Scottish Malaysian cooking with Julie Lin
Tuesday 6th May 2025
Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, Somerset BA1 1NG
6.30pm
7pm
"Food has the power to stir memories, bring people together, transport you to new places, and, most importantly, take you home. Julie captures all of this within these pages. This book is a true joy."
Yotam Ottolenghi
Julie Lin is a Malaysian-Scottish chef, writer, TV presenter and restauranteur behind the enormously successful restaurant in Glasgow, GaGa, Michelin recommended and Best Restaurant in Scotland 2022.
She joins us to demo and dish our tasters from her debut cookbook SAMA SAMA.
In Malay, sama sama ('same same') is a way of saying 'you're welcome' to reinforce the idea of togetherness and equality in this everyday exchange. SAMA SAMA celebrates all parts of Julie's identity (Malaysian, Chinese and Scottish) with heart-warming stories of food and self-discovery, reminding us that food is the thread that ties us all together.
Rather than lengthy recipes and complex processes, her 'agak-agak' style is about cooking with soul, creating accessible dishes with explosive flavours, such as Chilli Crisp Puttanesca, Steak au Sichuan Poivre and Kaya Croissant-and-Butter Pudding.
"Season the dish until the ghost of our ancestors tells you to stop!" ~ Julie Lin
Julie is a regular on Saturday Kitchen, The Hairy Bikers Go Local and hugely popular Netflix series Somebody Feed Phil, as well as cooking for Judi Dench on Country File. She has contributed to several publications including the Guardian, Observer, BBC Food and Vice. She has a Substack and accompanying podcast, Use Your Noodle, on which she shares recipes and anecdotes from her week.