Tatler Dining Malaysia

As You Like It

Eat and Cook is on a mission to bring Malaysian omakase mainstream

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One of Eat and Cook head chef Lee Zhe Xi’s most vivid memories is a trip he took to Taiwan at 19. Wandering the busy streets of the city, he was mesmerised by the seemingly never-ending variety of food available and all the creative ways they were served.

What most struck him was the abundance of omakase dining. Omakase, a Japanese term for ‘I’ll leave it up to you’, gives the chef complete freedom to serve anything to diners, most often unique seasonal specialtie­s.

“Even noodles were served omakase style. It was really interestin­g and it opened my mind,” Lee recalls. “I learned from other chefs that you had to be proud of your roots. So when I went home, I decided I would start a Malaysian omakase which paid tribute to our culture.”

Lee was good to his word. He and his partner, Soh Yong Zhi, opened the first Eat and Cook, an intimate six-seater venue in Bukit Jalil in July

2020. They have since moved to a bigger space in the same location in March this year.

In true omakase style, there’s no telling what you will be served on a visit there. Expect to try Malaysian ingredient­s served in unique ways. Try, for example, ulam made from pucuk paku and served with cucur udang, or the savoury octopus presented with gremolata and petai powder. Maybe you’ll get a signature dish: the mouthwater­ing Pantai Remis prawns, which combines the fluffiness of gnocchi with the spice of prawn curry.

“My team and I work with all kinds of

Malaysian food. We’ve already tried incorporat­ing asam laksa, ulam, popiah and many other Malaysian dishes in our menu,” Lee says.

‘What’s fun about this concept is we can’t always make the dishes we want. We have to see what’s available on the market to use, and that’s a challenge. I love seeing customers walk into my restaurant surprised, but leave with satisfied smiles.”

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