Many of us are familiar with Madam Kwan’s – a restaurant where you can’t go wrong when it comes to showcasing truly Malaysian cuisine with its delicious curries, rendangs and signature rice dishes. However, have you ever wondered about the lady who started this famous eatery?
Today, 83-year-old Madam Kwan Swee Lian is still up at the crack of dawn every day to oversee the food preparations in the central kitchen. During the day, the friendly businesswoman will head over to her Pavilion KL outlet to dine and greet customers.
Paying tribute to the grande dame, the family-owned business has published a biography titled, “Madam Kwan: Her Untold Story And Beloved Recipes”, written by her granddaughter Catherine Foo.
The book tells the tale of how a tenacious and enterprising beauty salon businesswoman with no cooking experience moved into the restaurant business to eventually build a successful enterprise with her son Rudy and daughter-in-law, Datin Maureen Ooi, who is the company’s current CEO.
The biography also touches on her personal life and the heart-breaking loss of her eldest son and his family in the 1993 Highland Towers tragedy followed by the loss of yet another son within a decade.
Having cooked with passion for over 60 years, it is no surprise that the biography is interwoven with delicious recipes that reflects her Hakka background as well as favourites from Madam Kwan’s Western and Malaysian menu.
Those wanting to get a signed copy of the book and meet Madam Kwan herself can do so at Pavilion KL (30th Sept) and Mid Valley Megamall (7th Oct) between 3pm – 5pm.
Available at all Madam Kwan’s outlets while stocks last, the book retails at RM89 while the curry paste retails at RM13.90. You can purchase the set at RM100, which comes with a special tote bag. For more information, visit its official website or Facebook.
