Meid By Mei

14/11/2022

Banana Leaf Rice - a traditional serving method made popular in Malaysia by our South Indian community. Not only do banana leaves impart a subtle aroma to your dish, they are also 100% biodegradable 🌱and make clean up a breeze!

We were so fortunate to be able to celebrate our dear friends’ milestone anniversary with a BIG cook (30 elements in total!) over the weekend. What an adventure it was and we would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Congratulations Jenny and Wong on such a joyous occasion! ❤️

09/07/2022

Ondeh-Ondeh Cake - a modern twist on the traditional kuih.

Pandan Chiffon layers, Gula Melaka coconut, salted Gula Melaka cream and Pandan chantilly cream.

01/05/2022

Orh Kuih - Hokkien for Yam Cake. Though funnily, it is made of Taro and not Yam 🤷🏻‍♀️

While most cakes are sweet, Orh Kuih stands out as being a steamed savoury snack topped with fried dried shrimps, crispy shallots, green onions and red chilies.

Shoutout to Alexx .blue.tea for this special request 🙌🏼

03/10/2021

I’ve had the privilege of growing up in a Nyonya household where my Ah Ma, like most grandmothers, is the best cook in the family. I don’t know how she did it but we’d have a feast every day and she’d still have enough in her repertoire to give us more (and then some)!

While Ah Ma doesn’t do as much sweets, she makes them well when she does. One of my favourite is her Bubur Cha Cha. Not only is it delicious to eat, it’s also really fun to look at!

Bubur Cha Cha consists of steamed tri-coloured sweet potatoes and taro/Chinese yam that’s cooked in a sweet and mildly salty coconut broth. Where there is coconut milk, there will also be Pandan leaves. That unmistakable fragrance is like a sweet perfume you could eat! And as if there is not enough going on, black eyed peas and handmade tapioca jellies are also added to this traditional dessert for texture, colour and variety.

16/09/2021

Before the day ends, I want to share a post to commemorate Hari Malaysia/Malaysia Day. The Malaysian Federation was formed on 16 September 1963, becoming the Malaysia we know today.

So what better way to celebrate the country than with its national dish - Nasi Lemak. This coconut rice dish is sometimes tinted a beautiful natural blue using Butterfly Blue Pea Flowers which we now have access to in Australia, thanks to .blue.tea

Add on some traditional sides such as Ayam Goreng Berempah (Spiced Fried Chicken) and Ikan Goreng Kunyit (Fried Tumeric Indian Mackerel) and you’ll have the Malaysian equivalent of a happy meal!

Selamat Hari Malaysia my fellow Malaysians 🇲🇾

09/09/2021

Hokkien Mee - with those two words, I instantly think of an intensely flavoured, mildly spicy prawn broth on noodles and (if you haven’t guessed it by now) TOPPINGS!

However, different versions of Hokkien Mee exist outside of Penang. If you were in Kuala Lumpur, you would expect thick, chewy wheat noodles stir fried in lard and dark soy sauce; and if you were in Singapore, noodles stir fried and lightly braised in a fragrant seafood stock.

Also, Hokkien Mee is believed to have its origins from the Fujian province in China as ‘Hokkien’ is the romanised word for Fujian.

While I couldn’t possibly rate my favourite version, Penang’s Hokkien Mee is what I grew up with. I could easily have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and/or supper! Please don’t judge me 🤭

Making this dish is a labour intensive process that begins with peeling and saving up as many prawn heads and shells as you can, then frying them in a chilli paste made of shallots, garlic and dried chillies. It is then boiled, blended, sifted and added to a stock made of pork ribs and bones. Here’s a tip, add crispy lard and fried shallots for that extra fragrance and wonderful depth of flavour.

FYI, this is not the healthiest of meals but definitely a very enjoyable one 🧡

31/08/2021

31st August 2021 marks the 64th Malaysian National Day or what we call, Hari Merdeka.

To celebrate, we’re having cake - Pandan Chiffon Cake to be exact. Naturally flavoured and coloured using freshly juiced Pandan, which some would say is the vanilla of South East Asia.

This cake is light, airy and so easy to eat. Perfect with a cuppa!

20/08/2021

This is pretty much a party in a box 🥳

Happy 1st birthday Baby Owen! We hope these boxes of Malaysian treats enabled some sort of celebration with your friends and family despite the lockdown. Xx Mei

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11/08/2021

06/08/2021

Nostalgia in a bottle 😍

Those who grew up in Malaysia, Sirap Limau or Air Bandung? What’s your pick?

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29/07/2021

A friend said that they miss our cooking and made a special request for Mee Jawa. So of course we got cooking!

Mee Jawa - ‘Mee’ is the Malay word for Noodles and ‘Jawa’ is for Java, Indonesia.

You may have already noticed that Malaysian food often share similarities with food from its neighbouring countries so it wouldn’t be surprising that we have a Javanese Noodle!

Here is a Malaysian-Chinese version of the dish which uses prawn stock, lemongrass, tomatoes, tamarind slices, jicama, potatoes and sweet potatoes to create a luscious broth.

