Coming 1/30: Indomalaya pop up collab at Koko Head Cafe

Get a taste of Malaysia
Melissa Chang,
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Growing up, I thought it was strange that although I could handle spicy foods, I didn’t like them. It seems logical that someone who can take the heat would enjoy it, right?

Then, 10 years ago, I went to Singapore and Malaysia, and I finally understood. They have wildly spicy foods there, but the other blends of spices and seasonings used in Southeast Asia create truly exotic flavors that people in Hawaii are simply not exposed to. The fresh herbs and vegetables with the coconut notes and chili blends create a complex, aromatic, spicy umami of varying degrees in every dish. And when I tasted them, I knew my soul had come home. (Interestingly enough, some Singapore locals noted that I looked more Singaporean than they did, and Malaysians assumed I was Peranakan, which is a Chinese-Malay mix.) The heat of the chiles didn’t simply rip through my mouth; there was a more holistic connection between the different spice flavors and the delivery of the burn. My nose ran and my lips were tingling but I just couldn’t resist each subsequent bite.

Clockwise from left: With Mari Taketa and other travel friends at the Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur; my banana leaf lunch on the bus from Kuala Lumpur
to Penang; and me with Mrs. Chang, the Peranakan owner of Nonya Cafe in Penang. She thought I was local and by the end of lunch said I could
call her Auntie. Thanks to 23AndMe DNA testing, now I know that I really am one of them.

Fortunately, you don’t have to travel all the way to Malaysia to get this experience anymore. Chef Andew Pressler has been doing Indomalaya Hawaii pop up dinners at Prima Kailua once a month for about a year, and will be doing a collab dinner with chef Lee Anne Wong at Koko Head Cafe on January 30.

Okay. Pressler isn’t exactly a Malaysian name, but this guy is the real deal. He was introduced to Malaysian food while working for James Beard Award-winner Zak Pelaccio in New York City, and since then Pressler has pursued his love of Southeast Asian cuisine whenever he can. Wong had heard about his monthly dinners and was interested, since she had cooked in Kuala Lumpur for a month at one point. Once she tasted his food, she felt she had to bring him closer to town to do this dinner.

The pop up on January 30 will be a communal dinner where you eat on a banana leaf using your hands — the way they do it in Malaysia. OCD diners can get utensils, but they want you to experience the cuisine authentically. Mixologist Dave Power will be pairing whiskey cocktails, so you know it’s going to get pretty loud and fun. The $90 fee includes tax, tip and cocktails.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the dishes they’ll be cooking for the collab. You can get your tickets here.

Fresh roti is a buttery Malaysian flatbread, lighter but moister than naan (if I have to make a comparison, but there’s no comparison) with curry dipping sauce.
Sambal eggplant with ground pork, Thai basil and kecap manis (a sweet, thick shoyu that creates umami in the dish). It’s sweet and salty
with a slow spicy burn.
Nasi ulam: jasmine rice, herbs, sambal matah (shallot and lemongrass relish), green curry powder and toasted coconut.
Kari kambing is a spicy goat curry with bamboo shoots and bean sprouts for freshness and texture. There’s no gaminess to this; the meat just gives it 
heartiness to anchor the pretty cardamom notes and the bold pepper while the other flavors swirl in your mouth.
Sambal shrimp with sambal tumis (fried chili paste) and cashews over coconut rice and ong choi. This is actually pretty mild, since the unexpected twist is biting
into the cashew (which oddly matches, despite the surprise). This is more mellow than the others, but still showcases the range of Malaysian cooking.

IndoMalaya HI and Koko Head Cafe collab dinner
January 30 • 6 to 8 p.m.
$90 includes dinner, tax, tip and four whiskey cocktails
1145 12th Ave.

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