Few chefs have done more to put Malaysian cuisine on London’s food map than Mandy Yin. As the founder of the much-loved and award-winning Sambal Shiok in North London, Mandy has become known for her bold flavours, deep respect for tradition, and her mission to share the richness of Malaysian food with as many people as possible.

Alongside her restaurant and writing, Mandy is also an ambassador for celebrASIA, Battersea Power Station’s festival of South East Asian food and culture, taking place this September (13th – 15th). Ahead of the event, she sat down with us to talk about her journey into food, the evolution of London’s Southeast Asian dining scene, and why raising awareness of Malaysian cuisine remains at the heart of everything she does.

You originally trained and worked as a lawyer before becoming a chef. What inspired that career leap, and how did it shape the way you approach your work today?

I was working unsustainable hours in corporate law for several years and burnt out. At that time, I knew that I needed to do something in the food industry, as growing up in Malaysia, food has always been my one true passion in life. I still use many soft skills that I learnt practising law, like project and people management, problem-solving, risk analysis and listening. It was also very important to me to build a diverse workplace that was a meritocracy; this was not always the case in the spaces I found myself in as a lawyer.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in the early days of Sambal Shiok, and how did you overcome them?

I always knew that I could cook, but had never worked in a commercial kitchen or any real hospitality other than pulling pints in a pub when I was 18. So, I started off in street food, selling my unique Malaysian chicken satay burger as the street food scene in London in 2012-15 was incredible.

It also seemed a natural place to be, seeing as street food is how we eat in Malaysia. I learnt how to cater for hundreds of people every service and then, through my pop-up restaurant, I learnt how to manage front of house, a kitchen and a full team of people. The largest hurdle that still challenges me today is educating people on the complexity of Malaysian cuisine. There is a misconception that all Asian food should be ‘cheap’. However, throughout my food career, I have tried to make as much as possible myself rather than using store-bought sauces or pastes. For example, at the restaurant we make at least 40kg of my unique laksa paste every week to keep up with demand. But every now and then someone will ask why our food is ‘so expensive’, not realising how much we spend on labour and ingredients, making everything in-house.

Was there a moment when you realised Malaysian food could really resonate with a London audience?

People really loved my chicken satay burger from my street food days, but over time, my customers would ask me to open a restaurant so that they could come eat my food in comfort and out of the rain, and to serve laksa. So, I created my laksa bar as a pop-up restaurant. One of my very first pop-ups was in January 2016 when I took over a friend’s restaurant in Finsbury Park for two weeks. We didn’t take reservations. I was worried that nobody would come as January is usually a tricky month for hospitality, as everyone has spent all their money over the Christmas period. But to my great surprise, there were queues every single night for my laksa, even one night when it was snowing! This was the lightbulb moment for me, when I realised that I needed to take my laksa bar as far as it could go. I opened my laksa bar as a permanent restaurant in 2018 to critical acclaim and have never looked back.

As an ambassador for celebrASIA, what excites you most about the festival?

Last year was an amazing experience, and it’s a joy and a privilege to be returning as an ambassador for the festival a second year in a row, especially as it has become the biggest celebration of South East Asian food, culture and community in the UK. It’s not always easy for the South East Asian diaspora to travel home as often as we would like, and festivals such as celebrASIA offer an opportunity to come together and foster a stronger sense of belonging in our adopted home. It’s also a chance for us to share what we love most about South East Asia with people who may have never visited the region before and are keen to experience everything its rich culture has to offer. With food from world-renowned chefs, an artisan market, live music, dance performances and arts and craft sessions, celebrASIA will offer something for everyone and I can’t wait to join in the fun.

Could you tell us more about your collaboration with Chick’N’Sours for the event — what can visitors expect from the exclusive dish?

11 years ago, my chicken satay burger launched my food career across London’s best street food markets. I got to know David Wolanski, the founder of Chick ‘N’ Sours, when I first started out as we were sometimes part of the same markets. Our Satay Fried Chicken collaboration, which we have worked on especially for celebrASIA at Battersea Power Station, is wonderful as it brings me back full circle to my street food roots. The Satay Fried Chicken sandwich combines Chick ‘N’ Sours’ incredible chicken with Sambal Shiok’s unique tomato sambal, and, of course, my famous peanut sauce, which has been drawing crowds since 2014. I can’t wait for celebrASIA festival goers to experience it.

celebrASIA will showcase food, drink, arts and performances from across Southeast Asia – which parts of the programme are you personally most looking forward to?

I’m looking forward to being transported to Southeast Asia for the weekend and soaking up the atmosphere. I had so much fun at this incredible festival last year, and I can’t wait to be back. Of course, being a chef, I’m most excited about trying all the food, particularly sitting down at The Feasting Table, which is a brand new concept for this year’s event – intimate, long-table dining experiences, offering exclusive menus cooked over fire by some of London’s best South East Asian chefs – Abby Lee (Mambow), Budgie Montoya (Sarap) and John & Desiree Chantarasak (AngloThai). I’ve already bought my tickets!

I look forward to browsing the Artisan Market inside the Power Station’s turbine halls, and watching the traditional music and dance performances, which will transport me back home. Last year, I especially enjoyed the magical gamelan performances. I’d love to participate in some of the arts and crafts sessions too, including Royal Selangor’s School of Hard Knocks where visitors can craft their own personalised pewter dish, with master craftsmen travelling from Malaysia to London especially for the festival. The Grand Tour is something fun for families to do together, and is a great way to learn about the different Southeast Asian countries through a fun quiz. I did this last year with my three-year-old son, and he loved it!

How have you seen the Malaysian and wider South East Asian food offering in London evolve since you opened Sambal Shiok?

When I first started 11 years ago, Malaysian food was severely under-represented in the city, with only a handful of Malaysian restaurants open. My passion has always been to introduce as many people to Malaysian food as possible, and to showcase the rich variety of the cuisine.

In the last decade, the number of Malaysian restaurants in London has grown significantly, including several laksa-centric restaurants. Together with restaurateurs and other prominent Malaysians in the UK, such as Masterchef 2014 winner, Ping Coombes, Roti King’s Sugen Gopal, Mambow’s Abby Lee, Eatlah’s Rob and Mel Ngo, Normah’s Normah Abd Hamid and Dapur’s Sharizah Hashim, we are collectively educating the British public on how incredible our cuisine is. Lesser-known cuisines run by chefs proud of their heritage are also doing well, with Cambodian Mamapen, Filipino Donia and Luto, and Thai Singburi flying their respective flags in London.

For more information on celebrASIA, see here.