Her origins are Pan-Asian, with a mixture of Vietnamese, Chinese, Laotian, and Cambodian blood, but Malyna Si has found success in a Spanish-speaking restaurant in Florida. Here's how.
The story
Malyna Si's promotion to chef at Capa, the enchanting rooftop of the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World, coincided with a major event for American gastronomy: this girl of "pan-Asian" origins, born to a mother who is a little Vietnamese, a little Chinese, a little Laotian, and a Cambodian father, became the first-ever Starred chef in Florida. It was a game changer, at the very least.
The result has been well-earned; she got started in the kitchen as a child, wielding the pestle at a young age to make Kroeung, a kind of Cambodian pesto. "As unintentional as it was, as I began to navigate through kitchens during my career, I realized how this legacy represented a great advantage." At Capa, she worked as sous-chef for 5 years before receiving her first Michelin Star.
Capa Terrace- Fireworks
"I look for the balance of textures and flavors, with the help of the best ingredients. I am constantly experimenting so that I can provide the best for our guests. I love to unearth unique or rare products. I like to observe the effect they have on those who taste them for the first time; it is as if they enter a new world. The language of cooking is vast, and I like to be the one who provides information about specific ingredients. Knowledge is sharing; flavors come from discovering well-prepared foods."
And in fact, it is by tasting, from suppliers or at the market, that dishes are often born. "The focus is mostly on a single ingredient. From its starting point, I move on to consider the interplay between succulence, acidity, and temperature. I reflect deeply on the whole experience. No two palates are the same; what excites me most is the variability and volatility of culinary creation."
Paradoxically, however, Capa has a Spanish influence, which Malyna brings out in her cuisine. "Bread with tomato represents the essence of Iberian cuisine, the exaltation of quality ingredients in their natural state. Ours stands out as it is served with homemade bread spread with butter and toasted in our wood-fired oven. Forty-year-old Sherry vinegar brings a soft, deep acidity, along with Roma tomatoes. Finely grated fresh garlic lends a pungent note that doesn't overload the dish." But Capa is also a steakhouse where you can sample the best Wagyu meat around, the only platinum in Central Florida. The ribs in particular come to meet the American palate: braised in Rioja, the Spanish wine, they fall off the bone, but can also be enriched with marrow served on the bone or foie gras upon request.
Source: Forbes
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Photo: @ Four Seasons Resort Orlando
