My friendship with MJ began in a bar over a plate of warm French bread, generously slathered with homemade goose liver pate. He was experimenting with a new recipe and wanted us to sample it. The pate was heavenly and I instantly knew I wanted this friendship to last forever. So I continued frequenting the bar, he continued introducing wonderful dishes and his food continued receiving the two-thumbs up from all the regulars. After many months, I finally asked him the whereabouts of his restaurant. That’s when he grinned and said, “I’m not a chef. I set up call centres.”
MJ is the epitome of The Weekend Chef. A creator at heart, he’s constantly tweaking well-loved recipes to make them uniquely his. And if it doesn’t turn out exactly the way he envisions, he starts all over again until it’s perfect. But what’s best about him is that he believes that good food is everyone’s birthright and doesn’t think twice about sharing his ‘trade secrets’ with amateurs and professionals alike.
For most part of his life, MJ has been hounded to open his own restaurant but he’d always say “only when the time is right.” Two months ago, the time was finally right and The Olde Tavern Bar opened its doors in Desa Sri Hartamas. After much research and deliberation, MJ decided to serve his growing lunch and dinner crowd traditional English meals and a few local favourites.
He doesn’t wear the apron, but he is still the Yoda of the kitchen. Every recipe boasts of his personal touch and his chefs cook it exactly the way he does. And if the menu keeps changing or the food tastes slightly different, it’s only because MJ believes that variety is the spice of life. That and the fact that a person can only get better if he keeps pushing himself further each time he thinks he’s done his best.
When I wondered aloud whether such profoundness was overrated on the subject of food, he simply replied, “I love food. And when you love something, you want to show it to the world in its most perfect form.”
When did your love affair with food begin?
When I was ten. My father was a well-known chef and ran a restaurant in my hometown, Taiping. His specialty was Hokkien mee. Quite unusual for an Indian guy, I must say! My mother was a homemaker with eight children to raise and no one to help her. To ease her burden, I decided I would take over the cooking. Of course, being so young my duties were restricted to preparing the ingredients. My father would return from work, sit at the kitchen table and give instructions. I spent my first year honing my vegetable-cutting skills. As my interest grew, I began hanging around the kitchen wherever my father cooked and soaked up everything he did. Those were my earliest lessons in cooking.
What was your favourite mealtime as a child?
Breakfast on Sunday. For 10 years, I woke up at 6:00AM every Sunday morning to make coconut chutney and thosai for the 30-odd relatives who would come over for breakfast. Until today, I can clearly remember grinding the thosai mixture and carefully pouring it over the skillet. It was the best chutney and thosai I’ve ever tasted. Now I can’t eat thosai anywhere else! But that also made me realise how much better homemade stuff is and today, I try to make everything from scratch.
Did you have any food traditions?
Of course! I think every family has at least one or two. Mine used to be Christmas dodol. I came up with a special recipe, where the dodol turned out firm instead of wobbly. Each batch took me a good nine hours to make. I don’t do it anymore, though. It’s just too tiring!
Cookbooks or observation?
Definitely observation. I tell all my friends to throw their cookbooks away! The best lessons are learnt by watching the masters at work. Start with your own mother. At food courts or stalls, sit facing the cooks and watch them. Then go home, try it out and experiment with it. Also, never be afraid or embarrassed to walk into anyone else’s kitchen to offer help. If you’re serious about cooking, every kitchen is a warehouse of knowledge.
What staples should be found in every fridge and freezer?
A freezer should ideally have a piece of every meat and seafood type. To make it last longer, freeze the pieces in lightly sugared water. A fridge should have a variety of vegetables. Beans and leafy greens are best. Wash and wrap the leafy greens in newspaper without blotting any excess water. The trapped moisture will help the greens last for up to five days. Other staples would include onion, garlic, ginger, chilies, potatoes, lemon grass, olive oil and dried chilies. Be sure not to store the potatoes near onions or it will sprout roots faster.
What’s your advice to a first-time ‘chef’?
Always serve your first meal to your nearest and dearest. That way you’ll be able to take any impending criticism much better!
A meal should always …
Be prepared and served with love and passion. You can taste it in the food. When you have passion, you can turn the humblest dish into a gourmet meal.
*The Olde Tavern also entertains requests for dinner functions and other events