Search a title or topic

Over 20 million podcasts, powered by 

Player FM logo
Artwork

Content provided by AFAR Media. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by AFAR Media or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
Player FM - Podcast App
Go offline with the Player FM app!

Afar, A Retrospective: A Malaysian Chef Reclaims Her Past with Laksa

20:00
 
Share
 

Manage episode 450205796 series 3354098
Content provided by AFAR Media. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by AFAR Media or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

This podcast episode is part of Afar, A Retrospective. As part of Afar’s 15-year anniversary celebration, this episode from our sister podcast, Travel Tales by Afar, was selected as one of our favorites. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do—and stay tuned for more archival Travel Tales episodes from September - December 2024. Explore more of our favorite stories over the years at afar.com/fifteen.

A pet orangutan, a 106-year-old grandma, and a wedding where 10,000 guests were fed. When writer and host of NPR’s The Splendid Table, Francis Lam, heard stories from his friend Azalalina Eusope about her life in Penang, Malaysia, he couldn’t help but marvel at them.

But when the San Francisco-based chef (who has served Barack Obama and the Malaysian prime minister) invites Francis to come home with her after a decade away, he discovers the complex family dynamics that underpin her stories—and the ways that food can bind even the most complicated families.

Five Generations of Street Vendors

In this episode, explore:

  • What it’s like to visit street vendors in Penang, Malaysia
  • How a fine-dining chef recreates traditional Malaysian dishes
  • Some of the food traditions of the Mamak people in Malaysia

Remaking the Past with Laksa

Don’t miss these transformative moments:

[04:09] Star anise and curry: Rediscovering Malaysia’s comforts.

[08:42] The sights, smells and salts of Penang’s street food scene.

[10:04] “I felt so gross for having my notebook with me.” A bittersweet homecoming.

Time Travel Through Tripe Salad

As a teen, Azalina Eusope vowed she wouldn’t follow in the footsteps of the four generations of Mamak street vendors that came before her.

In this episode, the San-Francisco based, Malaysian chef returns home with writer and host of NPR’s The Splendid Table, Francis Lam. Together, they discover how cooking Malaysian dishes does more than preserve her culture—it grants her the power to reclaim it.

Resources:

Read Francis’ original story on afar.com

Follow Francis Lam on Instagram

Dine at Azalina’s in San Francisco

Check out NPR’s The Splendid Table

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  continue reading

118 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 450205796 series 3354098
Content provided by AFAR Media. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by AFAR Media or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

This podcast episode is part of Afar, A Retrospective. As part of Afar’s 15-year anniversary celebration, this episode from our sister podcast, Travel Tales by Afar, was selected as one of our favorites. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do—and stay tuned for more archival Travel Tales episodes from September - December 2024. Explore more of our favorite stories over the years at afar.com/fifteen.

A pet orangutan, a 106-year-old grandma, and a wedding where 10,000 guests were fed. When writer and host of NPR’s The Splendid Table, Francis Lam, heard stories from his friend Azalalina Eusope about her life in Penang, Malaysia, he couldn’t help but marvel at them.

But when the San Francisco-based chef (who has served Barack Obama and the Malaysian prime minister) invites Francis to come home with her after a decade away, he discovers the complex family dynamics that underpin her stories—and the ways that food can bind even the most complicated families.

Five Generations of Street Vendors

In this episode, explore:

  • What it’s like to visit street vendors in Penang, Malaysia
  • How a fine-dining chef recreates traditional Malaysian dishes
  • Some of the food traditions of the Mamak people in Malaysia

Remaking the Past with Laksa

Don’t miss these transformative moments:

[04:09] Star anise and curry: Rediscovering Malaysia’s comforts.

[08:42] The sights, smells and salts of Penang’s street food scene.

[10:04] “I felt so gross for having my notebook with me.” A bittersweet homecoming.

Time Travel Through Tripe Salad

As a teen, Azalina Eusope vowed she wouldn’t follow in the footsteps of the four generations of Mamak street vendors that came before her.

In this episode, the San-Francisco based, Malaysian chef returns home with writer and host of NPR’s The Splendid Table, Francis Lam. Together, they discover how cooking Malaysian dishes does more than preserve her culture—it grants her the power to reclaim it.

Resources:

Read Francis’ original story on afar.com

Follow Francis Lam on Instagram

Dine at Azalina’s in San Francisco

Check out NPR’s The Splendid Table

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  continue reading

118 episodes

All episodes

×
 
Loading …

Welcome to Player FM!

Player FM is scanning the web for high-quality podcasts for you to enjoy right now. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices.

 

Copyright 2025 | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | | Copyright
Listen to this show while you explore
Play