What does it mean to bring "home" across continents—especially through food? We sit down with Chef Eugienna, the founder of Ravintola Borneo in Tampere, and Ariff Ali, Chargé d'Affaires at the Malaysian Embassy in Helsinki.
From nostalgic stories of tempeh and instant noodles to the complex challenges of running a Malaysian restaurant in Finland, we explore how food becomes identity, diplomacy, memory, and even quiet rebellion.
Timestamps
0:00 - Intro
01:37 - Chef Eugienna: From home-cooking to owning a restaurant in Tampere (while 5 months pregnant!)
06:26 - How Malaysian embassies bring culture to life
09:04 - What is ‘Authentic’ Anyway? Ingredient swaps & expectations
12:02 - The role of spouses & women in embassies – unsung heroes of culinary diplomacy
13:56 - Food influences from both sides of Malaysia: Hainanese Chicken & Nasi Ayam
19:46 - Fusion food debate: is it innovation or dilution of culture?
25:35 - Food as cultural storytelling: why we need to explain Malaysian cuisine abroad
26:40 - Comfort food & nostalgia: instant noodles & ‘masak baldi’
30:49 - The power of ‘eating together’ communal dining
35:20 - Chef Eugienna’s advice to future chefs; Ariff encourages curiosity towards new food and culture
38:09 - Sambal Survey
43:22 - Closing remarks
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Embassy of Malaysia in Helsinki
World Trade Center Helsinki,
Aleksanterinkatu 17, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
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https://www.instagram.com/ravintolaborneo/
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