Though certainly not the first (and hopefully not the last) establishment to support area farmers and researched foodways, ATAS Modern Malaysian Eatery at The RuMa Hotel and Residences is physical proof that chummy relationships with suppliers make for choice food.Pictured above: The Bombe Alaska with mango, jackfruit, calamansi & cashews.
Mere months ago, in late May, if I'm not mistaken, I coaxed Tyson Gee into eating Mango Pocky while blindfolded. What might sound like a kinky game was in fact a blind taste test, in which the executive chef of ATAS Modern Malaysian Eatery performed exceptionally well.
The Canadian chef was never want for Asian snacks while growing up in Vancouver. “If you gaze out on a crowd in my hometown, you’ll see a sea of black hair,” he chuckles. "Which probably explains why we had Mamee Monster (a Malaccan export) on our supermarket shelves." Childhood snacks and the occasional bowl of laksa aside, Tyson's exposure to Malaysian cuisine was limited prior to spearheading The RuMa's central kitchen, but the chef has scaled a steep learning curve.