A Taste of Home: West End Actor Jon Chew Shares His Malaysian Food Memories

The actor, whose theatre credits include The King and I and Anything Goes, misses the mamak stalls

Actor Jon Chew credits The Stage Therapy for his current career in the performing arts. It was his first ever show, an ensemble piece of short plays performed at the Annexe Gallery in Kuala Lumpur in 2009.

That experience made him realise his love of acting, and he soon became a familiar face in the Malaysian theatre scene. Local theatregoers will probably remember this London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art graduate from productions such as The Last Five Years, Angels In America, and Philadelphia Here I Come. Chew won Best Leading Actor in the Theatre Category at the 19th Boh Cameronian Arts Awards for his performance in Theatresauce’s The Bee.

In 2018, he was cast in the London West End production of The King And I, performing alongside Ken Watanabe and Tony Award-winning actress Kelli O’Hara. Currently, he is performing in the West End production of musical Anything Goes, which also features Broadway star Sutton Foster.

We touch base with Chew in London between rehearsals recently, and make him to spill the beans on the Malaysian food he loves.

Chew in the play 'The Bee' (Photo by Anjali Venugopal, Theatresauce)

Above Chew in the play 'The Bee' by Theatresauce (Photo by Anjqli Venugopal/ Theatresauce)

How long has it been since you were in Malaysia? What food and drink do you miss the most?

I was there for most of 2020 when the pandemic hit, so I only just got back to London. Whenever I touch down in KL after some time away, the first thing I return to as a welcome home feast are either nasi kandar at Kayu in Petaling Jaya or pork noodles at Jalan Batai. Without fail. I usually pair it with either teh ais or teh o ais limau.

Do you have a favourite fine dining restaurant in Malaysia?

I hardly ever go fine dining, so I’m probably the last person to ask about this. Maybe the closest place I did go, which I’m not even sure falls in this category, was Bijan. I think I brought my mom there for her birthday one time.

How about for more casual experiences?

Oh, now we’re sweet talking. Other than kopitiams and mamaks, which are basically my go-to, I do like Li Restaurant in Damansara Jaya for their kaya on sourdough bread, amazing rice bowls; they also make great coffee. They also happen to have my most favourite service team in the whole world!

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Where would you bring your overseas guests for a real taste of Malaysia?

I would take them to a place that have a plethora of options. I did accompany a friend once on a food tour, and we went to a kopitiam in Chow Yang, SS2—it's always a good idea to bring guests to such places because you can sample different types of food. There’s also a durian stall nearby, and I would bring them to try the fruit, which I think is a gleeful local rite of passage.

Do you have a favourite bar or café in Malaysia?

I’m not a huge drinker, so I will defer to my friends who have their favourite watering holes. We would go to Locker & Loft where they also serve a mean pork nasi lemak, and JungleBird for their super interesting rum cocktails.

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Where do you go for authentic Malaysian flavours in London?

Roti King at Euston is probably the gold standard. It’s this tiny shop in a basement that can seat probably only 30 people at a time, and there’s a queue that easily lasts one hour to get in. I think they serve the best Malaysian-style roti anywhere. The other option is Malaysia Hall at the Malaysian High Commission—also in a basement, but good food at super cheap prices (well, as London food prices go).

What are your favourite places to eat in London?

I actually don’t eat out a lot in London as it’s super expensive compared to just going to a Tesco or Coop and buying groceries. If I do, I'll go for burgers at Honest Burger or Bleecker Burge. Duck rice at any Chinese restaurant in Bayswater. I did recently go to Jose at Bermondsey for tapas, and Lima Floral at Covent Garden for amazing Peruvian food.

Do you have any food memories connected to one of your theatre shows?

When I was doing shows at KLPac, we used to go to this mamak after the shows or rehearsals that we affectionately called “Caltex” because it was next to a Caltex petrol station. It became such a great place to hang and chat and debate, and just to spend time together as a community of artists. We used to hang out at Peng Hwah on Jalan Ipoh (which has since moved out) and it had these great little plates of food you can order with rice. I miss these places very much, not so much for the food but their connection to the performing arts family.

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Jon Chew A Taste of Home The King and I The Bee Anything Goes

Tatler Asia

A Taste of Home: West End Actor Jon Chew Shares His Malaysian Food Memories