IMAGINE fish sauce on popcorn or lotus paste with salted egg on a doughnut. Weird? Not if you ask recipe developer Loh Yi Jun, who writes and blogs at Jun & Tonic.
The chemical engineering graduate from Cambridge boldly experiments with different flavours and ingredients, bringing the idea of exploring taste to a whole different level.
His unusual combinations are quirky and yet mind-blowing.
“I find a lot of joy playing with food,” said Loh.
“I really like combining different ingredients and flavours, dishes that you might not expect to go together. For example, Kimchi in Carbonara, soy sauce on popcorn. I like learning about food from different cultures and not limit myself to cooking Malaysian food,” said the 29-year-old, who shares his funky creations with 13,000 followers on his Instagram page @jun.and.tonic.
One of Loh’s creations has a distinct Umami (savoury) flavoured popcorn. Popcorn varieties are usually sweet or salty.
“It blew my mind. People don’t really play with flavours or put Umami flavours on popcorn. I put soy sauce, fish sauce, Sriracha chili sauce, seaweed and Bonito (Japanese fish flakes) on popcorn. “After it popped, I made caramel out of the fish sauce and rolled it with the popcorn. It turned out really nice,” said Loh.
“There is a fine balance. You don’t want it to taste too spicy or use too much of Umami. But when you get the right balance, it tastes pretty good.”
He was enthused about the Mooncake Donut.
“Lotus paste and the salted egg were made into a puree and piped into Bombolini (Italian-filled doughnut),’’ he said.
Loh described the creation as a light, deep-fried confection with a mooncake taste.
“I feel it is very appealing. All these flavours really excite me. Experimenting is almost like playing with my food.”
Sometimes, Loh has to tweak the recipes to get a perfect balance, especially with a concoction that has not been tested by anyone else.
“A lot of experimentation will take place. That is the job of recipe developer, to make it better or improve the recipe, step by step,” said Loh.
He also presents the food uniquely. For instance, he made Korean sweet potato bread in the same shape and colour as the actual thing.
What attracted Loh to play with food?
“Maybe, it’s the engineer or science part of me.
“If you want the best Char Kuey Teow or fried rice, you would know where to get it. But for Kimchi Carbonara, very few restaurants serve it. I want to be able to push boundaries and make a truly great version of such foods.”
Loh, whose “cooking repertoire” includes Maggi Goreng (fried instant noodle) and hard-boiled eggs, honed his skills while studying in the United Kingdom eight years ago.
“During my time at the university, my love for food really grew,” said Loh, who has also completed a culinary course (diploma) in London and Paris before working for fine dining restaurants such as Blue Hill at Stone Barns, a two-Michelin stars restaurant in New York.
Food was never a calling he was born into.
“I don’t have that kind of origin story like helping my mom in the kitchen since young,” said Loh.
“I always knew that I loved food since I was a child. It is something I slowly developed. I have a very deep interest and love for food. That is why I do what I do.”
Loh feels that his food career is still a work in progress. He plans to focus on developing his skills
as a recipe developer and food writer.
He tells Asian food stories via his independent podcast Take A Bao, and stays up to date with sustainable farming practices and learning about the food chain, as part of his upskilling.
Currently, Loh develops recipes for brands or companies that want to highlight a specific product.
For example, a jelly made with non-alcoholic wine (for Le Petit Beret).
“What has always driven me is the desire to keep learning more about food and having fun with it,“ said Loh, who loves local food like Wanton Mee but has a weak spot for refined Japanese food.
“I want people to get excited about food. I want to share the joy of eating, cooking and encouraging people to push the boundaries and play with food. I just want to have fun in the kitchen!”
