75 Year-Old Matriarch Opened An Indonesian Restaurant and Market During The Pandemic

For Siu Chen, the passion borne from serving friends and family her home-cooked Indonesian meals was infectious enough to inspire her decision to open her own market and restaurant. To do that during the pandemic all at the age of 75 is just as impressive as her soulful Indonesian cooking.

“I really love cooking, when everyone brings their friends and eats my food, and they love my food, I love that,” beams Chen. And that love for serving her local community through food is evident in the warm and inviting smells emanating from her restaurat Medan Kitchen in Rosemead, California.

But don’t let her age make you miscalculate her work ethic, as she Chen claims, “In one day, I could make almost 30 different kinds of dishes, mains, and sides.” She still cooks with as much vibrancy as the visuals of her Indonesian delicacies reveal.

Whether it’s relaxed yellow rice cradling tender beef rendang, or the spoonful of comfort in her signature lontong sayur medan, Siu Chen is catering joy to all who come through Medan Kitchen for a meal.