).
Next up was the food I was most looking forward to—nasi lemak bungkus, coconut rice prepared with roasted peanuts, fried anchovies and a signature sambal chili all wrapped up in a banana leaf. Each banana leaf was then individually wrapped in newspaper, as it’s done in Malaysia. Samantha’s nasi lemak bungkus gave off a delicious aroma. Samantha couldn’t find Malaysian newspapers, so she used Chinese and American newspapers instead. It was incredibly delicious.
And finally, for dessert, we had pandan cake, a sponge cake flavored with the essence of pandan leaves. Pandan cake is a light, fluffy and green dessert that’s common in Southeast Asia. I was hoping she made kuih, which is a plate of sticky, cake-like dumplings. Unfortunately, the ingredients aren’t easy to find in the U.S.
James Kong, a Malaysian veteran who’s lived in the US for about 30 years, presented Samantha with a mini-Oscar for “Best Chef” after we’d all finished eating. It was very sweet of James to do this, and the gesture meant a lot to Samantha.
The idea of giving Samantha an Oscar made perfect sense because she is both an actress and a chef, and she certainly deserved the award.
It’s incredible how impressive Samantha is. I’m glad people like her bring Malaysian cuisine to the U.S.
It's truly remarkable how Samantha has harnessed her talents and passion to bring the vibrant flavors of Malaysian cuisine to the forefront in Los Angeles. I'm grateful for trailblazers like her who are dedicated to sharing their cultural heritage with the broader community.
#EastMeetsWest, #Unity
