TOP TOQUE
Nanyang dishes are the focus of Kai Mayfair, a long-standing one-star entry in London’s Michelin guide, where head chef Alex Chow can’t help but inject the Malaysian flavours of his childhood into his food. By Destin Tay
London used to have a bad rep when it came to the quality of its ethnic foods. Many immigrant-run restaurants were serving up highly popular but largely anglicised versions of traditional fare (evident by the allegedly Scottish-invented Chicken Tikka Masala). The same could be said of the relatively nascent Chinese dining scene in the Isles.
Time, however, has certainly worked its magic, and the city’s
Chinese restaurant scene could not be any better now. Secondgeneration and new waves of immigrants landing on British shores – along with a younger and more knowledgeable diner base – have resulted in the resurgence of traditional Chinese cuisine. Currently, there exists a strong push for specialised regional cuisine.
An outlier to the mainly Cantonese dominated dining scene is Kai Mayfair. Run by Malaysian-born owner Bernard Yeoh and head chef Alex Chow, the restaurant serves up Nanyang dishes that sport Malaysian inflections, inspired by memories of Chow’s mother’s cooking. Chow blends modern culinary techniques and Malaysian flavour profiles to create a self-styled “Liberated Chinese Cooking”, which earned Kai Mayfair their first Michelin star in 2009 (the only Chinese restaurant to do so that year). The restaurant has retained the accolade ever since.
What characterises Kai Mayfair’s “Liberated Chinese Cuisine”? My ancestral roots can be traced back to Mainland China, but I am first and foremost Malaysian. I pay respect to heritage recipes but explore and innovate using non-traditional techniques, and sneak in inspirations from my time growing up in Kuala Lumpur. My mother would cook on a little kerosene stove, and I used to always steal small bites from her kitchen to understand how the ingredients taste, much to her chagrin. The joy I felt as a child eating her food that was cooked with love is what I wish to impart to my diners.
What was your favourite childhood dish?
It’s very simple fare: Stuffed Mackerel with Minced Pork. Much of Kai Mayfair’s menu is inspired by similar comfort food that can be found readily in Malaysia. Kolo mee is a Sarawak staple of noodles tossed in soy, onion oil and pork oil; our version is spruced up with the addition of lobster essence, but the base is largely the same. Other signature dishes inspired by my childhood are the Roast Chilean Seabass and 18-hour Slow-cooked Pork Belly. The flavours are straight from my mother’s kitchen, albeit with some added flair. I add cucumber foam to the pork belly for much needed freshness to the rich reduction.
You’ve worked in multiple countries, including Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore. How has your experience with your current team of chefs differed?
With my style of cooking, it was a breeze working in Singapore and Malaysia as my chefs were familiar with my flavours and could troubleshoot many recipes on their own. It’s much harder to find chefs who are able to do that here, but I’ve found the best approach is to work with the strengths of the local culture. It’s also how the cuisine evolves. It’s similar to how mainland Chinese cuisine changes in Singapore and Malaysia, we use the local ingredients, climate and staff to develop our signature Kai Mayfair style of cooking.
Chinese New Year is fast approaching. How will you celebrate it? Family is number one. After all, everything at my restaurant is only possible because of their continual support and the cooking foundations from my mother. It’s a must to celebrate with them. Most of them are in Kuala Lumpur, I often fly there with my wife and kids, but occasionally they do come to the U.K.. Homecooked food is a must, together with the tradition of tossing of yu sheng, or yee sang (their luxe version contains 18 ingredients and is complete with delicate gold leaf and edible flowers). My team at
Kai Mayfair is essentially my extended family, so I make it a point to have yee sang with them and hand out red packets to all staff, even the non-chinese. We offer yee sang to our diners as well. Though some of them can get a bit overenthusiastic with the tossing, we’re all for the joy of first experiences.