MALACCA’S Peranakan cuisine is loved by Malaysians for its aroma and taste, but imagine elevating the authentic flavours with modern smoking techniques, and grilling with locally-grown forest wood.
Wood & Grill, the latest restaurant opened in Paradigm Mall, serves local favourites with a distinctive twist developed by chef, founder and culinary director, Chef Paul Chia.
Born and raised in Malacca, Paul has more than 24 years of experience as a chef and has worked in 15 countries around the world, from the USA to Kazakhstan.
Among others, Chia worked at The Setai, a five-star luxury resort in Miami Beach, USA; Hilton London Green Park in England, and various five-star hotels and high-end restaurants, including in top cities like Shanghai.
In 2020, the chef had to come back to Malaysia due to lockdown, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise for local food lovers.
Since then, he has opened not one but two Peranakan cuisine restaurants; The KamCheng in Malacca in December 2020 and another, KC & Co, in Plaza Arkadia, just last year. Wood & Grill is his third restaurant.
A different concept
For his latest venture, Chia maintained the essence of authentic Peranakan taste but explored a new approach – Nyonya-Western grilled fusion food.
It is an entirely new concept, utilising techniques and skills used in western cuisine, including grilling, and smoky flavours from wood chips.
“As a chef, I always know what elements can elevate a cuisine to another level. By using the wood smoking technique, it’s a marriage between modern technique and traditional Peranakan food,” said Chia.
An unexpected idea
In order to find the right marinade and flavours, Chia tried and tested an abundance of spices and herbs, before zeroing in on what would become his signature recipes for marinades and sauces.
“I choose particular spices that are not overpowering in taste to marinate the meat, as certain spices do not work well with smoking or grilling techniques, for example, any kind of roots of plants.”
“Ginger will overpower the wood smoke, so I picked spices that are light in taste. One of the best ingredients that works well with grilling and smoking is black pepper, which works great with all these techniques.”
