Sama Sama: Comfort food from my Malaysian–Scottish kitchen

In Malay, sama sama (‘same same’) is a way of saying ‘you’re welcome’ to reinforce the idea of togetherness and equality in this everyday exchange. From successful restaurateur and Saturday Kitchen favourite Julie Lin, Sama Sama celebrates all parts of Julie’s identity (Malaysian, Chinese and Scottish) through 90 delicious recipes and heartfelt tales of self-discovery.
Always encouraging simplicity for maximum joy in the kitchen, Julie teaches us to cook with soul, trust our palates and broaden our ideas of authenticity. Enjoy accessible dishes with explosive flavours, such as Chilli Crisp Puttanesca, Steak au Sichuan Poivre and Kaya Croissant-and-Butter Pudding.

Review

Food has the power to stir memories, bring people together, transport you to new places, and, most importantly, take you home. Julie captures all of this within these pages. This book is a true joy. -- Yotam Ottolenghi

If you want to discover the hidden secrets of one of Asia’s great cuisines, there is no better guide than Julie Lin’s mouth-watering book. It is delicious Malaysian comfort food at its best. -- Ken Hom, CBE

Julie's book is quintessentially her. She is a bright star in the firmament of British cooks. She does what all great chefs have always done in the most magnificent way. She uses her life, her experience and her huge heart to create dishes that warm you from the top of your head right down to the bottom of your toes, at the same time inspiring one to reach just that little bit further in the kitchen and try something that we may never have done before. Fabulous (of course). -- Andi Oliver

About the Author

Julie Lin is a Malaysian-Scottish chef, writer, TV presenter and restauranteur. Julie has a successful restaurant in Glasgow, GaGa, Michelin recommended and named Best Restaurant in Scotland in 2022. Some of her recent work includes regular appearances on Saturday Kitchen, featuring on The Hairy Bikers Go Local and hugely popular Netflix series Somebody Feed Phil, as well as cooking for Judi Dench on Countryfile. Julie has also contributed to several publications including the Guardian, Observer, BBC Good Food and Vice. She has a Substack and accompanying podcast, Use Your Noodle, on which she shares recipes and anecdotes from her week. In 2024, Julie was named Food Influencer of the Year at the Golden Chopsticks Awards and was named Women of Influence’s Woman to Watch.

Find her online at julielin.co.uk and on Instagram @julielincooks and @gaga.glasgow