Santap Lah: Ready-to-eat meals from Malaysia’s Michelin selected restaurants at a CAFé by 7-Eleven near you

Santap Lah, a newly launched ready-to-eat meal brand in Malaysia, offers high-quality, microwaveable meals developed by chefs from Michelin-selected restaurants.

Spearheaded by Benson Chang, founder of TableApp, the meals maintain high ingredient standards without preservatives or MSG and are designed to introduce regional Malaysian flavors.

These meals, which can last up to a year without refrigeration, are available at select CAFÉ by 7-Eleven outlets, catering to busy individuals seeking convenience and quality.

Santap Lah aims to expand its reach internationally, promoting Malaysian culinary heritage globally.

GEORGE TOWN, Sept 20 — What if having a restaurant-quality meal is possible with just the press of a button?

This is what sparked the birth of Santap Lah, a newly launched brand of microwaveable meals curated, prepared and approved by chefs from Michelin recognised restaurants in Malaysia.

Benson Chang used to grab a quick lunch from the convenience store near his office on busy days but one day, while having his usual microwaved meal, he wondered if he could work with some restaurants to produce better quality ready-to-eat meals.

That was the spark that led the Santap Lah managing director to seek out chefs from restaurants that he was familiar with.

Chang, who is the founder of restaurant reservation platform TableApp, is no stranger to many restaurants and chefs in Malaysia.

“I was close with many chefs so when I got this idea, I started asking my chef friends if they were interested in developing this with me,” he said in a recent interview with Malay Mail.

His idea was to produce good quality, delicious and ready-to-eat meals that have a shelf life of at least a year without being frozen or refrigerated.

“After asking around, several chefs showed interest and that was when we started developing recipes for the meals,” he said.

Chang also has a contact who operated a retort food manufacturing facility to produce and pack the meals.

“It took two years of development, testing the recipes over and over, going back and forth with the chefs to make sure the flavours and textures are up to standard,” he said.

The manufacturing process of the meals uses high temperature and pressure to sterilise the food, allowing the sealed meals to be stored at room temperature without refrigeration.

“We also sent the meals to be tested in laboratories and results placed their shelf life at up to 18 months, but we opted to place a 12-month expiry period on the meals to be safe,” he said.

The products are manufactured in a halal-certified facility using halal-certified ingredients and contain no added preservatives or MSG.

“Being chefs from Michelin-selected restaurants, they are of course quite particular about ingredients being used, they absolutely do not want any artificial flavourings, preservatives or MSG,” he said.

Selecting the type of meals was also a challenge due to the manufacturing and packing process as it would mean they cannot have crispy components, vegetables or most seafood.

“Crispy food will just become soggy in the process, the vegetables will oxidise and change colour while seafood does not respond well to prolonged heat,” he said.

He said this was why they had to only work with braised, steamed and oven-cooked dishes using chicken, beef, lamb, mushrooms and other vegetarian ingredients.

He said each time the meal was produced, the chef would rate the flavours.

“The first time the food came out, the quality was already very good as the chefs gave it about 6.5 or seven out of 10,” Chang said.

They subsequently suggested adjustments to the texture, colour, seasoning and water content of each dish.

“The samples went through several trial runs until the chefs gave scores of at least 8.5 before we started mass production and distribution,” he said.

However, Chang said every production batch is still sent to the respective chef for quality control, while some of them also buy the products from 7-Eleven outlets to check their consistency.

“The main focus of Santap Lah is on Malaysian flavours, thus our tagline ‘Taste the Malaysian Story’,” he said.

In the first phase of volume one of Santap Lah: Taste the Malaysian Story are four rice meals from Restaurant au Jardin’s Kim Hock Su, akar’s Aidan Low, Beta KL’s Raymond Tham and Jawi House’s Nurilkarim Razha.

The four rice dishes introduced are Kim Hock’s hericium mushroom rendang with rose water rice, Aidan’s dabai curry rice, Raymond’s kadok chicken rice and Nurilkarim’s rose chicken with buttered rice.

Chang said they will be releasing the noodle-based meals next month by Dewakan’s Darren Teoh, Gai’s Darren Chin, and gēn根’s Johnson Wong.

The noodle dishes are Teoh’s Dewakan laksa, Chin’s tom yam ramen and Wong’s buah kulim noodle.

The rice dishes are priced at RM15.90 each, while the noodle meals cost RM19.90.

The food of Penang celebrations

One of the chefs, Nurilkarim, said Santap Lah offers him another avenue to introduce Jawi Peranakan and local Malay cooking to a wider audience.

His rose chicken with buttered rice, or nasi minyak and ayam ros , is inspired from a Jawi House signature and a recipe published in his mother’s cookbook, Feast of Penang.

The chicken is prepared in a creamy tomato-and-onion gravy containing cashew nuts, candlenuts, spices and chilli before being finished with rose water.

“Penang-style ayam ros is different from the ayam masak merah commonly served at kenduri elsewhere,” he said.

He added that nasi minyak i s traditionally associated with weddings, doa selamat ceremonies and other celebrations.

