Matsulin serves authentic far-east recipes

The home cooking at Matsulin isn’t mashed potatoes or casserole.

Its pan-Asian home cooking, inspired by manager Vivian Lim’s mother, grandmother and aunt from her home country, Malaysia.

“The family recipes stay forever,” she said.

Ms. Lim opened Matsulin in Hampton Bays so that local residents could get an authentic taste of the cuisine from Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, China and Vietnam.

After emigrating from Malaysia in 1988, Ms. Lim opened Ming Garden in Hampton Bays 17 years ago. Her brother, Kay Lim, saw the spot where Matsulin now sits, an old bank building in Hampton Bays at the corner of Springville Road and Montauk Highway, and thought that they might be able to educate the palates of East End residents.

“He saw the spot and thought we should bring our home recipes,” Ms. Lim said. “No one would do pan-Asian at the time.”

She and her brother renovated the old bank building to create a restaurant space, she said. The walls were painted a warm green and the restaurant was named after Ms. Lim’s father, who owned a restaurant in her home country. Part of his first name, Song, translates to “Matsu,” or “pine” in Japanese. “Lin,” the Japanese word for “forest,” sounds like the family name, Lim.

“The whole word combined is like ‘pine forest,’” Ms. Lim explained.

The opening of Matsulin was delayed twice, but Ms. Lim was finally able to fire up the stove and ovens in January 2004. “I picked the coldest year,” she said.

Steve Landis, who described himself as a food lover and good friend of Ms. Lim, said that when Matsulin was renovating the old bank building, he kept knocking on the door and asking if it was open yet. Once the doors were unlocked, the tables set and the kitchen staff was ready to cook, he was able to try out the new place, but had to share a menu with a stranger sitting next to him.

“I couldn’t wait for them to open,” he said.

Ms. Lim said the Japanese, Thai, Chinese and Malaysian food is “for people who have good taste.” She prepares everything herself and trains the chefs to cook it the right way. Ms. Lim is also the hostess, with her brother helping out on weekends.

Matsulin’s menu is dotted with dishes Ms. Lim learned how to make from her mother and from other family members. “Grandma’s recipes live in the menu,” she said.

One popular dish singled out by Ms. Lim is the

kari ayam

($19), a Malaysian preparation of chicken, potatoes and onions in Ms. Lim’s curry sauce. The miso orange sea bass ($25), made from a recipe from Japan, is another favorite, while Mr. Landis described the harp duck ($22), a Chinese preparation of crispy roasted duck with bean plum sauce, as “the best duck” he’s had.

Classic Asian dishes are also bestsellers at Matsulin. The Peking duck ($30), which the menu describes as a two-course meal, and the pad Thai ($13), a dish from Thailand with shrimp, chicken, rice noodles, bean sprouts, garlic and chives, are two favorites, Ms. Lim said. She also enjoys preparing her own version of surf and turf ($26), fried jumbo shrimp and sliced beef.

Matsulin does offer lunch specials Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., serving from a shortened version of the eclectic dinner menu. The lunch specials include miso soup or a house salad, and such entrées as basil eggplant ($7), a spicy dish from Thailand; vegetable noodles ($7), a Vietnamese dish of cold noodles, mint, carrots, fried shallots, peanuts and egg strips; and

nasi lemak

($9), a Malaysian dish of coconut rice, curried chicken, anchovies and peanuts, among others. The lunch menu also lists sushi and sashimi rolls, ranging from $9 to $16, and bento boxes.

Ms. Lim also offers a $25, three-course prix fixe menu Sunday through Thursday. That menu includes a choice of five starters, such as miso soup, a house salad with ginger dressing, or a spicy fish cake. There are seven entrées to choose from, including the Malaysian

ayah sambai asam

, sautéed chicken with vegetables and spices; a sushi and sashimi combination; or lemongrass

ikan

, a Thai recipe for fried snapper and string beans with a lemongrass sauce. The prix fixe special includes a choice of ice cream or fruit platter for dessert.

Matsulin is more than just a sit-down restaurant, Ms. Lim said, noting that she caters over the summer and sometimes closes the restaurant for private parties. She also has some special events planned for this summer, such as a “Taste of Asia” buffet next month that will allow guests to sample dishes from different booths. Ms. Lim also hopes to host a saké tasting and a sushi workshop this summer as well.

Matsulin has grown steadily from the days when Mr. Landis had to share a menu: he acknowledged that he hasn’t tried everything the restaurant now offers. For her part, Ms. Lim said she loves her job and her restaurant. She likes making food that people enjoy, especially since she gets to share the same Far East dishes that she loved when she was growing up.

“It’s nice to know what you are doing,” Ms. Lim said, “and what you are passionate about.”