Spotlights (M.S.G Edition) — Shelly Shao
Hues of neon-pastels, anime references and nonchalant teens are only the tip of the iceberg for Shelly Shao, as the intricate detail and dreamy ambience of her work speak to the absence or need for any lengthy captions.
We spoke to Shelly about family dinners, cranky aunties and her favourite dish: Ma La Tang from Yang Guo Fu (No. 1 Ma La Tang)
Can you describe the role Asian restaurants have played in your life?
'Asian' tends to be my go-to cuisine whenever I eat out. It's affordable, endlessly diverse and very tasty. As a young girl, eating out was a rarity so I was doubly excited whenever we got to dine out. The places my parents took me to were always fine Chinese restaurants with the big Lazy Susans and chefs who brought out live seafood to seek your approval before cooking the dish. We would always go with family friends, so it was always exciting, and the food was delicious. I remember I would always try to eat as much as I could.
As I became older and ate out with friends more, we often found ourselves in Asian restaurants for food. There's a huge variety of affordable Asian cuisine in Sydney (which I am so thankful for) and they always provide a good feed. More significantly, these restaurants became places filled with memories with friends, stories told and time spent together.
What inspired you to illustrate this dish?
Ma La Tang was one of the first things that came to mind when I was invited into this project. Firstly, it's so classically 'Asian'. The restaurants aren't too aesthetically designed, there's a whole lot of possibly wobbly plastic chairs scattered around, and the vibe of the space is just a tad bit suspicious. That's when you usually know the food's going to be good, and it is. Ma La Tang is delicious and spicy food's always fun. You pick and choose what you want from a huge range of ingredients, weigh the content, then pass it to a chef to cook in a bowl of rich soup. It's a bit overwhelming at first but you get the hang of it pretty quickly. The aunties working there also remind me of my mum so much. They move very quickly and look a little cranky (but they mean no harm, they're just concentrating).
“Ma La Tang is delicious and spicy food's always fun. The aunties working there also remind me of my mum so much. They move very quickly and look a little cranky (but they mean no harm, they're just concentrating).”
Did illustrating the dish change your appreciation of it?
I thought about the first few times I had gone and how dodgy the restaurant looked back then, but at the same time there was something very charming and authentic about that.
Why is it important for you to push this message right now?
During these times when we're encouraged to stay at home, our culinary economy is definitely in a bad spot. At the start of the pandemic, it was disappointing to hear rumours and racism going around the space of Asian restaurants. There are so many hard-working local restaurants around and it's saddening to hear they’re being affected by panic claims. We'll lose a lot of culture without these places.
Any recommendations for Asian takeaway joints at the moment?
My family's big on cooking at home so I haven't had much takeaway since COVID. The weather's been a little nippy though, so I've been craving Hot Star chicken (they have the juiciest, most fragrant fried chicken).
“During these times when we're encouraged to stay at home, our culinary economy is definitely in a bad spot. At the start of the pandemic, it was disappointing to hear rumours and racism going around the space of Asian restaurants.”
ABOUT THE M.S.G PROJECT
This special edition of Spotlights is in collaboration with More Of Something Good (M.S.G). We interviewed five of their artists about their favourite Asian restaurants, how COVID-19 has affected the hospitality industry and their current take-away recommendations.
More Of Something Good is the No.1 Online Illustrated Food Directory. In response to the racially-targeted attacks and stigma surrounding COVID-19 and the Asian community, STUDIO MIMU are countering the fear and tension with an online directory of Asian restaurants recommended by artists. M.S.G is a 100% not-for-our-profit initiative that’s good for the hood.
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More Of Something Good