London Street Food - Malay Fusion At Sambal Shiok

Some things in London remain constant - bad weather, bad transport and traffic to name a few, but as an expat I'm always pleasantly surprised by what has changed each time I come back.

Parts of Soho are still pretty seedy but it's come on a long way in the last few years. One gentrification indicator are the new street food stalls - Street Food Union, on Rupert Street.

I bow to no man in my love of Malay food - the legacy of a prolonged spell working there a few years ago.
So, on a stroll past Rupert Street a while back I immediately plumbed for Shambal Shiok. Run by former lawyer, Mandy Yin, she specialises in Malay fusion cuisine.

(All images courtesy of Sambal Shiok.)

A Labour Of Love

The stall is very much a labour of love for Mandy. For a corporate lawyer in the City to re-trade as a stall holder might seem odd, but as Mandy says,

 "I have always loved food (especially Malaysian, having been born there) and cooking, and have also been an avid follower of the street-food movement and the London restaurant scene for years. I wanted to share my passion for Malaysian food with the world and thought that it was high time that Malaysian flavours got some well-deserved exposure in London."

Double Chicken Satay Burger, a.k.a "The Leaning Tower of Satay."

The Leaning Tower of Satay

Mandy has deliberately stayed away of the traditional curry & rice format, opting instead for brioche buns - roti bread is hugely popular in Malaysia so as Mandy says,

"Streetfood seemed to be the natural home for my hot buns, following in the steps of the rich hawker scene in Malaysia. I am proud to be part of the vibrant London street-food movement which is going from strength to strength."

I opted for the beef rendang burger, and it was some of the nicest I've tried outside of Sabah. The hint of coconut and lemongrass went really well with the richness of Aberdeen Angus beef, the sambal chilli sauce giving just the right amount of bite. There's also a satay chicken that I've yet to try and a vegetarian satay version. (There's a gag crying out to be made here about hot buns, but I'm a better man than that..)

Beef Rendang. In a bun. That's a culinary win for me...

It's always a boost to morale to see someone forsaking a corporate wage in favour of pursuing what they love. Perhaps more important for us hungry (and slightly hungover) chaps is the quality of the food - and Mandy's is fantastic. I'll definitely be back for seconds soon.

Mandy rotates the stall around several markets in London and also does event catering. To find out where she'll be check her website here.

Chaps Can Bake Too..

Illegal Stout Bread...

It is nearly the weekend, so time to again turn our thoughts to food & drink.

Living life on the edge.. the Danish Police could be here any second.

I've not ever been a fugitive from the law before, however this bread contains marmite, illegal here in Denmark, so I suspect my days as a free man may be numbered!

Based on a German recipe I found, this is a mite more involved than last weeks' soda bread offering but don't let that put you off - this is some of the nicest bread I've tasted. Wonderfully aromatic with the complex taste of the stout mixed with marmite & honey.

The dough is left to rise overnight, and then again for a few hours, creating a lovely moist loaf.

Ingredients:

1. 10g of fresh yeast (or a 1/4 tsp of the dried stuff.)
2. 1 liberal dollop Marmite.
3. 1 tbsp honey.
4. 330ml stout or porter, room temperature.
5. 400g strong white or spelt flour.
6. 200g rye flour.
7. 1 tsp salt.
8. 25g warmed butter, diced.
9. 1 tbsp left over beer, for brushing

Procedure:

1. Crumble the yeast in to a jug, add the beer, honey and marmite and mix well.
2. Mix the flours, salt and butter in a large bowl until you have something that resembles bread crumbs.
3. Make a well in the middle and pour in the liquid. Gradually work over until it is all mixed together and you have a sticky dough - if too wet add a little more flour.
4. Turn out on to a floured work top and knead enthusiastically for 10 minutes. The dough will gradually firm up.
5. Plonk in to  a bowl, cover & let dough rise for a minimum of 6 hours, ideally overnight in the fridge. The dough should double in size.
6. Turn out on to work top again and punch to deflate.
7. Shape in to a round and place on a baking sheet.
8. Cover & leave in a warm place to rise for 1 to 4 hours (depending on the initial temperature of the dough.)
9. Preheat oven to 200ºC / 400ºF / Gas-mark 6.
10. Assuming you have not already drunk any left over beer use it to brush the loaf. If you want to dust with cracked rye.
11. Score the loaf with a sharp knife.
12. Bake for 35 mins or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath.

Enjoy!