Hawker spotlight: Malaysian actress cooks up traditional Kelantanese fare at Toa Payoh stall

Laksam was the first dish she prepared. Soft rice noodles come rolled into neat, tight circles, then topped with spoonfuls of coconut-scented fish gravy. “Many of my friends have never even heard of the dish before,” shares the self-taught cook. Those who tried it kept coming back for more, and demand for Sasqia’s laksam grew. Encouraged, she decided to expand from her home kitchen and open a stall dedicated to Kelantanese cuisine. She says: “I hope to be able to let more people try my food.”

Kelaté, thus, provides a platform for Sasqia to shine a spotlight on the classic hometown fare that she loved, and grew up eating. The location at a hawker centre was also a deliberate one – she wanted to offer a casual, affordable, and easily accessible introduction to this lesser-seen cuisine.

Its debut menu features just three items: belly-warming mee celup (from $4.90), which comes in options of noodles or kway tiao; the iconic laksam (from $4.90), creamy and spicy; and colek malah (from $4), anchovy-laced vegetable fritters spiced with piquant chilli sauce. 

At first glance, mee celup resembles most noodle dishes. The broth, soothing and clear, is made with chicken, beef, and radishes. Stir in the toppings – fried garlic, groundnuts, chilli flakes, green chillies – and the bowl changes dramatically. “Mixing everything brings more flavour to the food,” says Sasqia. Now, it becomes a layered production: sweet, salty, spicy – hallmarks of Kelantanese cuisine. Sasqia shares that the region’s proximity to the Thailand border could be a reason why the food is often rich and bold. She adds: “What I like most about food from Kelantan is that it is very flavourful.” 

Laksam, a personal favourite of Sasqia, might get its taste from the fish gravy, slick with fragrance from coconut milk; but the unassuming rolls of rice noodles are of equal importance. At the stall, each batch comes made from scratch, and takes over five hours to complete. This is why Kelaté only serves limited portions of the dish daily; making the noodles is labour-intensive. “We have to be very gentle,” says Sasqia. “It’s very fragile.” 

The store has since caught the attention of locals hankering for a taste of something novel, as well as Malaysians missing authentic home-cooked cuisine. After opening Kelaté, Sasqia has received many messages from people thanking her for bringing a piece of Kelantan to Singapore. “It makes me feel so satisfied,” she says. Heartened, Sasqia shares that there are plans to expand the menu. In the works: lompat tikam, soft rice pudding with coconut milk and gula Melaka; and akok, a flour-based snack sweetened with palm sugar. Sasqia says: “I want to create a pit stop for people here to come and enjoy Kelantan food.”