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Gastrogig is no stranger to the culinary scene. Prior to the ‘circuit breaker’, the company has been creating, and curating, various culinary events for over eight years. But with social distancing measures in place, parties aren’t allowed to take place, and its business suffered. “We’re largely an events business, and with no events allowed, it has definitely impacted us,” says founder Jasmine Cheah.
The company had to quickly pivot, and has recently launched its virtual pop-up concept, Thank-Goodness-It’s (TGI). The delivery-only platform features a seasonal menu that's switched up regularly.
It’s debut menu: nasi lemak, with mix-ins prepped using herbs and spices found in the company’s own garden. Gastrogig’s culinary director, Shen Tan, taps into her archives (she previously ran a nasi lemak stall at Maxwell Food Centre) to breathe new life to the coconut rice dish. A harvest of roselle, lemongrass, blue pea flower, makrut lime leaves, and more are used extensively in the menu – from the rempah of the rendang right down to the sambal served. “It’s all sitting in our backyard,” shares Jasmine. “Now seems like the perfect time to showcase and use these produce, especially with all their immunity-boosting properties.”
For instance, Shen uses rainbow chillies from the garden to make the pickles served alongside the meal. Even more special is the coffee sambal ($15), a deeply flavoured condiment that’s made with chilli padi, gula Melaka, makrut lime leaves, and cold brew coffee grounds from a coffee partner. Food waste from the cooking process is in turn used to fertilise the soil of the garden, nourishing the crops that go into making further servings of TGI’s nasi lemak. On the reason for its focus on sustainability, Jasmine says: “The entire period, and even now, made me really think despite the chaos in the world, the land still provides, and we should be thankful for that!”
The result is an inventive variant of nasi lemak not found anywhere else. Start with the twice-steamed nasi lemak ($12), a personal favourite of Jasmine that comes perfumed with fenugreek. It serves as an aromatic base for side dishes of crispy pork belly ($16) so good you’ll have to stop yourself from snacking on it, chicken rendang ($20) slow-cooked in a spiced coconut rempah till (plastic) fork-tender, and sambal eggplant ($14) charred beforehand to impart a kiss of smoke. Remember to save some rice for the condiments too, like the uncommon coffee sambal ($15) that lends a deep-bodied warmth, or the indulgent lard sambal ($17). Want to try everything? Bento meals for one (from $15) and set meals that are good for two ($38) or four ($88) are also available.
Dessert here is just as playful. Try the pulut hitam cake ($6), a reimagining of the sweet soup as a sticky rice pudding; or the double valrhona chocolate fudge cake ($8) infused with caramelised coffee for a bittersweet edge.
HOW TO ORDER TGI’s nasi lemak is available only till August 30 at tginasilemak.com/order. There’s no minimum order, and a delivery fee of $8 applies for purchases under $88. After August, the concept will change to feature a menu of sustainable seafood.