The Botanist: Happening Now: Julie Lin
HAPPENING NOW: COCKTAIL HOUR WITH JULIE LIN
Welcome to Cocktail Hour, a series of conversations with creatives about their craft – and their favourite cocktail.
Chef. TV presenter. Writer. Restaurateur. Multi-hyphenate Julie Lin can now add author to her list of accomplishments. Her debut cookbook, Sama Sama, is a celebration of her cultures and identity, featuring 90 recipes and stories of food and self-discovery. Rather than lengthy instructions and complex processes, her ‘agak-agak’ style is about cooking with soul and creating accessible dishes with explosive flavours, like her Cucur Udang Prawn Fritters, Chop Suey Aubergine with Thai Basil, and Peach and Mango Pies (recipes below).
Cocktail Hour: Julie Lin
Chef. TV presenter. Writer. Restaurateur.
For Julie, food has always been a way of connecting her mixed Malay and Scottish heritage. ‘Have you eaten yet?’ is the question her Malaysian mother asks her most frequently to this day, and by the age of three Julie was asking this in two different languages. Julie grew up learning how to toss pasta with chopsticks, listen to the sizzle of something cooking, and create a banquet out of leftovers; lessons that were integral in helping her embrace her culture. “I’ve discovered it to be my greatest strength, being from two distinct places that have equal significance and influence on me – the ‘sama sama,’ or same-same, but different.”
Read on to discover Julie’s ‘scrolls of joy’ on Instagram, the one ingredient she swears makes everything taste infinitely better, her favourite ‘yogurty’ cocktail, and find out what’s made it onto her shopping list this week (it never stays the same). Plus, we have three recipes from her book and cocktails that go with them, created by our Global Brand Ambassador and food and drink expert, Abi Clephane.
I created my first dish when I was six. I got hooked on those Uncle Ben's pasta sauce adverts and asked my mum if I could make her and my dad dinner. I remember feeling so serious about it like this was my big chef debut. As a slightly older kid, the first dish I really got into making again and again was carbonara. I was obsessed with the creamy, salty comfort of it, even if my early versions were more enthusiasm than technique!
My cooking style is agak-agak. My cousin describes this as “seasoning the dish until the ghosts of our ancestors whisper in our ear to stop”! It’s a beautiful Malaysian approach of cooking by feeling, instinct and trust, rather than strict rules. It’s about tasting as you go and letting your hands remember things before your brain does. For me, it’s a blend of heritage, home-cooking, and being joyfully resourceful with whatever’s around.
Right now, the dish I make most at home is fried rice. I’ll have it at least once a week, usually late at night with whatever’s in the fridge. I also adore big broths - anything from a deep, porky ramen or Penang Hokkien Mee to a chunky, rustic ribolita. Those sorts of meals feel grounding and generous, like a hug in a bowl. Truthfully though, I never make the same thing over and over again because my brain thrives on variety! But fried rice is my one constant.
My favourite unexpected flavour combinations are salad cream on rice with spicy chicken curry. Yes, it was my childhood guilty pleasure. Honestly, it’s not a million miles from a Kewpie mayo on sushi rice vibe, with that tangy, creamy, umami hit. It sounds wild, but it absolutely works. I think there’s something beautiful in those nostalgic pairings that stay with you and still taste like home.
The easiest ingredient to add to make (almost) anything taste better is anchovies. Always anchovies. Even if you don’t taste them as anchovies, they bring this deep, salty, savoury magic to sauces, stews, dressings or even a roast chicken rub. They melt into the background and just make everything more delicious.
My desert island dish would be nasi lemak. Rice cooked in coconut milk, spicy sambal, crunchy peanuts, cooling cucumber, crispy anchovies, and a jammy egg. It’s a plate that hits every note: comforting, punchy, satisfying. Plus, it reminds me of home and heritage.
For summer, my favourite dishes to make are cold noodle dishes, especially with lots of sesame paste, soy, chilli oil and loads of crunchy veg. They’re so refreshing but still full of flavour. I also love having cold roasted chicken in the fridge - it’s a brilliant base for everything from sandwiches and orzo bowls to quick rice dishes and salads. Summer cooking should feel easy but delicious.
An underrated classic recipe is Nigella’s chocolate Guinness cake. It’s the perfect recipe - rich, deeply chocolatey but not too sweet, and so forgiving. It was one of the first cakes I ever truly fell in love with baking. Every time I make it, someone asks for the recipe. It never misses.
