Food lovers in London who yearn for Malaysian street food can now satisfy their cravings at Rasa Malaysia Restaurant in Berjaya Eden Park London Hotel.
A new addition to the Eden Bar & Restaurant within the hotel, Rasa Malaysia (which means Taste of Malaysia) is introducing the flavours of Malaysia to the hotel’s loyal following.
It was launched on Sept 13, with the concept based entirely on the recommendation of Berjaya Corpo-ration Bhd founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan.
Assam laksa, roti canai, mee mamak, nasi lemak, curry laksa, nasi kandar, buah rojak and teh tarik — all greatly missed by Malaysians living abroad — are now available in Rasa Malaysia’s menu.
To ensure that the dishes are cooked and served in true Malaysian style, the hotel’s head chef Mohamed Nasir Abdul Rahim made a special trip back to Malaysia in preparation for Rasa Malaysia’s opening.
The Penangite, who holds the cuisine of the Far East dear to his heart, said he has always missed Malaysian food.
Special treats :Nasir with a plate of assam laksa (right)and mee mamak.
He added that he was inspired by his grandmother’s homecooked meals.
“My grandmother taught me all her secret recipes since I was 15.
“After I finished secondary school, my parents sent me to get a Diploma in Culinary in London as my ambition was to become an executive chef in a hotel,” the 42-year-old said.
While he was studying, Nasir worked as a part-time kitchen helper at international hotels and Malaysian restaurants in London.
He later worked as a specialty chef at Holiday Villa and sous chef at Ramada Javis, both in London, before spending a year in Japan to gain some experience in Japanese and Western cuisines.
In 2001, he returned to London and took on the position of sous chef at Holiday Inn before joining Berjaya Eden Park London Hotel in 2004.
This was Nasir’s second feat at tantalising diners’ taste buds with spicy dishes from South-East Asia; the first was during his stint at Holiday Villa.
“We are looking at adding more new dishes to Rasa Malaysia in the future,” he said.
