When we travel to a new country to live for a long period, maybe as a student or because of our work, most of us feel homesick at one point or another. We miss our friends and our mums – and actually, often many of us miss the comfort of familiar food from home. Is it possible to create a sense of Belonging in a new country by bringing with us food from home and sharing it with others? Chef Norman Musa thinks so. He talks to Author Across Cultures, Yang-May Ooi, about his journey from humble beginnings helping his mum at her hawker stall in Penang to international chef.
Chef Norman has run several restaurants across the UK and Europe, appeared on TV, cheffed for a Formula One racing team and written a number of cookbooks. But throughout his prestigious career, he has always remembered his roots. The Malaysian cuisine that he cooks is dedicated to everything his mum taught him about food, flavours and cooking – and he has brought this personal sense of Belonging and home not just to the UK but also to the world.
Listen via the player below…
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Or go to Spotify via https://bit.ly/belongingpod-normanmusa
Links
Norman Musa – https://www.normanmusa.com/
Chef Residency at King & Co pub in Clapham
MAKAN MAKAN Chef Residency
Mon, 25 May – Sat, 20 June 2026
The King & Co
100 Clapham Park Road
London SW4 7BZ
(6 mins walk from Clapham Common tube station)
Wagamama Chef Academy – https://jobs.wagamama.uk/apprenticeships
Rak Patel and Norman’s Asian Cooking Academy – https://www.asiancookingacademy.com/
Note
The views expressed by guests are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host.
Credits
Podcast Theme Music – World Traveler by Dimmysad, via Pixabaly Content License
Photo – Yang-May Ooi
More Podcast Episodes
You can find more episodes of the Belonging Across Cultures at podfollow.com/belonging
From Hawker Stall to International Chef – Norman Musa | Belonging Across Cultures Podcast Episode #004 BGPD004 | Yang-May Ooi @TigerSpiritUK
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About
Yang-May Ooi is a cross-cultural advocate and author. Her creative work includes novels The Flame Tree and Mindgame and a family memoir & theatre performance Bound Feet Blues. She is also the creator of the podcasts Creative Conversations, The Anxiety Advantage and MetroWild.
Find out more at www.TigerSpirit.co.uk. You can also connect with Yang-May on social media – @TigerSpiritUK.
Belonging Across Cultures explores how we can move from difference to connection to create better lives and a better world. We celebrate Belonging through the different lenses of Food, Music, Landscape and more. Join other curious minds and subscribe to my newsletter here.
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