Miller Mai is the newly appointed head chef at Ding Dong in Amoy Street, well-loved for its innovative mod-Asian dishes that meld familiar and traditional Asian flavours with progressive culinary techniques.
Kuih pie tee with a chilli crab filling at Ding Dong.
He has introduced 18 new dishes to the restaurant’s a la carte menu that play on local food memories, including his own rendition kambing masak merah, where lamb shank is braised for 12 hours and doused in a rich red sauce with chickpeas. Peranakan flavours are captured in a dish of beef short ribs with earthy buah keluak sauce and winged bean salad. He even marries crispy kuih pie tee cups with a moreish chilli crab filling for a satisfying starter.
Mai is no stranger to local cuisine and its comforting flavours. He spent his childhood helping out at his parents’ zichar stall and started his own culinary career at 14 at a local food court selling Western fare before honing his craft at culinary school and joining the Spa Esprit group in 2014.
He shares his recipe for a luscious beef cheek rendang that can be served with rice or as a filling for steamed lotus buns, making it a perfect finger food for a potluck party. He says: “I remember trying a similar dish during my holidays in Malaysia a few years back. I bought it off the street, from a roadside stall. The rendang was wrapped in roti prata, it was very innovative and gave me the inspiration to create my own version of the dish, but with lotus bun instead.”
He shares his recipe for a luscious beef cheek rendang that can be served with rice or as a filling for steamed lotus buns, making it a perfect finger food for a potluck party. He says: “I remember trying a similar dish during my holidays in Malaysia a few years back. I bought it off the street, from a roadside stall. The rendang was wrapped in roti prata, it was very innovative and gave me the inspiration to create my own version of the dish, but with lotus bun instead.”
Slow-cooking beef cheek instead of the usual chuck or brisket results in a meltingly tender curry and Mai advises braising the meat as a whole instead of cutting into smaller pieces before cooking so that it holds some of its texture. This is a dish that freezes well, but you probably won’t have any leftovers.
Rendang Bun
2kg beef cheek
10 pcs cardamom
8 cloves
3 sticks cinnamon
5 pcs star anise
10g coriander powder
10 pcs kaffir lime leaves
30g gula Melaka (grated)
500ml coconut cream
Salt to taste
For the spice paste:
50g shallot
50g garlic
20g lemongrass
40g galangal
40g young ginger
10g turmeric
50g red chilli
20g candlenut
100g dried red chilli (soaked)
200ml corn oil
Method:
1. Using a food processor, blend all the components of the spice paste into fine paste.
2. Lightly season the beef cheek with salt. Place a sauce pot over high heat and add in 2 tablespoons of oil and sear both sides of the beef cheek. Set the seared beef cheek aside.
3. In the same sauce pot over medium heat, add the cinnamon, star anise, cardamom and cloves and toast till aromatic.
4. Add the blended spice paste into the same sauce pot.
5. Cook the spice paste till fragrant and caramelised. Add the rest of the ingredients.
6. Lastly, add the seared beef cheek and cook for 2 hours over low heat. Slow-cook the beef until tender and the meat falls apart when you pull it with a fork.
7. Serve with steamed lotus bun and pickled cucumber.
2kg beef cheek
10 pcs cardamom
8 cloves
3 sticks cinnamon
5 pcs star anise
10g coriander powder
10 pcs kaffir lime leaves
30g gula Melaka (grated)
500ml coconut cream
Salt to taste
For the spice paste:
50g shallot
50g garlic
20g lemongrass
40g galangal
40g young ginger
10g turmeric
50g red chilli
20g candlenut
100g dried red chilli (soaked)
200ml corn oil
Method:
1. Using a food processor, blend all the components of the spice paste into fine paste.
2. Lightly season the beef cheek with salt. Place a sauce pot over high heat and add in 2 tablespoons of oil and sear both sides of the beef cheek. Set the seared beef cheek aside.
3. In the same sauce pot over medium heat, add the cinnamon, star anise, cardamom and cloves and toast till aromatic.
4. Add the blended spice paste into the same sauce pot.
5. Cook the spice paste till fragrant and caramelised. Add the rest of the ingredients.
6. Lastly, add the seared beef cheek and cook for 2 hours over low heat. Slow-cook the beef until tender and the meat falls apart when you pull it with a fork.
7. Serve with steamed lotus bun and pickled cucumber.