To assemble (in order of appearance):

1. Yellow egg noodles
2. Fried beancurd/firm tofu
3. Mung bean sprouts
4. Boiled potatoes
5. Hard boiled eggs
6. Fried prawn fritters
7. Sweet potato broth
8. Shredded lettuce
9. Sambal
10. Lime (preferably Calamansi)
11. Crushed peanuts
12. Fried shallots
13. Crispy crackers

Sounds like a lot on a plate? That’s because it is! But they make such a great team 🙌🏼

Follow us to see when Mee Jawa will be on our menu!

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15/07/2021

Full Moon Celebration: Usually celebrated by Chinese-Malaysians to signify that a baby is a month old.

Full Moon packs are distributed to family and friends as a way to celebrate and introduce the newest member of the family.

What each dish represents:

Red Eggs - luck and new life

Nasi Kunyit (Tumeric Glutinous Rice) - to never go hungry

Chicken Curry - to always have meat on the table (symbolises wealth)

Kuih - traditionally, gender specific Kuihs are given to symbolise either the birth of a male or female. But we went with an assortment of Kuihs just because ☺️

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our dearest friends, Michelle and Graham, on the birth of baby Damien! Well done all three of you 🥳

28/06/2021

27/06/2021

Satay/Sate - when I first heard of Satay in Australia, I was pretty thrilled that a local street food from home found had popularity here! Though soon after, I learned that there was Satay EVERYTHING… from meats to seafood, veggies and even noodles! 😮

While the first thought of Satay here is usually a peanutty stir-fry, in Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries that share the same dish, it is almost always referring to chargrilled marinated meat pieces on skewers.

The Malaysian version is marinated with fresh turmeric, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, ginger, shallots, chilli, palm sugar and spices such as ground coriander, cumin and fennel seeds. It is then slow grilled over charcoal until tender, juicy, and smoky! The typical condiments include peanut sauce, cucumbers, red onions and sometimes rice cubes (especially during festivities).

If you haven’t had the chance to enjoy an authentic Malaysian Satay or just missing this delectable snack, keep a lookout for when it’s on our menu!
Xx Mei

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06/06/2021

Laksa - generally known as noodles in spiced coconut broth. However, ask any Malaysian and they will tell you about the different variations ranging from creamy coconut to sour tamarind broth (don’t even get us started on the types of noodles!). I think it is safe to say that almost every state in Malaysia has their own signature Laksa 🍜

Coming from Penang, I tend to gravitate towards Asam Laksa - a tangy and spicy fish broth with thick rice noodles. Don’t be fooled by the fishy/pungent smell wafting through the kitchen (I’m not selling this very well am I? 😂) as behind that lies a flavourful broth that is packed with flavours of torch ginger flower (more on that later), Vietnamese mint, galangal, lemongrass, turmeric, shrimp paste, chilli, tamarind and much more.

Pro tip: Go heavy on the topping and you can potentially pass it off as salad 😏

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17/05/2021

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our friends for trusting us with their dinner yesterday. It was a wonderful evening and we look forward to hosting all of you again.

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15/05/2021

Fresh Tasmanian Greenlip Abalone awaiting our private diners. We hope our guests will be as excited as we are!

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12/05/2021

Wishing all our friends who celebrate, Selamat Hari Raya!!

Rendang? Lemang? Satay? Ketupat? Bring it on 🙌🏼

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09/05/2021

Before the day ends, we would like to take this opportunity to wish all Mums a very Happy Mother’s Day (although really, they should be celebrated everyday!)

A few of our friends picked up their Mother’s Day Bundle today which features a Sweet Box and a Savoury Box. More on that later!

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07/05/2021

Today’s introduction is Kuih.

Yes, there is a whole category of sweets in Malaysia that is neither cake, pastry or jelly. They are soft, chewy, fragrant, not overly sweet and just really fun to eat!

These are usually made of coconut milk, pandan and flour such as rice/glutinous rice/tapioca/mungbean (or a combination of them). So if you’re looking for a gluten free/vegan dessert option, start here!

Thank you for trusting us with your order!

Fun fact: The plural noun for Kuih, is Kuih-Muih, which I often like to call Kuih-Mei!

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04/05/2021

So what better way to kick off Meidbymei than by introducing the Malaysian national dish - Nasi Lemak!

While its direct translation might not sound as appealing, it actually means rice that has been cooked in creamy coconut milk, spices, pandan leaves (more on that later) and a good pinch of salt!

The standard condiments of Nasi Lemak includes fried peanuts, fried anchovies, hard boiled egg, sliced cucumber and a good dollop of sambal.

This dish can be served in many forms. It can be as simple as a banana leaf parcel or served with a side of Chicken Curry, Rendang, or even Seafood.

Tip: In Malaysian cooking, anything that uses coconut milk will require some salt to enhance its depth of flavour and creaminess.

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27/04/2021

Hello and welcome to Meidbymei, where food is lovingly made by Mei for friends of Mei.

We focus on sharing authentic Malaysian cuisine with our friends in Newcastle NSW (and sometimes Sydney 🙌🏼). Along the way, we will also tell stories about our food culture, unique ingredients and how it is made so stay tuned for that!

If a Malaysian food adventure sounds good to you, come join us, say hello and be a friend! Xx Mei

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