Malaysian cuisine is becoming more and more popular in the UK but is still relatively unknown to me and so many others. So when I was invited along with a few others to attend Susie and Katies of Makan Malaysia this January to enjoy their supperclub at the Little Blue Door I could not say no. However there was a twist to their menu this month as after all we are in January which equals Veganuary for vegans so all the food cooked and served on the night was vegan.
Makan Malaysia
Makan Malaysia is jointly run by Susie and Katie, who are childhood friends and share a shared passion for food and cooking.
Originally both from Malaysia, they have made the UK their home and share their culinary expertise by organising intimate supper clubs, pop-up dinners, online shops and catering for themed weddings and events.
Did you know? that Makan Malaysia means ‘to eat’ and that is why they called their company Makan Malaysia as they love to eat Malaysian food and get others to eat Malaysian cuisine.
Malaysian cuisine…
Malaysian cuisine is the ultimate fusion food.
Think big, bold flavours, complex spice combinations and, of course, The Sambal – a spicy chilli sauce that is served with just about every dish we have!
Malaysian cuisine is influenced by Chinese, Indian, Tamil, Portuguese, Dutch, Arab and Javanese flavours to name a few. Throughout history these communities generally began their migration to Malaysia for it’s geographical benefits and economic opportunities and, in return, they introduced ingredients such as cardamom and peanuts which were combined with local Malaysian grown produce to create the amazing flavours we have today.
A taste of Malaysia
Susie and Katie provide diners at all their supperclubs dishes which use all locally fresh sourced ingredients bringing fresh and tasty Malaysian cuisine. Most of the time, the food is pre-cooked within Susie’s certified home kitchen and brought to different venues for final touches. This January they bought their Malaysian night of vegan deliciousness to The Little Blue Door which is in Fulham, London.
Upon arrival, stepping through the blue door and headed on to the back of the venue to the private room where the supperclub was taking place I was warmly welcomed in by Susie and Katie who both oozed passion and happiness with their smile and personality.
The whole room was decorated nicely with so much colour making me feel like I had been transported to a restaurant within Malaysia.
Taken to our seats we each had our own named favours which contained a chocolate brownie, a fortune cookie and a lychee cocktail.
After sipping on our cocktail we were ready for a night full of taste and socialising as this is a supperclub after all and it is not just about eating but also socialising with your neighbours.
Looking over the menu I was delighted to see that we would be indulging on a five course vegan Malaysian feast from spring rolls to roasted tofu.
To start we were served some Fresh Spring Rolls (Rainbow spring rolls served with sweet chilli sauce and acar (Malaysian pickle). These tasted amazing wrapped in vegan rice paper. Was full of vegetables, juicy bits of fruit and had a lovely sweet chilli kick to it making them moorish.
Next followed the Mapo Sweet-Po (Chilled sweet potato noodles dressed with tangy szechuan and a scatter of lotus root chips) which was cooked to perfection and was packed full of flavour. I loved the crisp sweet potato chips and the ever so tangy sour noodles. I just wish I had a lot more as I could not get enough of this noodle nest.
The next dish was the Jackfruit Rendang (Served with a nest of enoki trees). I was not keen on this dish as I did not like the look so much of the Jackfruit it was quite fibrous and had an odd sweet taste and tasted a little similar to pork plus it was quite salty but everyone else loved it. I did though love the fried enoki tree. Was beautifully presented. Tasted like mushroom but with a saltiness to it and had a lovely crunch to it.
Next was the main course of Hainanese Roasted Tofu Rice (Served with miso aubergine and fragrant rice). This was my first time in eating Tofu and I must admit I am not sure what to make of it apart from it having a texture of a firm marshmallow. I think I did like it but as it lacked flavour I think it would be better with a mix of food. The aubergine though was the star of the whole dish with it’s amazing sweet sharp flavour.
Ending the night we were all given a Trio of Desserts (Orange & Cardamon sponge, pulut tai tai & a banana fritter served with homemade kaya). The Orange & Cardamon sponge was a delight, fluffy, citrussy in taste and had a lovely sweet icing to top it off. The Pulut Tai Tai were a little like cold rice puddings that had been formed into blocks. What made this dessert really stand out though was the blue. Finally the banana fritter was a sweet delight and the star of all the desserts. It was warm, full of sweetness from the caramel sauce, packed with banana and had a real crunch.
Taste buds taken to Malaysia
All in all this is one of the most amazing supperclubs I have ever attended as from start to finish Susie and Katie showed much passion, bought much laughter throughout the evening and served up the most delicious Malaysian food all of which was vegan and a first for me not to have any meat product.
So if you have never experienced Malaysian food then I highly recommend booking their next one as you will learn and taste a variety of dishes throughout the night from Susie and Katie.
Book their next supperclub
Discover their upcoming supperclubs by visiting their website www.makanmalaysia.co.uk or follow them on Instagram @makanmalaysiauk.
Thank you to the ladies of Makan Malaysia for inviting me and a bunch of others down to enjoy the taste of Malaysia. Click below to be redirected to read all our write ups. All our views are of our own honest opinions.
“I love going out discovering new and existing restaurants, theatres, immersive experiences and so much more but I also love staying in and discovering new gadgets, gaming and cooking.
