Deb Ong 翁诗美

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nihilistnomya_at_aus.social@momostr.pink

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Last Notes

2025-03-26 23:08:20

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I should probably also add that the historical and systemic opression of brown people by Chinese Singaporeans is also a part of my personal history, and is something that I have had to pick apart and be critical of myself.
Nobody is free from prejudice and preconceived notions of 'other people'.
The more aware we are of this. The more we can make a concerted effort to be open and to learn more about the people around us.

2025-03-26 22:51:33

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Identity is multi-faceted.
I can be Australian. I can also be Singaporean with Chinese heritage.
All of these can be true at the same time.
Becoming an Australian resident does not negate my Singaporean-ness or my Chinese-ness.
On the contrary, my Singaporean-ness and Chinese-ness add to the diversity that is Australia.

2025-03-26 22:44:40

Just a regular reminder to white people that saying shit like "I don't see race/colour" or "I don't care what their heritage is if they're a good person" is actually pretty patronising and demeaning.
Identity matters. History matters. They shape who we are, the values we hold and the kind of people we become.
If you don't see race or colour, then you're not actually accepting people wholly for who they are.

2025-03-25 06:27:06

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You know, embarrassingly, I thought I was, as their content comes up on my feed quite regularly... But apparently not!
This has been amended.

2025-03-25 04:12:16

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SEA food is tough because so much of the flavour comes from dried shrimp or fish sauce.
I usually substitute those things with a mix of preserved radish (chai poh), mushrooms, salted/fermented soy (tau cheoh) or black beans, dried kelp... Depending on the flavour profile of the dish/s.
It'll take a bit of trial and error, but you can build up an arsenal through practice so you can alter almost any recipe. 🙂

2025-03-25 03:57:09

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There are enough places that do things the old school way.
I love those places and will continue to support them as a customer, always.
We're trying to do something a little different.
Hopefully it pays off, cos it's a lot of work 🤣

2025-03-25 03:53:00

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And for those foods that require common allergens as a base... Or where things like crustaceans form the bulk of the flavour profile...
Well, I do them as once-off specials on the weekend. So everyone wins 😁🙃

2025-03-25 03:49:32

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I do this because over the years I have met many SEAsians who have either developed allergies or become vegan/vegetarian for a gamut of reasons, and the longing for those flavours are real.
It also opens the doors for more people to try our food, and that's always a wonderful thing.

2025-03-25 03:45:35

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This doesn't mean that I don't use things like fish sauce, dried shrimp and peanuts in my cooking.
I just adjust the order in which they are incorporated, so that I can make *most* things on the menu vegan/vegetarian/gluten free if a customer has allergies or dietary requirements.

2025-03-25 03:43:46

Traditionalists might fight me, but I am all about making heritage food accessible while trying to remain true to flavour and nostalgia as much as possible.
We make all our spice pastes in-house, and I have found ways to make ours completely plant-based and nut-free without compromising on flavour.

2025-03-25 03:27:40

We have an absolutely fabulous barista who not only makes the best coffee, but also comes up with really fun (plant-based) drink specials.
This one is apple and pandan with a whipped matcha 'cream'. Garnished with freeze-dried strawberries.
We have a lot of fun collaborating between kitchen and bar, because that's the way it should be 🤷
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/114/220/917/022/453/920/original/5f94c406e98433dd.jpg

2025-03-22 08:05:03

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My second chef, who had the day off, texted me to "post it on the business page ya dickhead" 🤣
Of course I didn't see this till I was cleaning down.
Also. I love my team. 💜

2025-03-22 08:01:40

In today's small business shenanigans... I posted our weekend special on my personal insta account instead of the business account 🤣
It was so busy that I didn't realise until we had closed.
We sold out for the day anyway so... 🤷
I guess I'll try again tomorrow. Lol.

2025-03-15 05:14:43

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People wax lyrical about Singapore Chilli Crab, but honestly, Black Pepper Crab is where it's at.
There's something about the sweet, musky and floral notes in the toasted peppercorns that marry so well with burnt butter, chilli and curry leaves.

