Cover OpenHouse's new location (Photo: OpenHouse)
OpenHouse's new location (Photo: OpenHouse)
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We speak to founders Andrew Wong and Brian Quirk about the exciting plans they have for OpenHouse
Those who visited OpenHouse at the original Suria KLCC location may remember the Malaysian heritage restaurant for its maximalist interior. At the new location, adjacent to Badan Warisan Malaysia, rattan furniture, lush plants, and even an ulam garden take the place of the colourful print wallpaper and fabrics.
This is a temporary structure, with its permanent home in the midst of being built in a house just behind. “Our aim is to turn OpenHouse into a tourist destination, with guests able to tour the ulam garden and rumah penghulu next door or participate in a workshop in the demo kitchen,” enthuses co-founder Brian Quirk.
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Above Brian Quirk and Andrew Wong
Above The all-new OpenHouse
Brian Quirk and Andrew Wong
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The aforementioned ulam garden, located next to the restaurant, was built in collaboration with Ulam School and sponsored by Think City. “The garden is a project under Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, supported by UNESCO, with a goal of promoting the use of ulam, which is nutritious, healthy, and has medicinal properties,” Andrew Wong explains.
“We recently presented the project at a UNESCO global conference in Miri, and feedback was incredibly positive,” Quirk continues. “Initiatives are typically academic, but this really puts culture, sustainability, and heritage into practice, allowing people to experience and taste our local bounty.”
Above Laksa Johor at OpenHouse
Laksa Johor at OpenHouse
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With over 75 species of edible plants, many of which previously had to be foraged for, the garden is a playground for OpenHouse’s team of chefs, allowing them to create new recipes with indigenous ingredients. The team aims to house 300 species of plants in the main garden, which is also currently being built.
Above Dishes at OpenHouse utilise produce from the ulam garden
Dishes at OpenHouse utilise produce from the ulam garden
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“We worked with the Jabatan Warisan Negara from our inception, going through the archives to preserve lost recipes,” Wong says. One such recipe is that for rendang tok, which takes up to six hours to make. “Even traditionally, it was only made for Raya or special events, as it is such a labour-intensive dish,” adds Quirk.
Above Rendang Tok
Rendang Tok
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When I ask about one of the most surprising findings from the archives, Quirk is quick to answer. “There was a recipe for sambal neraka, hell’s sambal, which is a cooked sambal with a base of a lot of pure chilli,” he chuckles. “It is layered with other flavours, so it is not spicy in the sense of raw chilli oil on the tongue, but a more savoury-hot that mellows and evolves.” The lost recipe is one of many that the duo hope to revive.
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Above The stunning interior
The stunning interior
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While OpenHouse has always preserved heritage recipes, with the new concept, they are also trying to look towards the future with sustainability in mind. “In 2018, it was easy to find indigenous produce, but with more restaurants sourcing for it, quality and quantity are reduced,” Quirk explains. “The ability of the jungle to sustain current demands is dropping, and we want to be at the forefront of empowering those foraging for and supplying these ingredients.” The duo is planning to work directly with the Orang Asli community to engage them in setting up farms to harvest jungle produce sustainably.
Above Brian Quirk and Andrew Wong
Brian Quirk and Andrew Wong
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A key memory for Wong is when an elderly lady told him the last time she had tried some of the flavours presented at OpenHouse was when her grandmother was still alive. “If the younger generation does not have exposure to such dishes, knowledge is lost,” he laments. “Malaysia is a melting pot of cultures, all of which play a part in these flavours, and at the new OpenHouse, we hope to explore these cultural and historical aspects.”
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Images: OpenHouse
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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.
