TO ORDER: Malaysian Goodies/Catering

SAM TAN'S KITCHEN HAS MOVED! Please visit the new website/online store at www.samtanskitchen.com, and follow Sam on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Thank you!

For Malaysians craving the taste of home, or non-Malaysians curious to explore some of our classic dishes. Drop me a line at samtanskitchen@gmail.com with any enquiries- even if something is not listed below, I always try to accommodate special requests. Selamat makan!

SNACKS, SAUCES AND STUFF

Spiral Curry Puffs (Epok-Epok/Karipap Pusing)- $2.50 each (min order 6 pcs), $70 for a batch of 30

Spicy curried potatoes encased in a flaky homemade spiral pastry, then

deep-fried until golden and crunchy. Extremely addictive.

Malaysian Pandan Chiffon Cake- $15 per cake (8 1/2")

A top Malaysian favourite! A fluffy and light yet moist sponge, delicately fragranced with pandan and coconut cream

Homemade Kaya (Malaysian Coconut Egg Jam)- $10 per 16oz tub

A rich and luxurious blend of coconut cream, eggs, and sugar fragranced with the aroma of pandan, slowcooked until glossy. Perfect on toast with butter, or on waffles, crackers, pancakes, breadsticks, a spoon, your fingers...

Homemade Sambal Ikan Bilis- $10 per 16 oz tub

The classic must-have sweet and spicy accompaniment to nasi lemak, home-ground from fresh spices and ingredients. Also great for stir frying your favourite meat or vegetables.

Kuih Ketayap/Dadar/Gulung (Malaysian Pandan Crepes with Coconut)- $12 for 6pcs

Sticky caramelised coconut filling, bundled up in soft pale green pandan pancakes

Kuih Kodok/Jemput-Jemput Pisang- $7.50 per 10 pcs

Malaysian mashed banana fritters. Soft and moist on the inside with a crisp golden brown exterior

DISHES AVAILABLE FOR CATERING

For events and private parties, or when you just crave a whole lot of Malaysian food for no particular reason. Please email me at samtanskitchen@gmail.com to discuss :)

Nasi Lemak
Generally considered our most beloved national dish! Fragrant coconut rice complete with trimmings: crispy ikan bilis (anchovies), roasted nuts, homemade killer sambal paste, cucumber slices and hard boiled eggs. Perfect with any of the three meats listed below (pictured with Ayam Goreng Berempah)

Ayam Goreng Berempah

Crunchy and aromatic crispy fried chicken like you've never tasted! Marinated in a homemade paste of 12 spices.

Beef Rendang

A rich and flavourful dry coconut stew with melt-in-the-mouth chunks of beef, slowcooked for hours in coconut cream and a blend of lemongrass, tamarind, galangal and other fresh spices until tender

Kari Ayam

A robust Malaysian chicken curry with potatoes, cooked in a rich coconut cream gravy. Especially perfect with roti jala (listed below) or nasi lemak above.

Nyonya Acar Awak

A traditional refreshing Malaysian pickle bursting with colours, textures and lip-smacking blend of sweetness, tang, spice and saltiness that cuts through heavy curries and tastes great with rice. 

Hainanese Chicken Rice

My absolute favourite dish of all time! Succulent chicken delicately infused with ginger and spring onion, drizzled with soy and sesame oil then served with a richly fragrant rice cooked in chicken broth. Complete with ginger and garlic chilli sauce.

Char Kuay Teow

Another hawker favourite, with proper "wok hei". Smoky and punchy wok-fried flat rice noodles with shrimp, beansprouts, fishcake and egg.

Bihun Goreng

A light yet satisfying Malaysian classic: stir-fried rice vermicelli, with chicken, vegetables, beansprouts and egg. 

Mee Siam

Tangy and flavourful fried vermicelli with shrimp, beansprouts, tofu and egg. A Nyonya classic that is simultaneously sweet, sour, salty and spicy.

Wat Tan Hor/Kong Foo Chow

Cantonese style fried flat noodles with a warming egg gravy, topped with shrimp, fishcake, sliced meat and vegetables. Comfort food at its best!

Fresh Popiah

One of my mother's top foods from her hometown in Ipoh- delicious and healthy soft vegetable spring rolls, bursting with a huge mix of flavours from julienned vegetables to crispy shallots

Siew Yoke/Siobak

Crispy Chinese roast pork belly- the biggest hit in my household when I perfected the recipe! Moist and juicy with a golden crunchy crackling

Choy Sum (Chinese Flowering Cabbage) with Garlic Oil and Oyster Sauce

Simple, tasty and nutritious. Also available with pak choi or kailan

Roti Jala

Malaysian lacey coconut and turmeric crepes. Soft and savoury, perfect for mopping up a good curry gravy

Thosai/ Dosa

South Indian rice and lentil crepes

Sago Gula Melaka

Tapioca pearl pudding with palm sugar and coconut milk. A rich yet refreshing dessert, like a cold tropical fusion between sticky rice pudding, creme caramel and a bouncy jelly.

