In a time when cultural divisions are often in the headlines, Perth food entrepreneur Mei Yong is proving that food can tell a different story – one of connection, inclusion and shared pride.
Mei’s Turban Chopstick Asian sauces have just been awarded 10 medals at the 2025 Royal® Australian Food Awards, including Gold and Best in Class for its Satay Peanuts, judged the best savoury sauce in Australia.
But for Mei, who migrated from Kuala Lumpur to Perth with her family in 1988, the win is about more than national recognition.
“Food has this beautiful way of bringing people together,” she says. “It reminds us of where we’ve come from and invites others to join in. Satay, curry, laksa — these are dishes that connect stories and cultures at one table.”
Part of the My PlantCo family, Turban Chopsticks has built a loyal following for its sauces, curries and chutneys that draw on traditional South and Southeast Asian recipes, made locally with Western Australian produce.
The brand’s triumph celebrates WA’s growing role in Australia’s multicultural food landscape, with the nation’s appetite for global flavours booming. According to Credence Research, the Australian ethnic food market was worth USD 1.2 billion in 2024 and is forecast to more than double by 2032.
In the past year alone, Woolworths Online recorded 1.4 million customer searches for Asian and Indian products, proof that Australians are hungry for more diverse, authentic and connected culinary experiences.
“When we first started, we just wanted to make it easy for people to cook beautiful global food at home,” says Mei. “Now, we see how these flavours, once seen as foreign, are becoming part of Australia’s shared table. That’s something to celebrate.”
Turban Chopsticks’ winning lineup includes Laksa Vegan, Thai Green Curry, Rendang Curry, Tomato Chutney, Yellow Curry, Korma Curry, Thai Red Curry, Butter Chicken, and Sambal Vegan — many made with produce sourced from WA’s Loveapple growers, who supply
“perfectly imperfect” fruits and vegetables that might otherwise go to waste.
The win also celebrates Western Australia’s commitment to sustainable farming and regional collaboration. The ingredients used in the sauces come from “perfectly imperfect” fruits and veggies from Carnarvon’s not-for-profit farm cooperative – Loveapple.
Loveapple Carnarvon is itself a multicultural success story. Formed in 1994 by twelve tomato growers, its members reflect the rich migrant heritage of the region, from Italian and Croatian farming families who arrived in the mid-20th century to more recent Vietnamese growers like Duc Nguyen, who arrived in Australia as a refugee and built his farm in Carnarvon. Today, Loveapple’s cooperative ensures that produce from this diverse community reaches both retailers and innovators like Turban Chopsticks.
By turning these ingredients into award-winning sauces, Turban Chopsticks is putting sustainability and community collaboration at the heart of its success.
For Mei, the story comes full circle. Her award-winning 60-year-old Satay Peanuts recipe began with her father, a well-known satay cook in Kuala Lumpur whose flavours inspired their family’s iconic Perth restaurant, Sri Melaka, in the 1990s.
“Dad’s satay was about feeding people – neighbours, strangers, anyone who came by. That spirit still guides everything we do. Food can dissolve barriers faster than words ever can.”
With Turban Chopsticks now stocked nationwide and overseas, including in Malaysia and Singapore, and My PlantCo expanding its portfolio of sustainable food ventures, Western Australia’s influence on Australia’s evolving and multicultural food story continues to grow.
“This win isn’t just for us,” says Mei. “It’s for every WA grower, every migrant story, every person who believes that sharing food is sharing hope.”
ENDS
Media contact: Petra Vanessie, AVA Agency, petra@avaagency.com.au
