This Singaporean chef moved to Mexico for love. Now she runs the only Singaporean restaurant in Latin America
At Makan, Maryann Yong and her Mexican husband have built a restaurant around the flavours of Singapore. Along the way, she has found herself reconsidering what it means to represent home.
Maryann Yong, a Singaporean chef, moved to Mexico for love and now runs Makan, the only Singaporean restaurant in Latin America. She and her Mexican husband, Mario Malvaez, built the restaurant around Singaporean flavors. Yong, who was born in Washington and spent time in Singapore, Bangkok, and other countries during her childhood, felt a deeper connection to her Singaporean roots after living abroad.
She trained as a chef and worked in various restaurants before opening Makan with Malvaez in Mexico City. Initially, she was determined to serve authentic chicken rice, but her husband suggested changing the recipe to give it more color and texture. They now poach the chicken in a master stock flavored with soy sauce, spices, orange peel, and rock sugar, giving it a caramel color.
The rest of the dish remains the same. Yong's move to Mexico City was prompted by Malvaez's father's death, and she felt a sense of confidence starting over after traveling extensively. Makan opened during the pandemic in a house in Roma, where they turned the garage into a garden dining area and adapted to the local Mexican diners who were curious about unfamiliar cuisines.
Written by urgent.news from CNA - Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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