Dining in the home of an unfamiliar person may be daunting if it was suggested 5 years ago but now, diners are looking for new dining experiences–one that involves an authentic dinner in a new social environment.
Within reach, home restaurants are starting to trend up among the community that is built around food. Strangers can dine as friends and as Chef Dyllon has put it, “food is universal” in connecting people around the dining table.
Therefore, Dyllon’s Kitchen is more than just a casual dining session. Taking a home route, it is an opportunity for Chef Dyllon to prepare his guests to embark on a creative cross-culture phenomenon like no other.
Healthy Fusion Food
Would you believe it if I said it was a completely oil-free home-cooked five course dinner? Chef Dyllon’s take on a healthier cuisine completely knocked my socks off–especially when both Sri Lankan and Malay food are predominantly oily in nature.
Malay Sri Lanka fusion dining is Chef Dyllon’s way of presenting an alternative cooking method that uses no oil and brown sugar on cultural foods without compromising their vibrant flavours. As he explained, understanding the science behind food preparation helps him to advocate healthier eating.
Recipe like chicken rendang is cooked using the naturally-sourced oil from the meat; pop it in the pressure cooker until the chicken fibres break up and oil come to the fore. Although I was initially skeptical for the “oil-less” mutton curry, I had to say I was definitely surprised. The all-rounded rich flavour is well-captured by Chef Dyllon who uses a pressure cooker to simmer the mutton curry.
With that said, the chicken sausage pastry appetizers are healthy homemade sausage sauteed with herbs. If some are overwhelmed with a five course meal, there are breaks in between each serving so you may even chat with Chef Dyllon to get some cooking tips.
Star of the Evening
While most chefs in restaurants labour behind the doors at the kitchen, the concept of home dining actively engages the chef with his guests; he can acknowledge how his diners respond and gain ideas from the interactive experience.
Chef Dyllon is the real star for earnestly waiting to ask for a genuine feedback on his new recipes as we dive into our guilt-free meal at each course. Dyllon only started to become a professional cook on Sri Lanka cuisine in 2014–a far cry from his deejay stint back in Sri Lanka. After his cross-cultural marriage to his lovely Malaysian wife, he slowly picked up the basics of Malay cuisine from his late mother-in-law.
“There was a language barrier between me and my mother-in-law because I don’t speak Kelantanese but, food is universal and we bonded through that. Whenever she made something, I in return would cook up another dish to eat it with. It was a natural thing for us–like yin and yang.”
That was how Chef Dyllon gained the idea for his two cultures in one dinner setting. Now, together with the assistance of his sister-in-law, Bibi Aishah, the Malay Sri Lankan Fusion Dining takes its final shape and flavour across cultures.
For his upcoming work, Chef Dyllon is experimenting on reducing curry spices for a richer flavour or if you are a chilli lover like him, keep an eye out as he is anticipating to create a chilli dinner party menu!
Book a session with Dyllon’s Kitchen on Lokalocal or check out his Instagram page!
Text and photos by Jessy Wong
