The Plating Game: Sam Low

We asked one of our favourite Kiwi celebrities about his food loves – then he created a dish that sums them up.

By the time you read this, Sam Low will need no introduction. The first New Zealand MasterChef in seven years, he stunned the judges and audiences nationwide with dishes offering a modern, inventive twist on Chinese food.

But although Sam is not a professional chef, he has long been cooking up a storm. Before entering MasterChef, he was a food social media star, with over 30,000 Instagram and TikTok followers watching his videos on cooking everything from simple stir-fried bok choy to fried chicken gua baos. (He first made headlines for glamming up the meals he received in a managed isolation facility in 2020.) He’s the brains behind modern Chinese pop-up, Da Lin. And he’s also an award-winning barista, former latte art champion and De’Longhi ambassador.

Usually, we use The Plating Game to profile one of our favourite Kiwis, then create a dish for them. But while we were keen to hear about the food Sam loves, eats, dreams of and cooks, we knew we couldn’t come up with something for him better than what he already could for himself! This special edition of The Plating Game features one of Sam’s own recipes, for mouthwatering northern Chinese-style cumin and chilli lamb skewers.

How did you learn to cook?

Sam:  I was born in Fiji and my parents owned a café/restaurant next to the markets, and a noodle factory. And then when we migrated to New Zealand, my parents were always operating Pacific Island-style, Chinese-focused food businesses. We owned a dairy in West Auckland that sold a lot of Pacific Island foods, like taro and green banana. And then we owned a Polynesian takeaway out in Māngere, where we were cooking Polynesian Chinese food. So cooking was not really something I learnt – it was just part of
my upbringing.

Tell us about a favourite food memory from your childhood.

Sam: There’s a couple! When I was five years old and my parents owned the café in Fiji, we sold whole roast chickens but being the hungry kid I was, I’d always try to steal and eat the chicken butts while they were in the cabinet – and then the customers would come in and be like, ‘Oh, why are all the butts always pulled out?!’ I remember that as a fond food memory. I also remember making instant noodles as the first thing I ever cooked – I think I was around five as well.

What are some of your favourite things to eat?

Sam: If there are no cameras around and I can just eat whatever I want, I'd go for chicken nuggets and cocktail sausages, childhood favourites, you know? But as I’ve got older, I’ve also started to appreciate a lot of finer things – like I love aged cheeses. Both those types of food give me the same amount of joy.

If you could cook for anybody, alive or dead, who would you choose and what would you make?

Sam: Just before the pandemic, I won a scholarship to the Institute of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy. One of the main teachers on that program was David Chang and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to meet David Chang and talk to him about food and identity and how much he's inspired me,’ but that never happened because of Covid. So, I think I’d sit down and cook for David and talk to him. I think I'd probably just make congee – it would be in the morning, so maybe a cup of coffee as well.

What’s your favourite snack?

Sam: I love fried chicken wings. It's the perfect fat to meat ratio.

Can you share a favourite overseas food experience?

Sam: I've been to Japan three times now, and every time I go there I'm just genuinely geeking out about every single type of food available, whether it’s the 7/11 convenience stores – their food is delicious – or if you go to an artisan udon maker and buy a bowl of their udon for $3 or $4. I think there's something beautiful about the Japanese food way, where it is food for people, whatever form that takes.

Your Masterchef-winning restaurant concept focused on modern Chinese food. What do you love about Chinese cuisine?

Sam: I was kind of trying to find my own cultural identity. I'm a very curious person and if I want to understand something I go deep. And the more I dabbled into understanding Chinese gastronomy, the more I found I didn't know about Chinese food and culture. You could never just say, ‘okay, I've learned enough of this’. It’s one of those ongoing things and I find it fascinating.

Who are some of your go-to food writers?

Sam: I find Fuchsia Dunlop’s books so insightful about Chinese food from a non-biased point of view, and I really like that.
And in terms of being passionate about food and owning food identity, a big advocate for that is Soleil Ho. She’s the head critic of The Chronicle in San Francisco and she’s the first queer woman to be in a food position in America of that stature. I think her work around trying to bring equality and talk about food ways that are outside Eurocentric norms is super interesting.

