Mondsey: A Malaysian Supper Club in Bermondsey

I stumbled upon Mondsey at the Bermondsey Street festival and had a taste of what this talented duo of Karen and JP could offer at their food stall and resolved to find them again. I was in luck; they also held regular supper clubs in Bermondsey showcasing Malaysian cuisine. So I roped in my Spanish friend to come with me to one of their Saturday night supper clubs. He'd never been to a supper club before and was gamely up for a new experience. (He also asked if there would be single girls there - I may have said yes).

We rushed in a few minutes late and were welcomed with an utterly refreshing cocktail called Monk’s Ice Tea made with Plantation Barbados Rum and Air Mata Kucing (a juice made from Malaysian fruits). I couldn't get enough of it – and sneakily had two more refills.

We started with the familiar sounding dish of Chicken Satay with  peanut sauce. This was nothing like the smooth sauce that usually feels like its peanut butter from a jar. This was the real deal – a chunky moreish peanut sauce that’s lavishly spread on tender skewered chicken.

The next dish of Otak-Otak was for me the most interesting; a spiced fish mousse wrapped and sealed in a banana leaf. JP said it’s usually made using mackerel but he used cod which eliminated the typical fishy smell. This was served with toasted brioche made by Karen, who is a trained pasty chef. A delicate subtly spiced dish that introduced new flavours to me and was one of my favourites of the night.

Braised Pork and stir-fried Morning Glory

Then came the main courses: Braised Pork in Soy and Garlic with Quail Eggs (Tau Yew Bak) and Chicken Redang (Redang Ayam). I loved the pork, slow cooked for 5 hours – it was decadent delightful dish. All served with white rice and the some gorgeous Stir-fried Morning Glory with Chilli and Shrimp paste (Kangkun Belacan).

You can imagine that by this point after 5 courses served family-style with ample portions we were quite full. And when the dessert of rice pudding appeared, I didn't think I could finish it. But this was no ordinary stodgy rice pudding. Karen’s culinary finesse was highlighted as it was the lightest rice puddings I've tasted (I think she whipped it with cream?!). Made with black glutinous rice and sprinkled with fresh mango and crunchy biscuit crumbles – it was delicious and one of the highlights of the night.

Black Rice Pudding with Mango

You'd think the meal would end with this but no, we were treated to some Lime and Kaya (a Malaysian coconut cream) financiers and Jasmine tea.  This meal really made me appreciate the diversity of Malaysian food and Karen and JP were such generous hosts. 

For a minimum contribution of £25 each, we got to have an amazing 7 course meal in the company of some lovely people who were seated at the table with us.  What's more is that they donate all profits to Alzheimer's Research UK Charity! Here is their progress on JustGiving. 

Kaya and Lime Financiers

I highly recommend Mondsey Supper clubs if you if you want to treat yourself to some authentic Malaysian cuisine. They’ll be hosting supper clubs for rest of the summer and their next event is on July 19^th.  They have 8 spaces for every event so it's perfect if you want to do something interesting as a couple or meet some new people or go just go with a group of friends who love good food!

You can book tickets for their next events here or here . You can also follow them on twitter @mondseyeats or on Facebook or check out all their gorgeous creations on their website here.