Mother Knows Best – the culinary venture between The Melium Group and Chef Will Meyrick
Having searched through the goldmine of Asia’s neighbourhood kitchens, markets and street stalls, Will Meyrick – the chef behind Bali’s Sarong and Hujan Locale – has brought his much-loved retro vintage restaurant, Mama San, to Malaysia’s capital city. Chef Meyrick and his right-hand-man, Palm Amatawet, channels a wealth of culinary secrets ranging across the diverse flavours from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India, and Vietnam. The result is an explosive, passion-infused menu that celebrates the region’s traditional recipes and rich heritage.
The restaurant, based in Suria KLCC, is only the second international outpost after Mama San Hong Kong, and signifies Melium’s first step into high-end dining in Malaysia. You’ll know the place when you see it – a giant portrait of ‘Mama San’, created by textile designer Justine Missen, gazes down onto her patrons from the main wall. As the ever-authoritative but occasionally indulgent madam of an Asian gentlemen’s club, Mama San’s offerings aren’t to be taken lightly: appetisers like the chicken and pomelo salad with lime leaf and white coral mushrooms are ferociously spicy from the start.
The dendeng balado – caramelised beef short ribs – with kafir lime chili, and the butter chicken in tomato and cashew nut garam masala (best mopped up with smoky garlic naan bread), will leave your taste buds burning but wanting more. Mercy comes in the form of dessert, where the salted caramel ice cream with shredded young coconut and crushed peanuts – a Mama San specialty – cools you off in a trice. It’s all about pleasure, with an edge of exotica thrown in to heighten your senses.
