On May 20, ‘Ma Khin’ restaurant at ‘Mercado Colón’ of Valencia hosted a private party for the press and friends of the restaurant, where each chef prepared a tapa from their country. Zaw Mahesh (Lahpet, London), Toshi Kai (Toshi Restaurant), Haesung Yoon (La Taula de Yoon) and Kristian Lutaud (Oligarum/EL Bulli) were some of the renowned guests who participated in the meeting, along with the house chefs themselves. The event also served to present the remodeling of the ‘Ma Khin’ dining room, as well as its new brand of Vietnamese street food: Bánh Mì by Ma Khin , located in the premises adjacent to the restaurant.
If there’s one thing that’s clear to anyone who visits Ma Khin , it’s that it’s an absolutely unique restaurant. Steve Anderson, the project’s founder, and the entire team he has surrounded himself with, have created a meeting point for the culture of Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean itself. It is a space where diverse languages converse, heard and embraced daily, giving rise to a culture of their own. Its eleventh anniversary was a testament to this, serving as a tribute to its career and, of course, to all the people who have been part of this journey. To this end, on May 20, ‘Ma Khin’ brought together eleven chef friends of the restaurant, who cooked dishes from eleven different countries, always integrating ingredients from the local pantry, creating an unforgettable encounter between the world’s cuisines.
The eleven food stalls were spread between the dining room and the terrace of the restaurant, located on the ground floor of the emblematic Mercado de Colón, transforming the space into a vibrant collection of street stalls. A culinary tour de force that reaffirms the diversity and borderless cuisine that have characterized the restaurant since its inception. “After eleven years of experience, we have managed to consolidate the ‘Decolonial Food’ philosophy, which is nothing less than the embrace of different gastronomic histories and cultures,” says Steve, adding: “For this reason, we can’t think of a better way to honour the cuisine of encounter than by bringing together friends and staff from other countries, each with their own unique background.” The selection spanned five continents and mapped out tapas from very different origins. Specifically, the following participated:
- Javier Lajara, executive chef of Ma Khin, who paid tribute to Indonesia.
- Haesung Yoon, originally from Korea, from the restaurant La Taula de Yoon (Valencia).
- Toshi Kai, Japanese, former head chef of Seu Xerea, at the Toshi restaurant (Valencia).
- Zaw Mahesh, chef of Lahpet London restaurant, featuring Burmese cuisine.
- Kristian Lutaud, from the Oligarum restaurant (Jávea) with French cuisine.
- Yuan Qiansheng, chef of Ma Khin, with a dish from his native China
- Niccolo Cusatis, chef at Ma Khin, with an Italian dish
- Oumaima Elrhati, chef at Ma Khin, with a dish from Morocco
- Sonia Tobar, chef at Ma Khin, with a dish from Colombia
- Leyre and César Gómez, from Les Perles, Valencia. They are the restaurant’s suppliers and offered Valencian oysters with a Thai touch.
- And closing the list is Guillermo Álvarez and the Bánh Mì by Ma Khin kitchen team, who represented Vietnam, with a tapa from their new street food line.
Of course, as with any great celebration, live music was provided on May 20th by the band ‘Dixie Jumble’. Attendees were also able to take home several gifts, such as the new edition of the Decolonial notebook or exclusive discounts on Bánh Mì, among other small details designed for the occasion. In addition, there was a charity corner with copies of the book A History of Burma: Cooking, Family, and Rebellion , all proceeds of which will go to Action Against Hunger, in support of its emergency relief efforts following the earthquake that devastated Burma last March. Finally, party guests received a gastronomic passport featuring the eleven countries represented: as they tried each proposal, they had to identify their country of origin, and those who got all the answers right were entered into a raffle for a special prize: a dinner for six people, including a bottle of champagne at Ma Khin.
In addition to honouring culinary delights, Ma Khin also takes advantage of this occasion to look back, analyze the path they’ve taken, and celebrate their journey. Especially in the current climate, where new openings are happening at a dizzying pace and trends change from one month to the next. “In these eleven years, we’ve seen a major transformation in the city’s culinary landscape. When we started, it was very difficult to find cuisines from other countries, but now there’s a huge variety,” Steve admits. Far from seeing it as an obstacle, this expansion “nourishes and inspires” them, although they are aware that to continue moving forward, it’s essential to gain momentum and know how to renew themselves. With this in mind, Ma Khin has undertaken a complete renovation of its space, accompanied by a new visual identity and an updated website .
Since its opening, the restaurant has become a benchmark for culinary delights in Valencia. Now, true to its essence but with an eye to the future, it embarks on a new era to offer an experience that more intensely reflects the values that have defined it from the beginning—diversity, integration, and a cuisine without borders. Because Ma Khin was never just a restaurant. It’s a place where gastronomy weaves an invisible thread around different voices. The new visual identity accompanies this transformation with a more contemporary, versatile graphic that is consistent with the concept of “Decolonial Food” that defines Ma Khin. A cuisine that originates in Southeast Asia, but is influenced by the ingredients, stories, and people who inhabit Valencia.
Bánh Mì by Ma Khin: A New Journey
As part of this new phase, Ma Khin has just launched Bánh Mì , its new Vietnamese street food brand, located next door to the restaurant. It’s a more casual offering, available for takeout and al fresco dining on the terrace of its Mercado Colón location. The name refers to the iconic Vietnamese sandwich that combines baguette bread, inherited from French colonialism, with various fillings typical of Southeast Asia.
At Bánh Mì by Ma Khin, versions of this classic are made with local produce: there’s chicken satay , char siu bacon , marinated tofu, Vietnamese meatballs, or cuttlefish with sriracha mayonnaise. The menu also includes salads with ingredients of the day, desserts, and homemade drinks, such as mango or coconut lemonade. This new brand isn’t just an extension of the restaurant. It’s a project with its own identity, one that connects directly with Ma Khin’s youthful, travel-minded spirit. It’s a way to reach out to other audiences, explore new formats, and continue discovering other traditions and corners of the world through cuisine.
So, the restaurant celebrates more than a decade of history, always with a map of what’s to come and expanding its universe. Because Ma Khin has made curiosity its compass and the encounter between cultures its own language. An encounter that dates back 150 years, when Ma Khin, Steve Anderson’s great-grandmother, met the young Englishman William Carr in a bustling market in Moulmein. From that crossroads to today, Ma Khin’s story has spread across different countries, eventually taking root in Valencia, a city Ma Khin never knew, but which is now part of her legacy.
Report by ‘24/7 Valencia’ team
Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’
Photos by Pablo Granero
MORE ABOUT MA KHIN
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makhincafe/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makhincafe/
For more information or interviews:
hola@somosbrava.es · eventos@somosbrava.es · somosbrava.es
Related Post
Leave a comment