Sambal Shiok: The Malaysian Cookbook

A vibrant collection of over 90 Malaysian recipes from Mandy Yin, the chef behind London’s acclaimed Sambal Shiok restaurant. Yin is Malaysian-born Chinese of Peranakan Nyonya heritage, and this book draws on both her mother’s home cooking and the dishes she developed for her restaurant, which became famous for its curry laksa.

Why Start Here

If you want restaurant-quality Malaysian food and are willing to put in the work for it, this is your book. Yin’s signature laksa recipe alone is worth the purchase. She walks you through making the paste from scratch, building the coconut broth, and assembling the bowl with the right toppings. The same level of detail applies to her beef rendang, roti canai, prawn fritters, spiral curry puffs, and her collection of sambals.

The Peranakan Nyonya perspective gives this book a distinctive character. Peranakan cuisine is the cooking of the Straits Chinese, communities that blended Chinese and Malay culinary traditions over generations. The result is a style of cooking that is intensely aromatic, labor-intensive, and deeply rewarding.

What to Expect

A 256-page hardcover with beautiful photography and personal stories woven through the recipes. The book is organized by dish type, from snacks and starters through rice, noodles, and curries, to sweets. Yin includes helpful travel tips for eating your way through Malaysia. The first print sold out within two months and the book was shortlisted for the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards and the Andre Simon Awards.