I can’t believe that I’d never heard of Plate Culture until last week.
And now that I’ve become a devotee, I can’t believe that it only exists in SE Asia – it’s such a fantastic idea.
At the risk of being accused of epicurean evangelism, let me try to convert you.
If you’re lucky enough to live in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore or the Philippines, you can go to a dinner party and enjoy a meal cooked by a real foodie, but without any of the stress of having to reciprocate … you simply pay for the dinner and then go home afterwards, leaving your host with all the washing up.
It’s described on wikipedia as ‘airbnb for food’; hosts list their offerings, and guests book up and pay via the website.
Eight of us went to Ken’s flat for an authentic Peranakan dinner. He used recipes that came from his great-grandmother, who was 102 when she died in 1979, so it must be very healthy food.
I’ve become really interested in the Peranakan culture since I arrived in Malaysia. It used to be called Straits Chinese and is mainly found in Malacca and Penang, so I was delighted to find someone with authentic Peranakan roots and recipes here in KL.
Ken is a university lecturer who loves cooking and sharing his heritage on his days off.
The write up sounded fab:
We had a fantastic meal, took our own wine, and listened to all Ken’s stories about his family and food
and the cost of the evening was £13.24 a head.
With a bit of forward planning, I should easily be able to stick to my resolution to avoid cooking for the whole of my stay in Malaysia; whilst at the same time supporting the local economy, keeping traditions alive and fostering intercultural relations … I’m beginning to feel like a bit of a hero.