2025-03-15 05:14:08

I was pretty excited to share this weekend's special with our regular punters 🤸‍♀️
Black pepper squid with house-made Spätzle (a German style pasta), daun kesum (vietnamese mint), spring onions and a lemon pangrattato.
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/114/164/696/191/587/660/original/fadc585fe47a5c97.jpg

2025-03-13 03:17:29

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I will always remember Ken.
His earnest thank yous to every member of staff as he would leave.
How he liked his coffee.
How he loved our caramel bundts.
How he was so proud to introduce us to his family every time they came to visit.
Rest in peace gentle sir.
Have a pint for us up there 💜

2025-03-13 03:17:04

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The thing I love the most, above feeding the people that come into our establishment, is them letting us become a part of their lives.
Cafes, while private enterprises, can be beautiful community spaces.

2025-03-13 03:16:45

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This is not the first time this has happened. We've had other regular customers pass away over the years.
The grief of their loved ones seeping into our lattes and scrambled eggs.
The stories of their demise finding their way to us by proxy.

2025-03-13 03:16:28

We are sad today.
An elderly customer has passed away.
Their family just came in to let us know, and to thank us for taking care of him.

2025-03-06 04:02:38

This is a big 'fuck you' to the highschool teacher that told me that my A level GP (General Paper) essay, while well-written and engaging, was to be graded a C because it was "supposed to be an argumentative essay, not a literature essay" 🫠
Pictured: An excerpt of reviewer's comments on a paper I recently submitted
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/114/113/467/217/026/896/original/1caf001b38af51a3.jpg

2025-01-16 13:32:25

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I'm in Bali atm, and babi guling is a prime example of fantastic nose-to-tail eating in just one dish.
Crispy pig skin, crackling, crisp fat, sausage, liver, pulled shoulder, sliced belly, chopped cartilage with lemongrass and chilli, pork loin satay, broth made from the bones.
Sedap.
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/113/838/277/711/909/170/original/0802cced966d166d.jpg

2025-01-16 13:30:14

One of the things I miss the most about eating in Southeast Asia is how nose-to-tail eating is such a normal and accessible thing.
Whether its kway chap (flat rice noodles served with braised pork and innards), braised duck noodles or hainanese chicken rice, all parts of the animal are used.

2025-01-02 02:46:47

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💯
Also yay for 'twisted' dishes!

2025-01-02 02:11:30

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I fully intend to continue annoying traditionalists while trying my best to respect heritage flavours and create tasty food for people to enjoy 💜
Pictured: Squid ink risotto inspired by Sotong Masak Hitam.
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/113/756/332/771/729/190/original/fd91e4fba6066476.jpg

2025-01-02 02:10:22

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All that said, I really do appreciate the amazing regular customers that support and see value in what we do.
It really is the epitome of trust when people come in every weekend and order the 'special' without even knowing what it is 🤣

2025-01-02 02:09:56

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If it tastes good, even 'delicious', why does there have to be a '...but...'?
Can't we just appreciate something for what it is without having to squish it into a category and preserving it in amber?
(We also don't *just* do Malaysian food. But that's a whole 'nother thread 😅)

2025-01-02 02:09:37

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Moreover, 'authenticity' is so dependant on time, place and experience.
Peranakan/Nonya cuisine was borne out of the confluence of different techniques and ingredients from multiple cultures.
Why do we purposely fossilise what was once fluid and exploratory?

2025-01-02 02:09:16

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It is precisely why we named our business Masak Masak.
It literally means to play-cook. To experiment, to try, to create.

2025-01-02 02:08:57

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My techniques are not traditional.
I use modern appliances when applicable and when it makes sense for what is being produced.
I draw from European techniques and kitchen operations and apply them to the flavours I grew up with.
It is not a stretch or an intentional attempt to 'fuse' cuisines.

2025-01-02 02:08:37

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I can only cook from my experience, and we have never claimed to be 'authentic'.
I learnt how to cook heritage food mainly from cookbooks, while using memories and my palate as a guide.
My training and commercial experience has been mainly in European cookery.

2025-01-02 02:08:11

So I've been wanting to talk about this for awhile.
There are so many things to unpack in this one review - which, all things considered, was still a 5-star review, so I do appreciate it.
But... (slightly ranty)🧵
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/113/756/315/492/638/686/original/105009ce3d4ec5d2.jpg

2024-12-23 05:05:51

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I cook two batches of rice. One with blue pea flower water, and the other without ☺️ Then mix. Gives a really nice contrast.

