PETALING JAYA, March 11 – The rolled crêpes, golden with the use of turmeric and lacy like the net Hephaestus made, wait patiently in an uncovered bamboo steamer.
Your task, should you accept it, is to spoon some of the luscious chicken curry over each delicate pancake, nuggets of soft potatoes gently falling into eager nooks and crannies.
This is the Roti Jala Gulai Ayam at Tanaair, a restaurant in Taman Paramount, PJ that specialises in “Malaysian plates”.
The roti jala is a familiar local favourite, of course, while the gulai ayam is inspired by the style found in Kedah, also known as gulai ayam utara.
Tanaair founders Ryan Wong and his father. — Picture courtesy of Tanaair.
Tanaair is the brainchild of Ryan Wong, a thirtysomething Malaysian F&B entrepreneur. Together with his father, Wong also runs bröom, a Nordic inspired bakery and eatery (with two outlets in PJ and KL) as well as the bröomery, their wholesale bakery arm.
Wong shares, “Being Malaysian and obsessed with Malaysian food, I couldn’t not incorporate some into the menu at bröom.
“Some of our most popular items there include Proudly Malaysian, a nasi minyak platter with chicken rendang and otak-otak, and Prawny Kid, our take on curry laksa.”
It was a natural progression, then, to explore the local side of bröom further which ultimately resulted in Tanaair.
Wong says, “We started Tanaair as a creative outlet for myself and my culinary team of young and curious chefs to explore and reconnect with our Malaysian culture, flavours and heritage.”
As bröom’s menu retained a more Nordic focus, Tanaair was the perfect solution for Wong’s team to “dive deeper into Malaysian dishes, classic bakes and kuih-muih... to connect with our family recipes and flavours of our hometowns, from Kedah to Kelantan to Johor, and even across the pond, in Sabah and Sarawak.”
Nasi Lemak Rendang Kambing. — Picture courtesy of Tanaair.
This diverse pool of influences is reflected in some of Tanaair’s rendangs, which are in the Kelantanese style, to their Sabahan Coconut Bun. This homegrown stance extends even to the décor of the restaurant.
Wong shares, “The interior of Tanaair is also designed with our signature local sustainability ethos, manifesting in a contemporary kampung house, with our locally sourced all-rattan ceiling, an open door concept and wooden windows that open fully to convert our space into an inviting anjung (or kampung porch) amidst the bustling cityscape.”
Speaking of kampung fare and Malaysian plates, the most popular item on Tanaair’s menu is without a doubt their nasi lemak. One can have this Classic style or with add-on proteins such as Ayam Berempah, Ayam Percik, Rendang Daging, Udang Petai and Sambal Sotong.
Wong suggests, “Pair the nasi lemak with our Rendang Kambing, cooked the traditional way but with New Zealand mutton, and you’ve got a happy tummy!”
The nasi lemak is served with all the usual accompaniments such as roasted groundnuts and crispy ikan bilis, of course, but also a free-flow pot of sambal bawang.
Kuih-muih. — Picture courtesy of Tanaair.
Wong shares, “To evoke that warmth and welcoming nature of Malaysian hospitality, we made the conscious decision to offer free-flow sambal to represent our giving Malaysian culture; of always being able to make a guest feel at home when they come to our home.”
Even with the triumphant launch of his bröom outlets, the same results for Tanaair was never guaranteed.
Wong says, “Starting a new brand is always an adventure; a brand that delves into local food even more so. As Malaysians, we are deeply passionate when it comes to food, so it has been intimidating starting a store that celebrates Malaysian food, as everyone’s a critic and rightfully so.”
Any teething issues are thus seen as learning opportunities to improve and tweak recipes, if necessary. Wong explains, “We’re constantly listening and learning from the feedback our customers offer, as we truly believe there’s always something, if not a lot of things we can do better.”
Tanaair has recently launched a new menu, which includes a variety of traditional cakes, fluffy baked treats and kuih-muih available throughout the day.
Pulut Panggang. — Picture courtesy of Tanaair.
Feast on Kuih Bakar Keladi (coconut mousse cake with steamed yam pieces and sesame) and Pulut Bungkus Pisang (glutinous rice, banana sweet red beans) or take a trip down memory lane with Sambal Ikan Bilis Bun (soft morning bun filled with spicy anchovy sambal) and Black Sesame Flower Bun (a black sesame flavoured and filled woven bun).
Wong explains, “Tanaair has become our version of a kampung bakery, serving kuih and breakfast buns reminiscent of what we, or at least I, remember eating growing up. Our current favs are our Pulut Panggang and Coconut Buns.”
Don’t miss out on their Malaysian desserts either. Their manisan selection includes Cendol Gula Melaka, Ais Batu Campur (ABC), Bubur Cha Cha and Pulut Hitam. One standout is their Sago Gula Melaka Mangga, a classic desert of sago palm pearls and salted coconut milk, served with gula Melaka syrup and mango slices.
Wong shares, “We’ll also be launching Kedaitanaair, our online lifestyle store very soon. Our customers will be able to finally purchase our highly requested bröom coffee mugs, crockery, and food products like our variety of sambals, coffee beans and bread kits.”
Malaysian desserts and snacks. — Picture courtesy of Tanaair.
Add a new bröom bakery store (their third) in the coming months, and it’s looking like a busy and exciting time for Wong and his hardworking team.
While the success thus far is well earned, Wong doesn’t take any of it for granted and remains deeply grateful: “We’ve been very lucky to have tremendous support for our bröom brand, and we are seeing the same support and appreciation for Tanaair so far, which is really motivating and fulfilling.”
The team at Tanaair. — Picture courtesy of Tanaair.
Tanaair
35, Jalan 20/13, Taman Paramount, PJ
Open Fri-Wed 10am-10pm; Thu closed
Phone: 010-656 9889
Web: https://tanaair.com/
