This podcast episode is part of Afar, A Retrospective. As part of Afar’s 15-year anniversary celebration, this episode from our sister podcast, Travel Tales by Afar, was selected as one of our favorites. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do—and stay tuned for more archival Travel Tales episodes from September - December 2024. Explore more of our favorite stories over the years at afar.com/fifteen.
A pet orangutan, a 106-year-old grandma, and a wedding where 10,000 guests were fed. When writer and host of NPR’s The Splendid Table, Francis Lam, heard stories from his friend Azalalina Eusope about her life in Penang, Malaysia, he couldn’t help but marvel at them.
But when the San Francisco-based chef (who has served Barack Obama and the Malaysian prime minister) invites Francis to come home with her after a decade away, he discovers the complex family dynamics that underpin her stories—and the ways that food can bind even the most complicated families.
Five Generations of Street Vendors
In this episode, explore:
What it’s like to visit street vendors in Penang, Malaysia
How a fine-dining chef recreates traditional Malaysian dishes
Some of the food traditions of the Mamak people in Malaysia
Remaking the Past with Laksa
Don’t miss these transformative moments:
[04:09] Star anise and curry: Rediscovering Malaysia’s comforts.
[08:42] The sights, smells and salts of Penang’s street food scene.
[10:04] “I felt so gross for having my notebook with me.” A bittersweet homecoming.
Time Travel Through Tripe Salad
As a teen, Azalina Eusope vowed she wouldn’t follow in the footsteps of the four generations of Mamak street vendors that came before her.
In this episode, the San-Francisco based, Malaysian chef returns home with writer and host of NPR’s The Splendid Table, Francis Lam. Together, they discover how cooking Malaysian dishes does more than preserve her culture—it grants her the power to reclaim it.
Resources:
Read Francis’ original story on afar.com
Follow Francis Lam on Instagram
Dine at Azalina’s in San Francisco
Check out NPR’s The Splendid Table
Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.