Malaysian-Singaporean restaurant Ma-Makan is bringing new flavors to Berlin. Although the German capital is known for its culinary diversity, traditional Malaysian dishes are hard to find. Kaylin Eu, who was born in Australia and is of Singaporean descent, has taken her roots and passion for her family’s cuisine to Berlin. Her dream was to create a sense of home through food, so she founded Ma-Makan, one of Berlin’s first kopi tiams (a type of cafe found in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia). Ma-Makan translates to “Mamma, eat.” Kaylin’s mother always said this to her grandmother before she started cooking, as a tribute to her hard work. Ma-Makan first launched in the form of smaller pop-ups in a wide variety of locations around the city. By the end of 2022, Kaylin was able to realize her dream and established her own restaurant, right on Lausitzer Platz.
The cuisine is inspired by traditional family recipes, infused with Kaylin’s own touch. My personal favorites were the Chwee Kueh, a steamed rice cake, and the Kaya Butter Toast, which is dipped in a mixture of eggs, pepper and soy sauce. Main course options include mushroom congee, lontong sayur lodeh and traditional Malaysian nasi lemak, a rice dish with fried egg and chili sambal. In addition to the food, Ma-Makan stands out for its interior: the modern space pays homage to hawker center restaurants – semi-open fast food restaurants on the streets of Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong that are known for their inexpensive meals. Above all, Kaylin wanted to capture the chaotic spirit and invite diners to immerse themselves in a different culture. She has succeeded in doing just that. Ready for a culinary getaway to South East Asia? We are.
Text: Theresa Garwing / Photos: Luna Schaffron
Ma-Makan, Lausitzerplatz 12, 10997 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
Tue–Fri 12–16h & Sat 11–17h (the kitchen closes at 16h30)
@mamakanberlin