“When people see a couple getting serious, the elderly will say, ‘ Boleh bau dah nasi minyak ’, they can already smell the nasi minyak brewing which means a kenduri is on the way,” he said.

He said this was why he chose to pair the ayam ros with nasi minyak b ecause it would be more readily recognised throughout Malaysia.

Convenience without compromise

Chang said the chefs maintained the ingredient standards used in their own kitchens despite the higher production costs.

“The chefs do not allow the use of chicken powder, instead they insist that the chicken stock be made from scratch using chicken feet and wings,” he said.

He said they chose to use Malaysian ingredients such as dabai, a seasonal Sarawak fruit, for the dabai curry rice and buah kulim f or Wong’s noodle dish.

He said the meals are available exclusively at selected CAFé by 7-Eleven outlets, usually on dedicated racks near the counter.

“The meals can be microwaved at the outlet or stored at home or in the office,” he said.

He said those without microwave ovens can heat up the food by placing the unopened pouch in boiling water for about 10 to 15 minutes.

“Our target is to make it as convenient as possible for young workers or adults with busy schedules,” he said.

He said convenience is also the reason they decided to partner with 7-Eleven and produce the meals according to orders from 7-Eleven.

“They have 2,000 outlets nationwide and most people go to 7-Eleven for convenient food so I feel it is a good choice to release Santap Lah in 7-Eleven,” he said.

Taking regional flavours further

Nurilkarim believes Malaysian food promotion should also venture beyond familiar offerings such as nasi lemak.

He pointed to the wealth of regional cooking across the country, from nasi kerabu on the East Coast and kacang pool and mee rebus in the south to Minangkabau-influenced masak lemak , Melaka’s asam pedas and the lesser-known ingredients of Sabah and Sarawak.

“Aidan using dabai in the curry is a great way to highlight Sarawak and Borneo because they have a wide range of ingredients that many people don’t know,” he said.

Chang is already considering subsequent volumes under the “Taste the Malaysian Story” banner.

“We are planning for volume two of different meals with the same seven chefs since they are already familiar with the process,” he said.

Looking forward, Chang said they hope to one day bring Santap Lah and its Malaysia flavours outside of Malaysia.

“We hope to be able to export the ready-to-eat meals to countries like Taiwan, Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, and other countries,” he said.

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Santap Lah 是马来西亚新推出的即食餐品牌，提供由米其林星级餐厅的厨师开发的高品质微波炉食品。

这些餐食由 TableApp 的创始人 Benson Chang 牵头，坚持高标准的食材，不含防腐剂或味精，旨在介绍马来西亚的地区风味。

这些无需冷藏即可保存长达一年的餐食在部分 7-Eleven 便利店有售，满足了忙碌人士对便利和品质的需求。

Santap Lah 旨在拓展其国际影响力，向全球推广马来西亚烹饪传统。

乔治市，9月20日讯——如果只需按一下按钮就能享用餐厅品质的餐点，那会怎样？

正是这件事促成了 Santap Lah 的诞生，这是一个新推出的微波炉食品品牌，其产品由马来西亚米其林星级餐厅的厨师精心挑选、准备和认可。

Benson Chang 过去常常在忙碌的日子里从办公室附近的便利店买份快餐，但有一天，当他像往常一样吃着微波炉加热的食物时，他突然想到，他是否可以与一些餐馆合作，生产出质量更好的即食食品。

正是这件事促使 Santap Lah 的总经理开始寻找他熟悉的餐厅里的厨师。

张先生是餐厅预订平台 TableApp 的创始人，对马来西亚的许多餐厅和厨师来说并不陌生。

“我和很多厨师关系都很密切，所以当我有了这个想法后，我就开始问我的厨师朋友们是否有兴趣和我一起开发这个项目，”他在最近接受《马来邮报》采访时说道。

他的想法是生产优质、美味、即食的食品，无需冷冻或冷藏，保质期至少为一年。

他说：“经过一番打听，几位厨师表示了兴趣，于是我们开始研发这些菜肴的食谱。”

张先生还有一位联系人，经营一家高温高压食品加工厂，负责生产和包装这些餐食。

他说：“我们花了两年时间进行研发，反复测试配方，与厨师们反复沟通，以确保口味和口感达到标准。”

该食品的生产过程采用高温高压对食品进行杀菌，使密封的食品无需冷藏即可在室温下储存。

“我们还将这些餐食送到实验室进行检测，结果显示其保质期长达 18 个月，但为了安全起见，我们选择将餐食的有效期设定为 12 个月，”他说。

这些产品是在获得清真认证的工厂中使用获得清真认证的原料生产的，不含任何添加的防腐剂或味精。

他说：“作为米其林星级餐厅的厨师，他们当然对食材的使用非常讲究，他们绝对不希望使用任何人工香料、防腐剂或味精。”

由于生产和包装过程的限制，选择餐食类型也是一个挑战，因为这意味着它们不能包含酥脆的食材、蔬菜或大多数海鲜。

他说：“酥脆的食物在这个过程中会变得软烂，蔬菜会氧化变色，而海鲜则不适合长时间加热。”

