The Press - Front Page Flavor

Who doesn't love a sandwich?!

Check us out on insta: @thepress.sandwich & @pelisky.kl (cafe)

When Maz and I visited Malaysia in August on our research trip, we met our newest friends, Sue and Mahdi, at a crowded bar. Sue came over to our 4-top table and asked if they could join us. We were about to leave, so of course you could sit with us as we finish our drinks - the more the merrier anyway! Well, the convo got rolling and before we knew it, we had been chatting with this lovely couple for hours! We were so excited to meet quality friends who we could reconnect with when we moved for real!

Fast forward 3 months and we were fresh-off-the-plane, joining Sue and Mahdi at the same bar. They introduced us to their friends, Masnita and Michael, and we all got along like peas and carrots. We didn't know it at the time, but the course of history would be forever changed by this introduction.

Over the course of a few hangouts and much chatting, it was discovered that Mas and Maz had lived in Melbourne, Australia during overlapping years! Unfortunately never crossing paths, the Venn diagram of their Aussie experiences was eerily similar, both being in the food & beverage industry and frequenting the same local jaunts. Mas was in the midst of opening a cafe called "Pelisky" and she was in the market for a kitchen-component to supplement the coffee/matcha on her menu. Maz's 15+ years of kitchen seemed like a natural fit, not to mention that we had a long-term goal of opening a business in Malaysia after a while. When opportunity knocks, you answer!

Our business license began on Feb 9th, and by April 7th, we sold our first sandwich..."The Press" was born! Mas' cafe business partner (another ex-pat from America) is fluent in digital marketing and helped to develop our logo. We also hired Max "Bao", who owns and operates other restaurants, to consult and help us with kitchen equipment, suppliers, and menu R&D. His experience in the Malaysian restaurant industry has been instrumental in our success to get up and running. Our two chefs we hired are Burmese, and absolute rockstars in the kitchen! We have been so fortunate to have a plethora of business and hospo experience on our bench.

So...PB&J's? Nah. Our key selling point is our freshly baked, house-made focaccia bread. Our menu is a diverse mix of Western and Malay. From the West, we feature Italian, Chicken Pesto and Grilled Cheese. From the East, introducing a Mushroom Satay, a Laksa Dip (think French Dip but with Penang Curry Laksa flavors and broth), and our unique creation "Focaccia Lemak" (Google "Nasi Lemak" and take the chicken/toppings and put them in a panini). We fell in love with "Mark's Laksa" restaurant near our home and we are buying their unique, homemade Laksa paste (with a big shout-out to them on the menu, of course) - we are so excited to show them how we reimagined their delicious flavors into a panini! Our kitchen is Halal-friendly, meaning no pork, no lard products. This greatly expands our market as many people in Malaysia are Muslim and would appreciate a kitchen that caters to their religious dietary preferences. The Italian, being classically heavy-pork-product based, is therefore made with beef salami, beef pepperoni, and chicken peppercorn. For our vegetarian friends, the Grilled Cheese and Mushroom Satay sandos are flavorful and satisfying. We will be offering more options for both vegetarian and vegan folk in the future. We're also looking forward to offering daily specials and expanding the menu to include a Chinese-inspired duck-based panini. So many ideas for Future Publications of The Press!

Who, what, when, why...how about where? The Pelisky cafe (pronounced "puh-lish-key") is in the GMBB mall, which is full of artsy, crafty, niche, and local artisan shops and restaurants. The vibe is hip and happening which jives with both Pelisky's and The Press' atmosphere. We're cool cats, what can I say?!

Good food, good friends, good times! 😊