Matt Brown – Contributing Writer – TYL

Matt Brown

Matt Brown, contributing writer at The Yum List, shares a little about his background, food and travel preferences and gives some insight into his role.

What’s your role at The Yum List?

I’m a contributing writer who seems to provide a lot of comic relief for Monica and Rich when we’re out on assignment.

When you’re not Yum Listing…

I work fulltime as a teacher at an international school. In between planning lessons for six-year-olds, I’m usually out and about in KL, visiting bookstores and hunting for good coffee. I’ve also become the go-to person for all my friends and visitors who want somewhere good to go, so I feel like a Yum List Ambassador most days.

What languages do you speak? What countries have you lived in? Where did you grow up? 

Alas, I only speak English. After a year of living in Malaysia, I STILL only speak English. I was born and raised in Perth, Western Australia, where I spent most of my time hiding from the sun. Then I lived and worked in the US for a couple of years at a summer camp in Wisconsin. I have also lived in Melbourne, Victoria for ten years, where I accumulated my sweater collection of 95, which of course is completely redundant in my current location.

What are your food and beverage preferences/ preferred style of dining?

I think that I get the most enjoyment from an eating and/or drinking experience where the atmosphere allows for great conversations to flourish. Nowhere pretentious, but definitely sincere in what it’s trying to achieve. I also love cheesecake.

Matt Brown’s go-to drink?

Non-alcoholic – water, all day everyday. Alcoholic – a refreshing Tom Collins.

What is comfort food for you?

Anything cheesy – pasta, pies, toasties, pizza. Something that can be easily shared with others and matched with a good coffee.

What style of traveller are you?

Is ‘Wannabe Condé Nast Platinum Club Bougie’ a style? Probably not! The older I get, the more grateful I am to notice small things when I travel, and to find some wonder and joy in everyday things in other parts of the world.

What’s in your fridge?

Since moving to KL a year ago, I would describe my fridge contents as ‘Serial Killer Authenticity’ – usually bottles of duty-free liquor and a bag of oranges. I don’t cook, so there are no ingredients or leftovers. Ever.

What do you like to cook?

See above answer: I’m hopeless.

What do you look for in a menu?

An avoidance of fuss. I’m always excited to try new dishes and ingredients, although my limited Western palate means that spice has to be as little as possible. I’ve enjoyed so many vegetarian options in the last year, so I find myself looking more at what veggies are on offer (usually to be followed up with some cheesecake).

What do you do for fun?

It turns out in KL I am an incredible social butterfly! I can usually be found either strutting through a mall with my headphones on, probably daydreaming about writing a children’s book, or destroying some karaoke with my incredibly hilarious and diverse range of nutbag friends.

Something people might not know about Matt Brown…

I’ve never been to Europe! It’s a SCANDAL.

Favourite place to travel?

Always loved Asia, for the people, culture, food and history. Living here is obviously a different experience but I find that it motivates me to explore even more.

Stand out travel story…

In the past year, I really enjoyed the moment I discovered that you can hop on a plane and visit somewhere like Langkawi just for a weekend, and it’s not a big deal at all. Everything in Australia is so far from everything else that I’ve been conditioned to assume that if any trip involves an airport, it’s going to take at least a day to get somewhere. The fact that I can finish work on a Friday afternoon and that evening be watching a thunderstorm with a cocktail in my hand by a beach still continues to amaze me.

Memorable food story…

There have been some Yum List experiences where I have actually pinched myself that I’m experiencing what is in front of me. I think getting to experience the menu at DC by Darren Chin a week before it was awarded a Michelin star was a highlight for me, because I’ve always loved it the most when the chefs/owners/staff tell me their stories and share their love of what they do. Apart from being evident in every dish we were served that night, Darren was generous with his time and sharing his vision, I left incredibly inspired.

Something readers might not know about The Yum List…

I mean it won’t help with anyone envying what we do any less, but we have a LOT of fun on our visits. Monica is so inclusive and knowledgeable and really strives to make sure that everyone’s story is told with care and respect. Her experience over the years running The Yum List means that the rest of us benefit from an immense amount of professionalism and organisation that allows us to really enjoy ourselves and focus on the subjects in our articles.

Something unexpected you discovered with The Yum List…

It is possible to sit through a 12-course meal of fine French food and then by the time your Grab drops you home, still find a way to eat the last remaining ice cream in your freezer.

Most memorable Yum List experience…

I mentioned the experience at DC by Darren Chin which is definitely the most memorable of 2022. I’ve felt incredibly fortunate to write 27 articles in the past year and have actually enjoyed every single experience. I go back over the pictures in my phone that take for my own reference and cannot believe the incredible range of food I have eaten in the past year.

A restaurant/bar worth mentioning… because…

I always recommend Penrose KL for impeccable cocktails and a cool environment, Chateau Dionne for a bottomless Champagne brunch that is practically impossible to say goodbye to, and The Social Table at W Kuala Lumpur for its energy, range and use of local ingredients.

Pet food and beverage/ or travel peeves… 

I think in a world coming out of a pandemic, we all need to be as kind and patient as we can with people who are trying to do something good, whether it’s cooking our meals, serving our drinks, or helping us on a journey somewhere. Impatience and a lack of gratitude are really two states of mind we could evolve out of to make everything work a little better.

What are you listening to at the moment?

I think that only a few weeks into the new year, I can accurately predict who will be my Top 5 Spotify artists for the year….Robyn, BTS, Carly Rae Jepson, Ariana Grande and Mariah Carey. Read into that whatever you like 😉

Final words…

If you live in or are just visiting KL, try to embrace all of the incredible new ventures that are opening up, whether it’s a cafe, restaurant, bar, event or hotel. There are so many energetic, inspired people in this city working really hard to create new things and elevate Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia – support them when you can!

Read some of Matt Brown’s articles on The Yum List here, and stay up to date with the latest gourmet happenings around Malaysia here and here.