2024-12-23 05:00:58

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Babi Kari Assam is such a quintessential Nonya dish.
A curry dish that uses pork and highlights the aromats and spices fron the Southeast Asian region, it is delightfully tangy from tamarind, with notes of lemongrass and limau purut (makrut lime).
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/113/700/372/023/621/539/original/bc7c9e6977dbc6f6.jpg

2024-12-23 04:59:14

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The ulam is a riot of textures and flavours.
Shallots, fresh lime leaves, lemongrass, pepper, toasted coconut.
It also gets a variety of choppedherbs tossed through it, usually what is available locally.
I used daun kesum (vietnamese mint), regular mint, holy basil and perilla leaves.
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/113/700/367/416/888/048/original/9150ddaeb4c30add.jpg

2024-12-23 04:58:02

While I do love mucking around with different ingredients and techniques across cuisines, I also really enjoy cooking heritage food.
Nasi ulam (rice salad) coloured with bunga telang (bluepea flowers), served with babi kari assam (pork tamarind curry), nonya achar (spiced pickles) & a fried egg.
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/113/700/351/627/888/029/original/bfc090d7eb97ff21.jpg

2024-11-12 07:26:46

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Every week I bare my soul on a plate.
It is a very vulnerable place to be, but also (I feel) the most honest way I can express my exploration of the peculiar mix that is the sum of my heritage and experiences.

2024-11-12 07:13:02

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This is just the most recent weekend special.
We whip one up every week and it it so much fun.
I am inspired by what is in the markets, or something that I've seen on the internet or in a book. Sometimes it's a conversation or a craving or a challenge by a regular customer.

2024-11-12 07:10:04

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Take this dish as an example.
Inspired by sotong masak merah, it features grilled local Aussie squid in a rich chilli and tamarind sauce spiked with lemongrass and makrut lime leaves.
It is served with spätzle - a German-style pasta that I fell in love with while working for a German chef - house-made with coconut milk and tossed in shallot oil and sumac for a subtle tangy hit.
The dish is topped with citrusy Vietnamese mint (laksa leaves) for freshness and a lemon pangrattato for texture.
Served on a sizzling cast iron plate because it's just fun and reminds me of humid Singapore nights and tze char dinners with the fam.
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/113/468/725/508/992/004/original/81bfa7a183004f85.jpg

2024-11-12 07:06:20

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So I cook, searching for the smells that waft through my memory, with whatever quasi-traditional skills that I have gleaned through working in different Western kitchens, the internet and from books.
My food is a reflection of me and my very personal culinary journey through the different seasons of my life.

2024-11-12 07:05:15

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I am a kid of diaspora re-discovering the flavours of my childhood and motherland through the lens and techniques of a chef trained in the European tradition.
I did not have the privilege of cooking aside a skilled traditional home cook while growing up. My mother was always working. My grandmother had servants to cook for her. She knew how to cook, but disliked it immensely.

2024-11-12 07:04:22

I've been on a bit of a journey of self-discovery with my cooking at our joint in the last year and it's been very enjoyable and also extremely soul-affirming.
Cooking food inspired by heritage can be very daunting. You're often not 'authentic' enough for the traditionalists, while at the same time too foreign for the unfamiliar.
So I've stopped caring and just cook what I think is tasty.

2024-10-26 06:06:01

Today a customer told us that the humble poppyseed flatbread we served with our weekend special was just as good as her mum's naan. 🥹
Honestly, it really is the little things that keep us doing what we do 💜
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/113/372/198/719/023/724/original/f9362c5a0d732f28.jpg

2022-11-09 07:00:58

So after a couple of days of snooping around and butting into conversations, I guess it's #introduction time 😁
I'm originally from Singapore, but moved to Naarm (Melbourne, Australia) in 2004.
I have been in the hospitality industry for 18 years.
The last 12 of which have been spent in the kitchen as a chef. I post about #food a lot 😏
I also have a background in #Anthropology, #SocialTheory and #HumanNutrition.
Am currently in the middle of a #PhD in #Education - researching community #foodpedagogies as well as food education in #PublicHealth.
I am passionate about #SocialJustice, #FoodSecurity, #Decolonisation and dismantling systems that perpetuate division and inequity.
I am a #dancer, #SciFi geek, a novice gardener and have a regular #yoga practice.
Open to meet anyone and everyone. Excited to be here and looking forward to many amazing conversations and friendships! 💜
#Introductions #Newbie #TwitterMigration