他说，这就是为什么他们只能用鸡肉、牛肉、羊肉、蘑菇和其他素食食材烹制炖菜、蒸菜和烤箱菜的原因。

他说，每次菜肴做好后，厨师都会对味道进行评分。

张先生说：“菜品第一次端上来的时候，质量就已经非常好了，厨师们给它打了6.5分或7分（满分10分）。”

随后，他们建议对每道菜的质地、颜色、调味料和水分含量进行调整。

他说：“样品经过多次试生产，直到厨师们给出的评分至少达到 8.5 分，我们才开始大规模生产和分销。”

不过，张先生表示，每一批产品仍然会送到相应的厨师那里进行质量控制，而有些厨师还会从7-Eleven便利店购买产品来检查其一致性。

“Santap Lah 的主要重点是马来西亚风味，因此我们的口号是‘品尝马来西亚故事’，”他说。

《Santap Lah：品尝马来西亚故事》第一卷第一阶段收录了四道米饭料理，分别来自 Restaurant au Jardin 的 Kim Hock Su、akar 的 Aidan Low、Beta KL 的 Raymond Tham 和 Jawi House 的 Nurilkarim Razha。

推出的四道米饭菜肴分别是：金福的猴头菇仁当配玫瑰水米饭、艾丹的达拜咖喱饭、雷蒙德的卡多克鸡饭和努里卡里姆的玫瑰鸡配黄油米饭。

张先生表示，他们将于下个月推出由 Dewakan 的 Darren Teoh、Gai 的 Darren Chin 和 gēn 根的 Johnson Wong 主理的面食。

面条有 Teoh 的 Dewakan laksa、Chin 的冬阴功拉面和 Wong 的 buah kulim 面条。

米饭套餐每份售价 15.90 令吉，面条套餐每份售价 19.90 令吉。

槟城庆典美食

其中一位厨师 Nurilkarim 表示，Santap Lah 为他提供了一个新的途径，向更广泛的受众介绍爪哇娘惹菜和当地马来菜。

他的玫瑰鸡配黄油饭（nasi minyak and ayam ros）的灵感来自 Jawi House 的招牌菜和他母亲的食谱《槟城盛宴》中发表的食谱。

鸡肉先用腰果、烛果、香料和辣椒等香料熬制的奶油番茄洋葱肉汁烹制，最后淋上玫瑰水。

“槟城风格的 ayam ros 与其他地方 kenduri 常见的 ayam masak merah 不同，”他说。

他还补充说，油饭传统上与婚礼、祈祷仪式和其他庆祝活动有关。

他说：“当人们看到一对情侣感情升温时，老人们会说，‘Boleh bau dah nasi minyak’，他们已经闻到了油饭的味道，这意味着一场浪漫的婚礼即将到来。”

他说，这就是他选择将 ayam ros 与 nasi minyak b 搭配的原因，因为这样更容易在马来西亚被人们所熟知。

便捷而不妥协

张表示，尽管生产成本较高，但厨师们仍然保持了与自家厨房相同的食材标准。

他说：“厨师们不允许使用鸡粉，而是坚持用鸡爪和鸡翅从头开始熬制鸡汤。”

他说，他们选择使用马来西亚食材，例如用砂拉越的时令水果达拜（dabai）制作达拜咖喱饭，用库林果（buah kulim）制作黄氏面条。

他说，这些餐点仅在指定的 7-Eleven 便利店有售，通常在柜台附近的专用货架上。

他说：“这些餐食可以在店内用微波炉加热，也可以带回家或办公室储存。”

他说，没有微波炉的人可以将未开封的包装袋放入沸水中加热约 10 至 15 分钟。

他说：“我们的目标是尽可能方便年轻上班族或日程繁忙的成年人。”

他还表示，便利性也是他们决定与 7-Eleven 合作，并根据 7-Eleven 的订单生产餐食的原因。

他说：“他们在全国有 2000 家门店，而且大多数人去 7-Eleven 是为了买方便食品，所以我认为在 7-Eleven 推出 Santap Lah 是一个不错的选择。”

进一步发扬地域风味

努里卡里姆认为，马来西亚的食品推广也应该超越椰浆饭等人们熟悉的食品。

他指出，全国各地都有丰富的地方美食，从东海岸的椰浆饭、南部的花生酱和卤面，到受米南加保影响的椰浆饭、马六甲的酸辣鱼，以及沙巴和砂拉越鲜为人知的食材。

“艾丹在咖喱中使用达拜鱼干，是突出砂拉越和婆罗洲特色的一个很好的方法，因为那里有很多很多人不了解的食材，”他说。

张先生已经在考虑以“品味马来西亚故事”为主题推出后续卷册了。

他说：“我们计划推出第二辑，由同样的七位厨师烹制不同的菜肴，因为他们已经熟悉制作流程了。”

展望未来，张先生表示，他们希望有一天能将Santap Lah及其马来西亚风味带到马来西亚以外的地方。

他说：“我们希望能够将这些即食食品出口到台湾、香港、迪拜、新加坡和其他国家。”

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