For the full Chinese New Year selection, please click here.

TO ORDER: Celebration Cakes and Other Baked Goods

SAM TAN'S KITCHEN HAS MOVED! Please visit the new website/online store at www.samtanskitchen.com for all cake and baked goods enquiries. You can also follow Sam on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Thank you!

To order bespoke cakes for birthdays, special occasions, or just because you feel like stuffing your face, please email me at samtanskitchen@gmail.com or drop me a comment here in case it goes to Spam.

In general 2 days notice is enough- delivery/collection in Los Angeles can be discussed. All cakes come on a proper gold cake board in a white box, and anything else e.g. candles/ writing in icing etc can also be arranged.

Funfetti Cake- $50 per cake (8")

An American classic made from scratch! A two-layer moist sponge with rainbow sprinkles baked in, filled and coated with vanilla buttercream

Rose Bouquet Cake- $50 per cake (8")

Perfect as a romantic Valentine's Day or simple wedding cake.

Fully customisable- choose your own combination of cake and frosting from the list below :)

Sponge options: Dark Chocolate, Red Velvet, Lemon or All Butter

Frosting options: Buttercream, Cream Cheese, or Chocolate Ganache

Fresh Fruit Cream Cake- $50 per 8" cake (fruit can be customised)

Double layer chiffon sponge sandwiched with fruit cocktail cream, topped with your choice of fresh fruit

Nutella Mousse Gateau- $50 per cake (8")

Two layers of hazelnut sponge with Nutella mousse in between, topped with dark chocolate ganache

Malteser Gateau- $50 per cake (8")
Two layers of dark chocolate malt sponge with a rich cocoa malt buttercream

Moist Carrot Banana Walnut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
$40 per cake (8")

Blueberry Cheesecake- $35 per cake (7")

Ultra Rich Chocolate Chunk Cheesecake- $30 per cake (7")

Chilled Oreo Cheesecake- $30 per cake (7")

Victoria Sponge with Fresh Strawberries- $30 per cake
Light butter sponge with whipped cream, strawberry jam and sliced fresh strawberries

Baked New York Cheesecake- $25 per cake (7")

Orange Cheesecake - $25 per cake (7")

Golden Lemon Cheesecake- $25 per cake (7")

Malaysian Orange Chiffon Cake- $15 per cake (8 1/2")

Malaysian Pandan Chiffon Cake- $15 per cake (8 1/2")

Soft Chocolate Cream Cupcakes- $2.50 each, $25 per batch (12 cupcakes)

Crunchy Crumb Banana Muffins- $2.50 each, $25 per batch (12 muffins)

Savoury Cheddar and Herb Muffins- $2.50 each, $25 per batch (12 muffins)

Chunky Chocolate Brownies- THE single most in-demand item among friends! :)

Small box: $20 (25 bitesize pieces)

Large box: $30 (50 bitesize pieces)

Cheesecake Brownies- as above, but with cheesecake swirled in

Small box: $20 (25 bitesize pieces)

Large box: $30 (50 bitesize pieces)

Choc Chunk Peanut Butter Cookies- $20 per box (25 medium cookies)
So chocolatey a friend has described it as "juicy", loaded to the core with chunky bits

Handmade Oreo Chunk Cheese Truffles- $25 per silver gift box of 36

(Choice of white, milk, dark or mixed selection)

Mini Chocolate Meringues- $10 per box of 20 pieces

Mini Coconut Meringues- $10 per box of 20 pieces

Spiced Chocolate Chip Shortbread

HELLO AGAIN after two months dear foodies- yes, I am alive and eating still!

Firstly my sincerest apologies for my long absence- this course at the Actors Studio Drama School is as intense and all-consuming as its notorious reputation, leaving me no time to sleep let alone cook, photograph the results and blog as often as I would like. In fact, what I should be doing right now instead of writing this is study for our final Theatre History exam taking place in 3 days, but given the infectious Christmas air in New York, the deliciousness of these buttery morsels and my desire to end the neglect of this space ASAP, the sharing of this recipe has pushed its way to the top of my priority list.

The following is not an original creation but my twist on many other recipes I compared online- as a huge fan of shortbread I have to admit the results are everything shortbread should be: fragrant, crunchy yet melt-in-the-mouth, indulgent yet moreish, sweet yet salty and studded generously throughout with rich hits of dark chocolate. I have added 2 tsp of mixed spice and cut them into pretty shapes to inject some holiday spirit into it all, but if you prefer you can always omit the spice and slice into traditional bars.

