Featured Press
“Dragon Boat Festival Is the Perfect Excuse to Indulge in Every Kind of Sticky Rice From blue-hued Malaysian-style to a sweet Northern Chinese variety, here’s where to eat the traditional snack around Manhattan—or recreate it at home… Saveur speaks to Chef Christina Arokiasamy”
37 New International Cookbooks for the Traveling Home Cook.
What’s key to understanding Malaysian rendang is that it is not simply a popular dish — it is a national treasure, beloved by millions, even topping CNN’s “World’s 50 Best Foods” list.
As Seen on WebMD Magazine
“Char kway teow – a popular stir-fried dish of flat rice noodles, bean sprouts and prawns – is synonymous with Penang’s street food, chef Christina Arokiasamy says”
“In this satay-style recipe, instead of threading thin strips of meat on skewers, Arokiasamy grills entire marinated lamb chops.”
“Hainanese chicken rice is a street-food favourite in Malaysia. Poached chicken that is fall-off-the-bone-tender and seasoned rice are at the heart of the dish”
“Think of it as happy cooking,” chef Christina Arokiasamy says. “Malaysian food is a journey of taste. Sweet, sour, salty, spicy and savoury hit your palate at the same time”
Saveur
“Dragon Boat Festival Is the Perfect Excuse to Indulge in Every Kind of Sticky Rice From blue-hued Malaysian-style to a sweet Northern Chinese variety, here’s where to eat the traditional snack around Manhattan—or recreate it at home… Saveur speaks to Chef Christina Arokiasamy”
Hawaii Reporter
“Take a culinary tour of Malaysia with Christina Arokiasamy”
Lucky Peach Today
“Arokiasamy writes: “You never need to feel intimidated by the strangeness of an ingredient. It is as close as your laptop.” Her approach is easygoing and her voice friendly; her recipes are both recognizably accessible.”
Prestige
These Malaysia-born chefs are bringing local flavours to the global stage BY SHARUNA SEGAREN 08 AUG 2022
Malaysia’s Coconut Shrimp and Rice Salad
Gardens in northeast Malaysia overflow with aromatic plants unfamiliar to most of us […] as well as more common lemon grass, mint, cilantro and many types of basil. And they all play a role in nasi ulam, a richly herbal and vibrantly textured rice salad. Rooted in traditional medicine, it originally was intended to cleanse the body of toxins, says Christina Arokiasamy, author of “The Malaysian Kitchen.”
Women Health
Arokiasamy says the key to finding the sweetest corn is to pull back the leaves one inch at the tip (don’t pull it back too much or you’ll ruin it for the next customer). It should be filled with plump-looking kernels and should also be wrapped very tightly.
Monocle Podcast
How Christina Arokiasamy wants to bring Malaysian cooking to the mainstream in the US, a top dining tip in Venice and the week’s headlines from Toronto.
The Advocate
Seattle author and cooking instructor Christina Arokiasamy makes the bold flavors of traditional Malaysian cooking accessible to Americans in her cookbook, “The Malaysian Kitchen: 150 Recipes for Simple Home Cooking.”
People Magazine
“The author of The Malaysian Kitchen offers a quick side dish that ‘will complement anything you bring to the table’ “
Seattle Times
“The author of ‘The Malaysian Kitchen’ was first fascinated with food as a child in Kuala Lumpur.”
NPR
“The first time I tried one of these recipes, I was tasting things in places I didn’t even know had taste buds. Yet that mysterious, intoxicating spectrum of tastes — the cultural legacy of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and beyond — is apparently made of building blocks like any other: lemongrass, galangal, chiles, lime leaves, coconut milk and so on.”
Oprah
“It seems to happen every time: Your chicken biryani looks and smells amazing, but tastes impossibly bland. The reason, says chef, author and spice expert Christina Arokiasamy, could be that your spices need refreshing”
The Seattle Times
“Spices do more than perk up the flavor of your food — they put a natural pharmacy right in your kitchen. Few people know that better than Christina Arokiasamy, the local author of the cookbook and memoir “The Spice Merchant’s Daughter.” “
Publishers Weekly
“Arokiasamy, a Malaysian native, professional chef, and cooking instructor, showcases a flavorful array of Malaysian dishes in this enticing and accessible collection.”
The Food Republic
“Think you can’t cook Malaysian food? Too complicated? Wouldn’t know where to start? Think again! This spicy, tangy, vibrant cuisine is well within reach if you have a copy of chef Christina Arokiasamy’s new cookbook.”
Library Journal
“Arokiasamy, a former chef at Four Seasons resorts in Thailand and Bali, teaches Southeast Asian cooking classes throughout the Pacific Northwest and has served as the official Malaysian food ambassador to the United States.”
Atlanta Restraunts
“Christina Arokiasamy grew up in Malaysia with a mother who was a spice merchant. Her friends called her “the girl with yellow hands” — I’m guessing it was all the turmeric she handled -– and when she walked home from school, she could smell her house before she could see it.”
As Seen on Front Page of Canadian Press
