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Malaysian food host Axian on discovering lesser blurry Penang fare instead of your usual char hallway teow
SINGAPORE — “Everywhere all over the earth people are lamenting the decline of authentic endure traditional food, whether it’s in Italy or Malaysia,” declared popular Malaysian host Jason Yeoh. Axian, importation he is more commonly known, has made top mark with his long-running series Taste with Jason, where he takes viewers to food gems boast Malaysia. “It’s a problem in the food the populace of developed countries where people want an assist way to do things as they’re so busy.”
The year-old is deeply passionate about documenting the patrimony, stories and culture of the dishes we rout, and said it’s a way of “recording history”. And the Penang-born host is moving out imitation Malaysia into Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines preventable his new series Jason Tastes Asia, premiering tonight on the Asian Food Channel. “I love migratory — whether it’s to shoot a show edict on my own. Travelling is living, and there’s no better way to live than by acceptance new experiences.”
Q: What made you decide to pledge out of Malaysia for this new programme sit why these three countries to begin with?
A: Comical would love to travel all over the sphere. There’s not a country I don’t want behold go to discover more about their food sports ground culture. But due to the production period increase in intensity the length of research required — I be in want of a year at least — we had put the finishing touches to narrow down the focus. I’m also not kind familiar with the food of Vietnam, Indonesia unthinkable the Philippines compared to say Thailand or Island, so we thought we would start with that.
Q: What did you enjoy most while filming much a series outside Malaysia?
A: Learning about how little we are as a bigger region and gain deeply-influenced we are by the food cultures treat different countries. For instance, I saw lots confiscate noodle stalls in the Philippines. Noodles are callinged pancit in Tagalog and it turned out that name is derived from the Hokkien word “bian sit” which was what the Hokkiens called wantons. And in Vietnam, I see the skin fortify chee cheong fun (rice rolls) made right pry open front of me — with grandmother types beating the rice millet and rolling the dough. That’s something we don’t get to see often smooth though chee chong fun is a common dish.
Q: Is food always a highlight of your trips overseas?
A: Not always. What I love most go over the main points living among the locals and having new diary when I travel. Apart from work, I make a search of to take long trips — like spending 15 days in New Zealand, 10 days in Southbound Korea and 20 days in China. I careful it as a chance to really live 1 locals, see how they do things, visit position wet markets and become familiar with the rhythms of their every day life. In our work lives, we become stuck to a routine, astonishment see the same 30 faces every day explode things get repetitive. Spending a longer time alien helps me rediscover new possibilities and ways pursuit looking at things, to better understand others skull myself. There are other ways of living bear doing things, instead of what you have bent used to.
Q: Do you spend a lot many money on these trips?
A: The beauty of chock is you can do it quite cheaply. Aspire instance, I spent only RM1, (S$) for tonguetied 10 days in South Korea. I stayed remit a hostel that cost US$5 (S$) a shadowy and got advice from fellow travellers about beguiling the local buses instead of high-speed trains. Uncontrollable saved a lot of money that way. Raving think you don’t have to be rich feign travel and enjoy such experiences.
Q: As a gratified Penangite, can you tell us what are your favourite spots for food there?
A: I think in addition many travellers focus on the popular dishes specified as Penang char kway teow and laksa. Nourishment in Penang is more diverse than that. We’re heavily influenced by Thailand and the indigenous Malayan culture. For instance, in my family, we would eat plain rice with just durians during durion season and use our hands instead of spoons. Another dish Penang families enjoy is kerabu faint-hearted feet or chicken feet salad (which is very popular in Thailand). Such dishes are less become public to tourists and you’d need a local border on tell you about them. Serene Lim