Whenever she had cravings for nasi lemak, she would drive to Rotterdam or Amsterdam, almost two and a half hours away!
Given Chng’s cooking skills, it soon dawned on her that opening a restaurant selling nasi lemak would be a good idea.
And so, she and her husband Benedict Simons opened “Maastricht Lemak”, serving not just nasi lemak, but a variety of hearty Malaysian-Peranakan specialties.
Chng, who is half Penang-Peranakan, grew up in Subang Jaya, Selangor, before moving to Singapore, Sydney and eventually the Netherlands for work.
“There wasn’t great Malaysian food in Singapore. So I started cooking for my friends, and I learnt I loved to host. I actually always wanted to start a food truck!” Chng told FMT Lifestyle with a laugh.
‘Maastricht Lemak’ isn’t quite a food truck though. Chng’s restaurant occupies a rustic building dating back to the 1700s, with quite a storied history.
A former horse/dairy farm, the venue also served as the former residence for Maastricht’s mayors, and its cellars served as a hiding place during the war.
Her restaurant opened its doors on Aug 27 this year, with a small but appetising menu comprising favourite Malaysian dishes: otak-otak, nasi lemak with beef rendang, ngor hiang, onde-onde, roti canai and curry puffs. Also available are Asian delights such as cereal prawns and yam rings.
Most of the food served here were her favourites when growing up, Chng explained.
The restaurant’s name, Chng said, originated from a WhatsApp group started by Malaysians living in Maastricht, who enjoyed the nasi lemak Chng often cooked for them when they got together.
The restaurant’s interior is warm and cosy, with walls adorned with Peranakan tiles and artwork invoking both Malaysian and Dutch culture. The restaurant also features a courtyard for outdoor dining and an intimate cellar space.
Making magic in the kitchen is Chng’s German husband, who is trained in French cuisine.
Transitioning to cooking Malaysian cuisine, and discovering exotic ingredients such as “belacan” and “pandan” has been an experience, Simons laughed, as he’s always enjoyed experimenting with new things.
“It might be because I’ve been doing it for a longer time, but European cuisine feels easier to execute. A lot of it comes down to, mix these ingredients and bring to a boil. Many Malaysian dishes seem to require more attention! But it’s been really fun,” Simons said.
“My favourite at Maastricht Lemak is definitely the Hainanese chicken rice. I’m a big fan, I love to make and eat it. Other Malaysian foods I like are prawn noodles and mee soto,” he added.
“Another challenge was adapting Malaysian food to Dutch dining habits. For instance, the restaurant doesn’t open in the mornings as the Dutch traditionally prefer cold breakfasts, and Chng couldn’t think of any Malaysian dishes to suit this,” he said.
And while the locals here were already familiar with satay, they relished their own version, served with French fries and mayonnaise with peanut butter paste. The Malaysian version, served with raw cucumber and onion, came as a surprise to many.
Despite this, Chng said the restaurant has been enjoying good reception so far. Asked about plans for the future, she said she hoped to add more items on the menu, including Penang Hokkien mee and bak kut teh.
However, Chng has been in two minds about expansion: part of her wants to maintain it as a passion project, while the other part has considered expansion to other locations. Who knows, her dream of a food truck might still come true!
“We hope that this restaurant helps more people discover Malaysian cuisine, which is still quite unrepresented here,” Chng said.
“It would also be nice if we could keep operating as a place where Malaysians can come and catch up, and serve as a home they can always come back to.”
Learn more about ‘Maastricht Lemak’ on their website.