Cover Pork & Lap Cheong (Photo: Restaurant Shu KL)
Pork & Lap Cheong (Photo: Restaurant Shu KL)
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Named after his mother, the restaurant is a journey through Chinese food culture and migration of its people
“Restaurant Shu really was born out of a desire to explore migration and how cuisines and culture change with movement,” says Chin Wong, chef-owner of Restaurant Shu. Located invitingly within the annexe of Menara IMC, the sleek and softly-lit restaurant is separated from the rest of the building and connected by a rooftop pathway.
“After working in China, I realised how little I knew about my own culture,” he continues. “It’s been fascinating trying to find the connections of how and why dishes came to be.” For instance, the current menu, titled Staple, is built around the various methods the Chinese diaspora handles rice, a core component of their diet. “Rice is something we consume every day, but always as a filler, so we want to show how special it is and how much is possible with it,” he explains.
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Above Chef-owner Chin Wong
Above The restaurant’s sleek interior
Chef-owner Chin Wong
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Surprisingly, the one dish that means the most to Wong at Restaurant Shu is the Jasmine Rice bread course. “It’s really been a dish born of pain and suffering, spanning nine months of trial and error,” he chuckles.
Above Jasmine Rice Bread
Jasmine Rice Bread
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“While we love bread, we try to bridge the gap between a bread course and the fact that the staple I grew up with was not bread, but rather rice.” Rice is lacto-fermented for two weeks and forms the base of the bread, which is served with soy caramel pork fat topped with toasted dried chillies and pork floss crumble.
Above Dou Jiang
Dou Jiang
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A personal favourite is a dish titled Dou Jiang, based around soymilk. “Served sweet or savoury, it is ubiquitous in Chinese cuisine, especially as a breakfast dish,” Wong enthuses.
Soymilk is cooked lovingly for 16 hours until the proteins are caramelised, paired with textural celtuce, turnips, radishes, and chayote. “The dish is finished with cilantro oil, chilli oil, and ginger oil, which pays homage to the traditional Sichuanese soymilk breakfast,” he smiles.
Above The soymilk dish is paired with different vegetables
The soymilk dish is paired with different vegetables
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Having worked across Singapore, Thailand and China, the most impactful experience in Wong’s career was working with Riley Sanders of Canvas in Bangkok. “It was here I learned how to think about food and was constantly challenged to grow,” he reminisces. “Working and living in Bangkok opened my eyes and made me understand that food isn’t only about recipes and that the French way isn’t the only way to make things delicious.”
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Above The centrepiece of the restaurant is the word Shu, part of Wong’s mother’s name
The centrepiece of the restaurant is the word Shu, part of Wong’s mother’s name
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At its core, Restaurant Shu is a tribute to Wong’s mother, with the character of Shu forming part of her name. “A second-generation Malaysian Chinese, she had the opportunity to live around Asia as a young woman, and her cooking while growing up is something I can never find anywhere else in the world,” he says. “She inspired me to open Restaurant Shu and delve into what it means to be a member of the Chinese diaspora through cuisine.”
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Images: Restaurant Shu KL
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About
Katelyn is the dining and travel editor of Malaysia and Indonesia. Based in Kuala Lumpur, she offers readers an inside look at the movers and shakers in Asia’s growing food and beverage industry.
