By Gary Lee
Nasi lemak is a quintessential Malaysian dish that embodies the country’s rich culinary heritage. The dish consists of rice cooked in coconut milk and served with spicy sambal, fried crispy anchovies, roasted peanuts, and hard-boiled fried eggs, creating a delectable dish with varying flavours and textures. Traditionally, nasi lemak is served on banana leaves. Often enjoyed as a breakfast staple, nasi lemak has transcended its origins to become a beloved meal at any time of day.
But imagine this savoury dish as a dessert?
Ting, originally from Sarawak, Malaysia, who now calls Point Cook home, is the lady behind the viral nasi lemak cheesecake. She is the owner of Yew’s Little Pantry in Australia which gained significant attention for its innovative and eccentric nasi lemak cheesecake, a dessert that combines Malaysia’s traditional savoury rice dish with a classic cheesecake.
I recently caught up with Ting to talk about the inspiration behind the cake.
Ting, how did you start baking?
My love for baking began in childhood, spending joyful hours in the kitchen with my sister, Yew. We would watch our mum and aunties whip up rich, creamy cheesecakes, airy chiffon cakes, crunchy cookies, and colourful agar-agar (jelly) desserts. Those early moments sparked a deep passion for baking for the both of us. We experimented with recipes from mum’s hand-written recipe notes, tuned in to cooking shows and turned our kitchen into a creative playground where we lived out our own version of “masak-masak” (make-believe cooking that little children like to play) in real life.
What transpired from this initial interest?
My sister went on to study a bakery course in Taiwan. When she returned to Kuala Lumpur, she founded Yew’s Lil Pantry and became a pastry chef. For me, I continued to nurture my love for baking every day in my home kitchen in Point Cook, drawing inspiration from my heritage and our family’s sweet beginnings.
How did the nasi lemak cheesecake come about?
At one stage, the nasi lemak cake became hugely popular across Malaysia. This is a tiered savoury cake layered with coconut rice, sambal, cucumber slices, peanuts, and crispy anchovies. Fascinated by the trend, my sister wondered “what if we took the essence of nasi lemak and reimagined it as a dessert?” That question set her on an exciting culinary adventure, three days in fact to develop and perfect the recipe. She explored various flavours, textures, and combinations, determined to please, or perhaps astonish palates with an unexpected dish.
How would you describe this cake to the uninitiated?
This is not your typical nasi lemak cake made from rice and savoury toppings. Instead, our creation is a daring and playful fusion, combining the comforting aromas of nasi lemak with the unsuspecting rich, creamy tastes of a cheesecake, with just the right hint of spice. And just to be clear, there is not a single grain of rice in this cake, but you will taste the unmistakable soul of nasi lemak in every forkful.
While some consider it a dessert, others insist that it is savoury. A few individuals were left confused. Some reacted with a smile of amusement. The only definitive way to ascertain its appeal? Grab a fork (or eat with your hands as some would with nasi lemak), take a bite, and let your tastebuds decide!
Curious? Want to purchase a nasi lemak cheesecake for your next party? Check out Yew’s Lil Pantry Australia on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/yews_lil_pantry_australia
Also look out for the cendol cake, a fluffy gula melaka (also known as palm sugar) chiffon sponge, coconut whipped cream agar-agar (jelly), homemade cendol (worm-shaped jelly made from rice flour and pandan) and red beans – a light, refreshing twist on a classic iced, Malaysian dessert.