Be sure to leave enough time for the butter to soften in advance and the dough to chill for 2 hours before baking.

Happy holidays!

Spiced Chocolate Chip Shortbread

Makes about 30 chunky pieces (my cookie cutters were about 2 1/2 inches long)

Whisk on medium speed with an electric mixer (or blend in a food processor) until smooth:

225g/2 sticks butter, at room temperature* (do NOT substitute with margarine)

85g (2/3 cup) icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

*Tip- getting the butter soft first is essential if you're using a handheld whisk. If you forgot to take it out of the fridge early, stick to a food processor as the blades easily cut through hard butter anyway.

Fold in using a spatula (or pulse gently in a food processor) until a pliable dough is formed:

300g (2 cups) plain flour (or more if your dough is still sticky)

1 tsp mixed spice

Fold in roughly 125g (3/4 cup) dark chocolate chips.

Press the whole lot of dough into a large bowl, cover the surface completely with cling wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

To bake:

1) Find a clean hard surface to roll your dough on (I place a sheet of cling film-usually the one that was covering the dough in the fridge-on my kitchen countertop). If you're lucky enough to have a marble table or worktop that is already clean, you can of course skip the plastic wrap.

2) Lightly dust the surface with some flour.

3) Using a spatula or a big metal spoon, scoop out a large mound of dough onto the floured surface. If you have the luxury of a spacious counter top, you can of course roll the entire amount of dough out at once- my kitchen is tiny so I find small sections at a time more manageable.

4) Pat the dough down firmly with your hands (a rolling pin is not needed but use one if you like) until it forms an even disk about 1/2 inch thick, dusting with a bit more flour if necessary. Cut into shapes using a knife or a cutter and arrange onto a cookie tray.

5) Gather all the leftover bits of dough into a ball, add another mound of dough and repeat step 4 until all the batter is used up.

Bake for 20 mins at 160 C/ 325F until pale golden, rotating the trays halfway so they brown evenly.

If desired, dust with icing sugar whilst the cookies are still warm for a snowy effect. Let cool.

Delight your friends with these homemade gifts, or proceed to stuff your face!:)

CLOSED: La Table Exquise- Bed Stuy's Best Kept Secret

This establishment is unfortunately no longer in operation.

La Table Exquise's Weekend Special French Toast: so good it should be illegal.

$5 per portion, or unlimited amounts (yes!) with the $19 Sunday brunch buffet

All-you-can-eat slider burgers served hot on homemade brioche, as many omelettes as you want cooked to your liking, a huge spread of salads and grilled wings and cereal and quiche and rolls and pastries AND juice and coffee and tea and to top it all off, endless heaps of buttery, caramelised, so-good-I-could-die French toast... all for $19, at a shop two minutes walk from where I've ended up living.

Holy wow. What a welcome to New York City, bless you foodie guardian angel!

I apologise dear readers that it has taken me a month to post any updates- since my arrival life in this new city has proven intense, exciting, exhausting and inspiring all at once, with my course at the Actors Studio Drama School living up to its notorious reputation of being tough and challenging (hence the lack of time for blogging). I assure you though that I have been doing my duty to eat as much as possible (ha!), and although I should be doing my homework I simply HAVE to share this little gem with all New Yorkers out there.

La Table Exquise- 370 Tompkins Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11216

Tel: 347-663-6066

"Do or Die Bed-Stuy" is the last place you'd expect to find French baking at its best, but I am not kidding when I say this little nondescript joint is home to the flakiest croissants and pain au chocolat as well as the most sublime desserts (5-layer chocolate cake anyone?) that you can get your hands on. The 11am-4pm all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch also redefines the meaning of "buffet"- far from being a way for restaurants to use up the week's leftovers, mega-talented Chef Sebastien whips up hot omelettes, slider burgers on cute little baby brioche buns and that unbelievable French toast using his own homemade baguettes at your demand.

The menu varies from time to time, but if you love good grub La Table Exquise is a must-try. Go go go, before the crowds find out.

My brunch buffet plate- serving number one :)

Chef Sebastien's alluring dessert cabinet- selection varies daily.

Prices range from $1 (for chocolate mousse cups) to $4

The sublime 5-layer chocolate cake- $4

Profiterole with hazelnut cream (chocolate eclair and pistachio pear tart in the background)

Croissants and pain au chocolat, piping hot from the oven- $2.75 each

La Table Exquise- 370 Tompkins Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11216

(Nearest station: Nostrand Avenue, Kingston-Throop Aves)

Tel: 347-663-6066