Taste of Sabah with modern Malaysian vibe
Jet Lo has been combining the rustic flavors of Southeast Asia cuisines with Western cooking techniques since his days as head chef of Ding Dong Singapore.
And after moving to Shanghai two years ago, he decided to share the amazing flavors of his homeland Sabah, Malaysia, with the knowledgeable food lovers of Shanghai.
Lo grew up in a family involved in the food business which means that even as a modernist chef, he has strong basic skills in cooking authentic home foods.
“I decided to serve my home food because this city is multi-cultural, creative and artistic that can adapt any kind of culture and cuisine,” he said.
“Sabah tourism has been popular in China lately so I think it’s a good timing to serve the special food here.”
Lo paid attention to every detail of the eatery “Boi Boi” inside an office building on Jiujiang Road to create a modern, yet authentic, Malaysian vibe.
Nasi lemak with BBQ wing
A cool “food center” accommodates 48 diners.
The menu features a good selection of signature Sabah recipes.
“Most of our food is very street style and all is very tasty,” Lo said.
“Each dish has a lot of versions because we have different cultures in East Malaysia.
“At Boi Boi, the menu is more focused on Malaysian Chinese characteristics. I’m serving what I used to eat and what I like to eat since I was a kid.”
Boi Boi opens every day at 9am so office workers have the chance to enjoy a Malaysian-style breakfast.
Lunch time is most crowded, while the dinner experience is ideal where one can chill and take time to try a bit of everything on the menu.
Char siew
It’s recommended to try popular items including Nasi lemak (coconut rice), Sarawak laksa and Tea tarik (pull milk tea).
Tea tarik is a Lo family recipe that uses Malaysia’s brand Ceylon tea powder, condensed milk and evaporated milk. It’s a satisfying drink to accompany any dish.
Nasi Lemak is widely eaten in Malaysia and commonly sold at hawker food centers and roadside stalls.
Lo’s version with BBQ wings or crispy pork priced at 42 yuan is well-executed. Good-quality rice is cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf then served with sambal sauce (Malaysian chili paste), peanut, crispy baby anchovies, cucumber and hardboiled egg.
You mix everything together with the rice and simply cannot stop finishing the whole plate.
Info
Opening hours: 9am-9:30pm (Monday-Friday), 10am-9:30pm (weekends)
Tel: 130-5255-1190
Address: 2/F, 686 Jiujiang Rd
Average price: 65 yuan (US$9.26)
