Humble Beginnings
Hello everyone. I'm Nora, originally hailing from Sabah, the Land Below the Wind, located in Borneo, Malaysia. I was born and raised in Kampung Lokos, nestled in the foothills of Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in South Asia. As a member of the Dusun Tribe, one of Sabah's native tribes, I had no culinary knowledge before marriage, despite my love for eating.
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It all began when I was expecting my first child Faith in 2009. I relocated to the UK with my husband Richard. At five months pregnant, my craving for 'Sambal Terung' hit, but Richard informed me there were no Malaysian restaurants in Tenby. Disappointed, I reluctantly settled for a Chinese takeaway, finding the cuisine tasty but not quite up to my expectations. That moment sparked a determination within me – one day, I vowed, I'd open my own Malaysian restaurant.
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Surprisingly, I began to cook, a skill I hadn't possessed before. My mother's words echoed in my mind; she always said I should learn to cook when married, for the sake of my future family.
In school, I detested cooking lessons, even failing them. Unbeknownst to me, my parents instilled business acumen in me from an early age. My mother used to make 'Kueh' (local traditional cakes), encouraging me to sell them in school. During breaks, I would sit in a corner, selling kueh to fellow students.
Growing up, Malaysian cuisine wasn't part of my repertoire. Perhaps I had been ignorant not to appreciate the richness of diverse foods and cultures in Malaysia. Living in Kuala Lumpur for a decade changed that; surrounded by Malay and Indian friends, I embraced wedding ceremonies, Hari Raya, and Diwali celebrations, indulging in delicacies like Nasi Lemak, Gulai, Rendang, Ayam Masak Merah, Curry Laksa, Nasi Kandar, Mee Goreng Mamak, and Nasi Goreng.
Living abroad has turned me into a self-taught cook, as nothing tastes better than a home-cooked meal. So, I began cooking in our small kitchen in our basement flat. It was during this time that I realized I had a talent for cooking. I started inviting friends over for dinner, and everyone encouraged me to establish my own Malaysian Kitchen. Thus, Nora's Kitchen was born on the 8th of September 2017.
It took me years to find the right place to set up a small kitchen, especially when our two girls were still young.
My cooking style is self-developed, focused on home-cooked meals without shortcuts.
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Since my move to the UK, I've immersed myself in cooking shows like MasterChef, The Great British Bake Off, and chefs like Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay. My cooking approach is 'AGAK AGAK' – I don't measure ingredients; it's all by heart and infused with lots of love. My mission is to deliver high-quality food, emphasizing a healthy, balanced diet over fast food. I'm willing to put in the effort, chopping onions, galangal, ginger, garlic, chillies, turmeric, and lemongrass every morning to prep in my kitchen.
Every curry paste in my kitchen is made from scratch, thanks to a reliable supplier offering fresh lemongrass, galangal, chillies, turmeric, and kaffir lime leaves.
My cooking style is self-developed, focused on home-cooked meals without shortcuts.
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Passionate about healthy, authentic home-cooked food, I've prioritized quality from day one.
Now, Nora's Kitchen has been thriving for six years, earning accolades such as Malaysian Restaurant of the Year in December 2019 and Best Asian Food Establishment in June 2023. We even had the privilege of participating in a cooking session on BBC One with Sir Gareth Edwards for his Welsh Adventure TV series. At Manorbier Beach in 2021, I demonstrated how to cook mee goreng mamak to Sir Gareth and his wife, Maureen.
Four years prior to the pandemic, Nora's Kitchen embarked on making homemade curry paste, evolving from takeaway containers to jars. After extensive testing, we proudly offer two products for purchase: rendang curry paste and Nyonya lime curry paste. Vegan-friendly, versatile, with natural ingredients and no added sugar or preservatives."
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