goingplacesmagazine.com
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51
| August 2019
Zoe Rai (^) | CHEF’S CUT
- Zoe Bangsar is warm and welcoming and has
a homely feel - – 3. Rai's flavourful anchovy pasta (recipe on
the next page)
When Zoe Rai found himself standing at a
crossroads in his life five years ago, he took the
big leap of faith most of us can only envy –
trading a successful bank regulator’s career to
pursue a passion that would eventually allow
him to help others less fortunate than himself.
For more than a decade, Rai worked in Malaysia’s
central bank in a position that gave him a lot of
exposure and opportunities, including travelling
around the world. But a series of bad personal
relationships had him examining himself. “I went
through a very difficult stage in my life. I was very
unhappy, and then one day, it hit me that it
wasn’t the other person; it was me.” With that
striking realisation, Rai took time off work and
literally headed for the hills. “I lived in the
mountains of Chiang Rai (in Thailand) for three
months, teaching English to the locals. It really
gave me a different perspective in life,” he said.
When the stint ended and he returned to work,
Rai found he could no longer continue at the
bank. He was still unhappy. “I had been with Bank
Negara for 14 years. It was a great career and I
was very blessed. But I realised I needed to do
something that was more me. Doing something
that you’re good at and doing something that
you love are two different things.”
In January 2014, Rai left the bank for good and
enrolled himself in a culinary arts programme at
the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu in Adelaide,
Australia. There, he learned to master basic and
advanced techniques of cooking for six months,
and underwent practical training for another six
in one of Australia’s most celebrated restaurants,
Quay, and in Nahm in Bangkok.
Training in the two restaurants opened a lot of
doors for Rai, who then “staged” for five years
in both Australia and Thailand, often in two
restaurants at any given time. “I had no salary
during this time, so I was very fortunate to
have had the support of friends and family.
My friend JP helped me the most. He helped
with my tuition fees and living expenses.”
Rai finally returned home two years ago and is
now a chef in a restaurant he set up in the
affluent neighbourhood of Bangsar in Kuala
Lumpur. Zoe Bangsar is located on the first floor
of a row of shophouses with hip cafés, Western
restaurants and local coffee shops. It helps to
keep the cost low as rent is cheaper, said Rai,
though he is aware the restaurant may miss out
on foot traffic.
His menu is diverse, from Asian to Western,
crafted from an amalgamation of the dishes he
grew up with and those he has cooked in
restaurants where he trained. You’ll find mains
from khao soi, a coconut curry-based noodle dish
from northern Thailand, to Baby Octopus and
Prawn Bisque Tagliatelle and Lamb Ragu
Paccheri. “My mom was a great cook. When we
were growing up at home, I’d have Punjabi food
for lunch. Then at dinner, we’d have Western or
Chinese,” said Rai, who is of mixed Sikh-Nyonya
Chinese parentage. Describing the menu as
comfort food, he has adapted the recipes to suit
his style of cooking and the ingredients he can
find from the local markets.
When Zoe Bangsar first started, Rai had only
three items on the menu, partly to keep costs
low but also due to a lack of floor and kitchen
staff. In the first few weeks of operations – Zoe
Bangsar opened in January this year – friends
and acquaintances, even central bankers, helped
out by becoming wait staff and cashiers.
“In the last six months, staffing has been the
greatest challenge. On the opening night, I had
no waiters, no cooks and no dishwashers. That
was why I kept my menu small. I was cooking
alone for 40 people,” said Rai, who lost 10
kilogrammes in the first two weeks of opening.
To overcome this, the restaurant serves only five
days a week and Rai chooses dishes that have
synergies, where he is able to use the same
ingredients across a few dishes. “My prices are
quite low for what I’m serving. For example, I use
imported Australian striploin and not Indian
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