Crackling with character: The family recipes behind The Roast Meat Shop in Sunway Geo

Subang Jaya, Nov 5 — Roast meats at The Roast Meat Shop in Sunway Geo are more than just a culinary delight; they are a testament to the Fong and Yap families' heritage. Running the restaurant are Harry Fong and his wife Olivia Yap, who share a mutual love for roast meats. The couple, who met during Harry's tenure as a country manager for a German company, had always enjoyed cooking together.

Their journey began in the comfort of their home, experimenting with meats and techniques until they developed recipes they were proud to serve.

One of their biggest challenges was to translate their home-cooking recipes into a consistent restaurant experience. Harry recounts that it took about half a year to perfect the siew yoke and char siew recipes through ingredient sourcing and repeated testing. "Some sections would turn out beautifully crispy, while others would not crackle properly," he admits. "We had to keep experimenting and refining our roasting process to improve the consistency."

Their signature siew yoke features a marinade that combines Western herbs with traditional flavors, followed by a traditional roasting method. Harry explains, "We want our siew yoke to have its own distinctive taste. We want every part of the skin to achieve that satisfying crackling while keeping the meat succulent."

For Olivia, the menu carries the memories of her grandmother's Hakka dishes. The sour-and-spicy Chinese mustard roast pork, in particular, holds a special place in her heart. "My grandmother was Hakka, and this was one of the dishes we enjoyed at home," she reminisces. "Bringing it into our restaurant allows me to share a little of our family heritage with our customers."

Another dish, the Blessing Dumplings, comes from Olivia's aunt. She learned the recipe more than 30 years ago at a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, where she was inspired to learn it after a childhood meal. The recipe's authenticity is crucial to Olivia, who remembers her mother cooking it after significant Chinese festivals. "The recipe was passed down from my grandmother, so bringing it into our restaurant is a way for me to share a little of our family heritage with our customers," she says.

Adapting these family recipes for a restaurant setting required more than just cooking; it demanded repeated testing. Olivia explains, "We failed a few times because achieving the same taste we were familiar with at home became much more challenging when cooking in larger quantities." After several attempts and adjustments, they established standard operating procedures to ensure consistency.

The Blessing Dumplings needed further refinement after customers noted the initial thickness of the skin. Olivia searched for a new supplier, albeit at a higher cost. "I still remember my husband asking whether we should switch to a new supplier because the cost was higher than what we were paying previously," she recalls. "We knew that getting the right dumpling skin was important to the overall experience."

The sour-and-spicy Chinese mustard roast pork recipe was passed down from Olivia's grandmother, underscoring the couple's commitment to preserving family traditions. The shop's best-selling wantan noodles are another testament to their dedication. After collecting feedback from diners, Olivia made several adjustments to the sauce recipe before settling on a version she was proud to serve, emphasizing that flavor and quality matter more than choosing the cheapest ingredients.

In-house daily operations, with Harry handling the kitchen and front-of-house responsibilities while Olivia focuses on back-end tasks and marketing, including promotions and customer engagement. They discuss ideas and make decisions together, ensuring every dish they serve is something they would be happy to eat themselves.

Maintaining quality also means careful decisions about suppliers, staffing, and the details of each meal. Harry emphasizes their focus on ingredient costs, seeking the best value without compromising on quality. While they could cut costs by removing certain items, Harry believes these small details contribute significantly to the overall dining experience.

Looking ahead, The Roast Meat Shop is developing vacuum-packed roast meats for customers to enjoy at home, as well as preparing for the opening of a second restaurant.