Felix Foodie InSight: #1

Hey, my name is...Michelle

I'm from...Malaysia, but I’ve never lived there! Right now home is Bangkok, Thailand.

And I study...Chemistry

My university meal habits...I usually cook all 3 meals a day. Cooking for me is less of a chore; it’s more an opportunity for me to try out all the recipes I have stacked up in my bookmarks folder. On the weekends I take a break, and I like to pick out a café/restaurant I have on my never-ending list of places to try in London.

I get most of my food inspiration from...my mum and grandmother, for Malaysian food and Asian food in general. They have taught me how to make the standard curry, rendang,kaya (coconut jam) and _kueh (_traditional sweets) but with their own personal twists. I’ll admit it is a bit difficult to find some of the ingredients here and sometimes I’ll need to make substitutions, but if I ever crave food from “home”, I’d be able to whip it up quickly. Thankfully, I’ve stocked up well on curry pastes and packet sauces from the local supermarkets in Malaysia for any emergencies.

Foods/foodie gadgets I can't live without...I can’t live without my blender! I’m a huge fan of making my own green juices as they can be pretty expensive from juice bars in London. But that’s not the only thing you can make in there, though! From soups to salad dressings, even quick pestos and hummus...the world is your oyster.

A fond childhood food-related memory...Whilst I was still living in Hong Kong (you can tell I’m a true Third Culture Kid by now) we used to frequent the rainforest café at Festival Walk. The theme of the restaurant is just so kid friendly and when I walked past the Piccadilly Circus branch the other day; it brought back all my happy memories as a kid growing up in Hong Kong.

My biggest food vice...I cannot say no to bread! The smell of it wafting through any bakery in London just draws me in. I can never find the same quality back home. If I have time and temperatures permit my bread to rise, I like to bake my own. An added bonus is my house smells amazing afterwards!

Someone famous I'd like to have a lunch date with...Jose Andres, who is a Spanish avant-garde chef and one of the first few chefs to bring molecular gastronomy to America. He earned his fame caramelizing olive oil and even turning potato chips into foam. I’d love to ask where he got his inspiration from to change people’s mindset on food, and to discuss how food consumption isn’t just for the sake of providing nutrition but providing customers with a unique experience.

My funniest food gaffe...I was being ambitious and wanted to make myself some Thai green curry with some curry paste I brought from home. Little did I know that this one little sachet had the potency of like…15 small green chilies. Without tasting the paste I decided I needed about half the pack to make a portion for myself. When I took the first bite I had a flashback to when I had bitten into a small green chili thinking it was a vegetable, the pain and the heat is indescribable. No matter how much water I downed I could not get rid of the burning sensation. I just laughed at myself all the while downing multiple cups of milk, water or just any cold liquid I could find. Lesson learnt: taste while cooking and never underestimate the Thais’ ability to tolerate spice!

What I love about (good) food... How it has the ability to bring back old memories from when I used to eat certain foods as a kid, i.e. McDonald’s apple pie (my absolute favourite) or baking a lemon meringue pie that I used to bake often for my best friends back home.

I don’t just love cooking for myself, I like cooking for others. It makes me happy to be able to share the joy of food with others and I love how it always brings people together. I’m a huge fan of Christmas and Christmas dinner is my favorite meal to make. Whenever it nears that time of the year I’m just eager to get in the kitchen and start cooking. Thankfully I have my housemates to help share the joy, especially when it comes to making and eating the desserts! I’m always open to trying new things and (sneakily) getting tips from other people when I try their food.