Last Sunday....

It has taken me quite some time to get this done. The interview with Tok Din (who used to run Malaysia Hall canteen in the late 90's was done live last Sunday. The drive to the studio had taken longer than we imagined. But we got there on the dot BUT the studio manager had some accident in the bathroom and couldnt get to open the door for us until five minutes past air time!!! The song by Siti Nurhaliza saved us and I sat down to proceed with the programe and then realised the microphone was half a mile away from Tok Din!!! The first of a few technical glitches on live radio!!

There's also an interview with husband and wife team - Azhar and Ani who is now running Makan Cafe in Protobello.

But....do listen to the classic old Malay songs from Tok Din's collections, which includes Sejakku Bertemu Padamu, Pegang-pegang Tali, Janganlah Tenung-tenung, Jikalau Abang Merindu and Hamidah. Simply love these songs!

This Sunday....

This Sunday, 19th April I will be on air again, Insyaallah. And I am hoping to talk to some people who know all there is to know about how Malaysian food has impacted the UK market.

One of them came to pursue his studies but his true vocation is in the kitchen. And it certainly proved to be the right thing to do.

When he was managing the Malaysia Hall Canteen, his koayteow goreng and mee bandong was legendary. Malaysians visitors would come back in droves for seconds. The locals became loyal customers and later close friends. The hospitality that he and his wife offer can be compared to none.

Long after their contract at the canteen ended, when it was still in Bryanston Square, people are still talking about his food. Any gatherings held at his house, you can be assured that there's standing room only. Come hari raya, even strangers make their way there after hearing the reputation and his skills in the kitchen.


Also, I am hoping to talk to another husband and wife team - old friends of ours too - who had made a success of their venture in restaurant food. They too started with Malaysia Hall canteen and then opened up one restaurant before the present Makan Cafe in Portobello.

These people are fine examples of people who work hard and make it in a foreign land.

Insyallah, traffic permitting, Sunday 19th April, if you want to join in, go to www.nusoundradio.com and click to listen live at about 1505 London time. This is The Sounds of Malaysia, community radio, thus the programme is full of advertisements.

Insyaallah, we will be on air on Nusoundradio.com 92 FM.

So, wherever you are now, if you had passed through London in the late 90's and had visited Malaysia Hall canteen during its glorious days in Bryanston Square, you must have enjoyed the hospitality and delicious food from Azhar and Ani, and later Ton Din and Midah.

I am also looking forward to play some very old Malay classics from Tok Din's collections.

So, tune in, ya?
PS - we should be on air at 1505 London time and 10.05 pm in Malaysia. Insyaallah.

The week that was

The above video is actually the radio programme that I hosted, with some song requests from some of you. Apologies I couldnt play all as we ran out of time - but if you have time do enjoy the chit chat. The pictures I pasted in the video was to enable me to post mp3 on blogspot.

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I believe I have lost a week and need to recover. It all started with a trip to Manchester for the Manchester Games, which I thoroughly enjoyed – being among the students there, watching them play and enjoying the food at their food court. But it was all work, work, work. Then, back in London, as you know, we had some very important visitors in town, thus the new baju being flown in from KL.

I am sorry I can't publish any of those photos here as we were not allowed to take pictures. But it was a pleasant enough dinner and suffice to say, I didn’t trip or do anything outrageous as I was introduced.

The following day was indeed hectic – it was the event at Harrods. Oooh, so many celebs – and VVIP’s – I saw Lady Raine Spencer (Princess Di's stepmom) walking around saying hello to everyone and then suddenly she walked over and paid compliments to my dress which I bought at KL Sentral! Haha – if only she knew that it cost only £10!

Dt JC was busy with Nancy DellO’llio, and Datuk Bernard Chandran and wife were also there..some of the pictures I’ve put in the video as apparently that’s what I have to do to publish the Radio programme I did last Sunday, That’s another story :–

In the studio with me was also Khalid Din, an old friend of mine who is also, what I consider a cultural Ambassador to Europe. It was a good interview and I managed to play a few songs that you have requested. Unfortunately, there were lot of adverts so, we had to play that and we soon ran out of time.

The song Kekasih at the end was cut short but will remedy that when I come back from work later.

Ps. I dont think I can do more with the song as it took a good three hours to post and publish the whole thing.