Fall Collaboration with Kedai Tapao

Photo: Kim Yeoh.

Notable pop-up Kedai Tapao shares their love of Malaysia in the fifth Chef Collaboration at Marisol.

Run by wife and husband team Jennifer Pou Alesi and Michael Alesi, Kedai Tapao aims to share Malaysian food and culture with Chicago. Their food reflects the food stalls and craftspeople of Malaysia, as well as the comfort of the food cooked and celebrated by Jennifer’s family. Malaysian food is as bombastic as the diversity of its people, mixing notable Chinese and Indian cuisines with unique Malay influences. After four years of operating as a pop-up with sold-out events, they continue to explore and refine their taste of home.

For the next three months, their Bakwa Sandwich, featuring Malaysian BBQ pork, egg, chili tomato sauce, cucumber, and pork floss, will be available on Marisol's lunch menu. Often found at Malaysian night markets, bakkwa is a popular dried sweetened grilled meat “jerky” consumed daily—especially around Chinese New Year—by Chinese Malaysians and other Malaysians. “We wanted to bring this sandwich as a way to give Marisol’s clientele a delightful and flavorful snack or treat it as lunch, and to delight those in the know of a deep-cut classic of uniquely Malaysian cuisine or a taste of home.”

The Chef Collaboration series, which began in May 2023, aims to uplift local culinary talent in Chicago by showcasing their signature dishes at Marisol.