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Born in Singapore, Abby’s first experience in the kitchen was as a young child in her family’s bakery. She was later raised in Malaysia and at age fifteen upped and left for London, ready to immerse herself in its open-minded culture. What turned out to be an uninspiring few years of studying economics, made way for her true passion, cooking. Abby started throwing casual dinner parties with friends which grew into supper clubs. After university, she joined Le Cordon Bleu culinary school to develop her training and cement her student visa.
Following this, she returned to Singapore and her life as a chef began. After a stint at a Sicilian restaurant, she got the opportunity to move to Puglia and work across various renowned restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Pasha Ristorante. These formative experiences paved the way for her to open a pop-up restaurant in Spitalfields. Soon after opening, the Covid pandemic hit and she moved back to Malaysia for six months. Having struggled to find her cooking style, she spent her time at home reconnecting with the food she had previously forgotten about. With the help of her aunt, she wrote down her grandmother’s recipes and later returned to London, bringing the authentic flavours of Malaysia with her.
Mambow first opened in Peckham, with a leaning towards strictly traditional Malaysian cuisine. Off the back of some excellent early reviews, Abby moved Mambow to Clapton and gradually refined her menu into something more regional and innovative. After six months of the new restaurant growing in popularity, Abby was diagnosed with cancer. As she continues to navigate her role at the restaurant while prioritising her health, Abby has made a lasting impact on Mambow, and perhaps even more importantly, the recognition of Malaysian cuisine in London.
Click here to read more about Abby in our Ayala SquareMeal Best Female Chefs Series.