Malaysia's Former Food Ambassador to the US Christina Arokiasamy Shares Her Nostalgic Eats

The KL-born cookbook author and former Malaysian food ambassador to the United States reminisces about her childhood and the dishes she loved back home

Born in Kuala Lumpur and now based in Seattle, Washington, Christina Arokiasamy is an award-winning cookbook author, former chef of Four Seasons Resorts, and the first-ever official Food Ambassador of Malaysia to the United States.

As a professional chef with over two decades of experience, she has hosted her own show on The Cooking Channel called The Malaysian Kitchen, which reached over 80 million viewers in the US and even helped place Malaysian cuisine as one of the top three flavour trends in the US by The National Restaurant Association.

As a fifth generation descendant of spice merchants, her expertise in spices has earned appearances on Oprah.com, The New York Times, and The Food Network Magazine, among other major media outlets.

Her passion for Malaysian food has taken her around the globe, conducting cooking classes, culinary tours, and promoting her cookbooks like her latest, The Malaysian Kitchen: 150 Recipes for Simple Home Cooking.

Above Arokiasamy speaking at The Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California

What do you miss most about Malaysia?

I miss the street vendors that would comb the neighbourhood when I was growing up. There are two things that I do miss a lot. The Indian mee goreng vendor that would sell pasembur and mee goreng off his cart and the dim sum man who sold bak zhang and black bean buns.

I also miss the little boy who used to go around the neighbourhood selling his mother’s kuihs such as the goreng pisang. I really miss these little delicacies made by humble folks with so much love.

What is the first dish you eat when you return to Malaysia and where do you go for it?

I loved to eat my second mother's goat curry. Sadly, she has passed away from Covid. I also loved the assam laksa from my Chinese neighbour who would pass the dish over the fence. I don't think that anybody could beat that because everything is meticulously done–the whole process takes maybe eight hours.

If I'm dining out, I love looking for a traditional wantan mee vendor who has been doing this for a long time.

Arokiasamy at a media dinner in New York City, where she cooked and served Malaysian dishes

Above Arokiasamy at a media dinner in New York City

Do you have a favourite restaurant in Malaysia?

I eat out based on who is cooking the kind of food that they take pride in serving, whether it's because they are so proud of their culture or that one particular dish that they make. I love the chicken wings at Petaling Street. I generally like going to Melaka because I like the Peranakan food there very much. I also haven’t been back for so long so I really can’t pinpoint any restaurants in particular.

If you have guests visiting from abroad, where would you take them to give them a real taste of Malaysia?

I like to take my culinary tour clients to eat the street foods of Penang. I find the best hawkers that have been standing there and serving the same food for generations. They have so much talent, so much love, so much passion, so much heritage, and so much culture.

I feel like we need to pay homage to the culinary artists who stand by their vending stalls and serve out these Malaysian delicacies–these are the people who put Malaysia on the map.

Do you stock up on any Malaysian ingredients before flying back to the US?

I definitely try to bring curry powders and fennel powders. I also like candlenuts and dried keropok (crackers).

Arokiasamy cooking during an Introducing Malaysian Food To Miami event in Miami, Florida

Above Arokiasamy at the Introducing Malaysian Food To Miami event in Miami, Florida

Where do you go to find authentic flavours of home in the US?

I cook at home mostly. I love being in the kitchen. I find that that's where my mind relaxes and I’m able to create. I love to spend my weekends going to different types of Asian stores for different ingredients. I’ve got a huge pantry and two freezers to keep all my ingredients so I can make any kind of Malaysian food I want.

Where in Malaysia do you like to catch up with old friends over food and drinks?

Oh, definitely old coffee shops. I grew up in Bangsar and you have all these coffee shops in Lucky Garden.

We also love high teas. I’m crazy about all the Malaysian high teas. I remember Hilton Petaling Jaya used to have a really nice high tea.

What does being Malaysia’s Food Ambassador to the US mean to you?

It has been a wonderful journey for me because I felt like I made people happy sharing my culture and heritage through food. I was able to bring the tastes and stories of who I was, where I grew up, how I ate at home, how I ate with my neighbours, who were of different cultures, how I ate on the streets, and how I ate throughout my life.

Above Arokiasamy cooking at a media dinner in New York City

What is the first thing you teach others about Malaysian cuisine?

There are really two forms of Malaysian food. The first is that Malaysia has many different cultures and we come together, share and borrow from one another.

The second is that we have our home-cooked food too and it's so hugely overlooked. When you go to an Indian family's home for a meal, they cook a different kind of traditional Indian food at home. I think these individual cultures also celebrate their identity and their heritage inside their home kitchens.

What has been your favourite part of writing cookbooks of Malaysian recipes?

I think the most interesting thing about creating recipes is seeing how beautifully the ingredients react with each other and how I create those ingredients. I also feel like if there’s so much effort to make a laksa paste with lemongrass, lime leaves, shallots and candlenuts, why not take that laksa paste and be creative with it?

I love that, and that’s why I love to cook. Every day is a creative journey for me.

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Credits

Images

Courtesy of Christina Arokiasamy and themalaysiankitchen.com

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a taste of home christina arokiasamy cookbooks united states seattle cookbook author

Tatler Asia

A Taste of Home: Cookbook Author Christina Arokiasamy Reveals Her Malaysian Cravings