Serving a rare cuisine in M’sia, this restaurant is finally opening a 2nd spot after 9 yrs

Here in Malaysia, there’s always a little something for everyone. Be it Peranakan, Korean, a classic Western, or something novel, when it comes to food, we’re certainly spoilt for choice beyond just a comfy mamak restaurant.

In the short time that I’ve been with Vulcan Post, I’ve also come to learn that our dessert game is getting up there as well.

It almost feels like an evolution of our trading hub roots as cultures continue to come and mix with our own, forming the Malaysia of today.

However, if you’re craving Macanese cuisine, things might be a little tricky. It’s not exactly the most popular thing in our country.

But that’s not to say that it doesn’t exist here.

My first exposure to Fat Tea Macanese Food located in Petaling Jaya was through one of Foodiver’s posts, and it immediately intrigued me.

Headed by June Yap and the now-retired Susana Batalha, this eatery claims to be the first and only Macanese restaurant in Malaysia. 

Such a statement is, of course, difficult to verify. But the fact that the Macau Government Tourist Office collaborated with them in 2019 should be plenty indication that they are the real deal.

Taste of home

Fat Tea’s two co-founders met through a mutual friend five years before opening their restaurant in 2016.

June is a local entrepreneur who’s been involved in KL’s dining scene since the 2000s and is the one responsible for the place’s decor.

Previously, she ran Oriental Cravings, a Chinese restaurant in 1 Utama following in the footsteps of her parents and grandparents.

“I don’t know how I ended up in the F&B business!” she shared.

“When I was young, when I saw my parents and grandparents working too hard, I told myself I never want to go to F&B. But I guess I have the genes?”

Susana, on the other hand, is herself Macanese, being born in Macau to a Portuguese mother and Macanese father. She previously operated a cafe in Sydney for over 17 years before moving to KL with her partner.

Prior to her retirement just last year, she worked as the business’ chef and it is her heritage that gives Fat Tea the confidence to call its dishes “authentic.”

“Both my parents are great cooks. My mom was a dessert queen and my dad used to cook every chance he could,” said the co-founder in an interview with our sister company Discover KL.

“We wanted this restaurant to be an authentic take of what I could remember of Macanese food.”

As per Fat Tea’s website, Macanese cuisine is a mix of Cantonese and Portuguese culture.

It finds its origins in Portuguese sailors and settlers who brought European ingredients along with “other favourites” to Macau.

These “favourites” originate from major trading posts such as the Western Cape in South Africa, Goa in India, and Melaka where Susana’s great-great-grandmother actually happens to be from.

As June puts it, you could say that Macau is home to one of the world’s first instances of fusion cuisine.

A balancing act

The dishes served at Fat Tea consist of Susana’s passed down recipes primarily handed through word-of-mouth.

Preserving these recipes is thus crucial to the business and is something that they make sure to not lose sight of, especially now with her moving back to Sydney.

Being the national dish of Macau, one can naturally expect to find minchi on Fat Tea’s menu. It is a combination of minced meat stir-fried with vegetables, usually served alongside rice and eggs.

Fat Tea’s take on minchi specifically uses pork mince, onions, diced fried potatoes, long beans, and a fried egg. “Chi yau cha,” or pork lard cooked to a crisp, is also served on the side.

Patrons will also be able to find Macau’s ever famous pork chop bun amongst the restaurant’s lineup as well. Their version is prepared with an in-house sauce with the meat sandwiched between two sourdough buns.

Capela, porco balichao, and porco bafassa are only several other examples of what else the restaurant has to offer and their menu can be found here.

But of course, Macanese food may not be to everyone’s tastes. And with it being still unfamiliar to a lot of Malaysians, there’s also the crowd who don’t like being adventurous with their food to consider.

For these customers, they’ll be glad to know that Fat Tea also serves items like Hokkien mee, carryovers from Oriental Cravings.

While the business is passionate about its heritage, passion, June noted, is something that needs to be tempered with smart business practices. 

Perhaps had they only served Macanese food, they would’ve alienated themselves from an entire audience. Namely, those just looking for a place to eat and, as it turns out, many of their current regulars.

“Adapt and evolve with customers needs,” said the co-founder when asked to share tips for aspiring F&B entrepreneurs.

That also comes with understanding your niche, which explains why something like their chicken chop too has a Macanese flair to it.

Celebrating tradition

Though June noted that customer feedback has generally been quite positive, one of the biggest challenges that the restaurant faces is operating costs.

COVID-19 especially didn’t make things any easier, but the business managed to stay afloat by implementing online orders into their business model during that time.

At present, the plan for Fat Tea is to open a new branch in the upcoming KLGCC Mall in Bukit Kiara. And part of the reason for this expansion is actually for Fat Tea’s foreign staff who June sees as family.

“They’ve been with me for eight nine years, you know? I want to have a better life for them,” said the owner.

“This restaurant is not enough to sustain all of them if they want to make more money.”

Fat Tea shares its name with “Cha Gordo,” a concept in Macau that quite literally translates to “fat tea.” It is a time-honoured tradition where loved ones get together and feast. Think birthdays, weddings, or Christmas.

With how deeply Fat Tea is tied to family and heritage, there truly is no better name for the business.

Featured Image Credit: Fat Tea Macanese Food