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The founder of acclaimed Malaysian eatery Kopitiam NYC in New York City shares where she goes for great Malaysian flavours
What makes a meal memorable for New York-based chef Kyo Pang? It's all about the 4Ps: passion, patience, preservation and the present.
"A dish that usually touches our heart, comes with a lot of love and obsession, or passion. It takes time, it keeps our traditions alive, and continues to impress through different generations," muses Pang in a recent e-mail interview.
All these qualities are certainly close to the heart of Pang, a semi-finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: New York State for the past two years. A third-generation Peranakan from Penang, she set up casual eatery Kopitiam in New York's Chinatown in 2015. Since then, it has been introducing countless Americans to the joys of Malaysian food, so if you ever find yourself craving for otak-otak or Milo dinosaur in the Big Apple, you know where to go.
In 2019, Kopitiam NYC was placed sixth on Bon Appétit’s The Hot 10: Best New Restaurants, and was named one of Eater.com's Best New Restaurants.
In this instalment of A Taste Of Home, Pang shares her favourite food memories from her homeland.
See also: A Taste Of Home: Zoee Wong On Her Favourite Eats In Malaysia
What food and drinks do you miss most when you're away from Malaysia?
Hawker foods in Penang, and drinks like Milo and cendol. It tastes different at home.
What is the first dish you eat when returning to Malaysia?
Penang Padang's popiah with broth, one of the must-have street foods in Penang.
What were your favourite Malaysian restaurants for casual dining and for special occasions?
My parents' restaurant, 747 Restaurant, for casual dining. They had been in the business for 50 years and the restaurant was known as one of the oldest family-style restaurants. Unfortunately, they had to close it down because of Covid.
For special occasions, my family used to bring me to Starview Restaurant for its Hainanese fare.
See also: Tasting The Best of Penang's Food Culture Through Its Growing Fine Dining Scene
Do you have a favourite bar or cafe in Malaysia?
I haven't been back to Malaysia for a very long time, but my favourite spot to hang out was Belissa Row near Pulau Tikus. There were so many bars, cafes and restaurants there.
Where would you bring guests for a real taste of Malaysia in New York?
It really depends on what they want to eat. If it is Hainanese chicken rice, I would go to Taste Good in Elmhurst. If it's roti canai, I would go to Laut or Nyonya. If it's family-style I would recommend West New Malaysia.
Where do you go for authentic flavours of home in New York?
I will cook in my restaurant. Or maybe West New Malaysia for their homemade tofu dish. That reminded me of my father. I used to eat that dish almost every day before going to tuition class.
See also: A Taste of Home: Former Hakkasan Chef Ho Chee Boon Shares His Love Of Street Food
If you have guests in Malaysia, where would you bring them for a true Malaysian taste?
I would bring them to Penang Road near Komtar in Penang. There's a lot of good local hawker stalls around the area.
What food items do you pack into your luggage when you leave Malaysia?
Pong piah, a type of white sugar biscuit that I could never find in New York. Also cooking pan or kuih moulds; they don't produce many traditional pans and moulds anymore.
In your experience, which Malaysian food has been the most well-received by New Yorkers?
Nasi lemak and kaya toast. I believe it's the simplicity of our local fresh ingredients, and the balancing of tastes that makes our cuisine different from others. For instance, nasi lemak contains sweetness, saltiness, and spiciness all together. But when you take a bite of it, the tastes come right after one another instead of all at once.
See also: 10 Famous Malaysian Street Foods Craved Worldwide
Terence Toh is the Dining Editor of Tatler Malaysia.