Tell us about some of your favourite ingredients or flavours.

Sam: The combination of chilli, cumin and white pepper is perfect – it’s not actually nostalgic to me, but when you eat it, it just feels right. It feels exciting, and I think they're flavours that are quite transformative. Another ingredient I love using is ginger. I love that you can turn it into something sweet, savoury, a drink… it could be anything.

Where do you go for a great meal out in Auckland – or beyond?

Sam: There are so many. I love JadeTown Uyghur. Last night I went to Tanpopo Ramen and it’s just so good –for its price point, the amount of artisan work that goes into ramen is just indescribable. And I love high-end banquet Cantonese food, that’s what I grew up knowing as what you would celebrate the highest achievement with. Huami’s Peking duck is sensational and so is Mr Lobster’s out in West Auckland. Beyond Auckland, I think often about Rita in Wellington. They do a three-course meal that rotates every single day and it just feels you're in someone's house and there’s something magical about that.

Do you like to entertain?

Sam: I love entertaining, the only downside is cleaning up! My favourite way of entertaining is lots of share plates. For a flat warming I did recently, I invited 30-35 friends over and cooked a bunch of stuff and put it on my dining table for people to help themselves – I even have buffet warmers. I don't like controlling people's portions. I think it’s my Chinese upbringing and the belief that you should create your own food experience.

What sort of food would you serve with cocktails?

Sam: I think it’s important to serve food that gives diners an opportunity to clear the palate so they can actually enjoy their drinks! So there need to be a few things that are refreshing or pickled, or something bland like steamed rice or bread. If you were to eat spiced cumin lamb and you were drinking, say, a gin sour, I don’t think that would go very well. But if you have some pickled cucumber and a bite of white steamed rice with your cocktail, it changes the whole experience.

What would you cook for a date night meal?

Sam: When it’s date night, I think you want to cook light because you don’t know what’s going to happen – are you going to head out? You don’t just want to end up so full that you fall asleep immediately. I’d probably cut out the rice or noodles and then just have wonton soup or a healthy dose of pan-fried dumplings, but not too many.

What’s a cooking technique you’re proud to have mastered?

Sam: Going through Masterchef, I've built a newfound confidence for my own kind of dessert techniques – I wouldn’t say I’ve mastered them, but I’m glad I’ve gained more confidence in that realm! I don't have much of a sweet tooth so that’s been kind of lacking till recently.

What music do you listen to while you’re cooking?

Sam: I love good pop music. One artist I vibe with a lot – and I might get some slack on this, I know – is Carly Rae Jepsen. I think there’s something beautiful about her music, it’s very innocent. And I’m a big Tay Tay fan. I do listen to a lot of indie as well – I love The Cranberries and I’ve been listening to a lot of Enya recently, too.

Is there anything you don’t eat?

Sam: I’ve given durian a lot of goes and I still can’t seem to really appreciate it. I've tried it fresh, frozen, in baked goods, in a Michelin Star restaurant in Taiwan and yet I still can’t seem to enjoy it. I did some research on why I can’t seem to enjoy it and I read this book called Nose Dive by Harold McGee, which explores the science behind smell. There was a section on durian and I learnt it has the same molecules as fermented onion and ripe strawberries – and for me those two things together are quite jarring as I don’t have an affinity for either.

What would you last supper be?

Sam: I think it would be the same as what I'd cook for David Chang: congee. I just love a classic Cantonese chicken congee, with chopped century egg and then a really nice youtiao (deep-fried Chinese breadstick) on top. The base would have a lot of ginger in it.

How would you like to see Aotearoa’s food scene develop in the future?

Sam: I’d like to see more recognition of the fact that culture is fluid. There are a lot of absolutes within food, which is limiting for a lot of people. We need more of an open mind around moving towards the new and understanding that things adapt with the ingredients around us and that becomes its own tradition. In other cities that I’ve lived in, Vancouver and Melbourne especially, there’s a lot of celebration of new combinations and cooking from an authentic fusion mentality. There’s a lot of people who have those layered lived experiences in New Zealand but they’re not taking steps towards opening a restaurant and potentially they feel like there’s a barrier to doing that. I’d like to see that change.