My favourite travel destination for food is Malaysia - it’s the obvious choice for me, but for good reason. The food culture is so layered, vibrant, and full of joy. From hawker stalls serving life-changing laksa to incredible home-cooked meals packed with tradition, it’s a place where food is woven into every moment of the day. There’s just nowhere like it. I love the variety and melting pot of cultures shown in the food cultures there.
On my shopping list this week, you’ll find anchovies (always), an interesting pasta shape of some kind (I love switching it up), proper butter, pork lard for cooking, fresh herbs like Thai basil or coriander, and some really good tuna. I shop based on what I feel like eating or creating that week, so it’s never the same list twice.
My favourite food Instagram accounts are:
@dejashu for dreamy styling and beautiful cooking and cultural references to being a takeaway kid!
@justinthedustbin this guy KNOWS how to cook! He’s so full of beans and is so down to earth.
@foodbyremi her baking is tremendous oh my goodness.
@seemagetsbaked refreshing in the world of reels, Seema makes her stories right to the heart and her food looks delicious.
@sophiewyburd Sophie’s dinner tables are just a place I want to be all of the time, she’s such a gorgeous soul and it’s easy to see that through her cooking.
@hannahcrosbie great wine tips, gorgeous Scottish gal, full of the makings of a global superstar.
@rovinghaggis warm, funny and full of love for Scottish produce. That accent! I love her.
They’re all doing their own thing in such exciting ways - a proper scroll of joy.
The last great meal I ate out was at Gloriosa by Rosie Healy. Absolutely gorgeous food - honest, seasonal, and thoughtful - in what I think is the best dining room in the UK. There’s this magic in the way they host and feed you that just feels really special. It’s the kind of place you leave thinking about days later.
My favourite cocktail is a yogurty cocktail! I had a mango lassi cocktail at Please Don’t Tell in New York that I think about on a weekly basis. It was creamy, tangy, just a little sweet, and somehow still so refreshing. I love cocktails that surprise you like that - that taste like a twist on something familiar.

My favourite way to enjoy The Botanist is served from chilled, in a tall glass with loads of ice, a splash of tonic, and a fresh herb twist - Thai basil if I’ve got it, or a sprig of rosemary straight from the windowsill. I love to enjoy it in a tall glass and sip away whilst I’m cooking dinner for friends. Of course I love to share drinks with friends, but there's something extremely special about just having that first drink on your own when you’re getting prepared for a wee night in. It’s one of those gins that plays so nicely with different ingredients - citrus, floral, savoury - so it really suits my agak-agak approach. Occasionally I’ve made it a bit spicier and put a sugar salt rim with a bit of MSG around the top! It’s the kind of drink I’ll make while dinner’s simmering, the windows are open, the music is on, and the whole house smells like garlic and lemongrass.

Cucur Udan Prawn Fritters
Serve with a Sama 75
RECIPE
Cucur Udang Prawn Fritters (Makes up to 5, as snack or side)
Serve with a Sama 75
Ingredients
125g rice flour
40g white wholewheat flour (or plain flour)
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
A pinch of ground turmeric
1 large egg
15 whole raw small-medium prawns, shelled and deveined
15 whole raw small-medium prawns with shells on, deveined
A handful of fresh garlic chives (or regular chives), chopped
A handful of beansprouts
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Salt and ground white pepper
Sambal Oelek to serve
Method
1 First, make the batter. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, white wholewheat flour, bicarbonate of soda and turmeric. Crack the egg into the bowl, whisk it into the flour mixture and then gradually add 180ml of water, little by little, to form a smooth batter. The consistency should be similar to a pancake batter; it should coat the back of a spoon but not be too thick.
2 Fold the shelled and shell-on prawns, chopped garlic chives and beansprouts into the batter. Season with a pinch each of salt and white pepper.
3 Fill a deep-fat fryer or large, heavy-based saucepan no more than two-thirds full with oil. Heat the vegetable oil to 170°C. Meanwhile, line a tray or plate with kitchen paper and keep a spider or slotted spoon to hand.
4 Working in batches so that you don’t overcrowd the pan, spoon the batter into the oil to form small fritters. (If there are too many fritters in the fryer at once, the oil temperature will drop and they won’t go crispy.) Deep-fry for 3–4 minutes on each side, or until golden, crispy and cooked through.
5 Transfer the prawn fritters to the lined tray or plate to drain any excess oil.
6 Once they are all cooked, serve the fritters immediately while hot with Sambal Oelek for dipping.
Sama 75
Ingredients
35ml The Botanist
15ml lime juice
15ml lemongrass and ginger syrup
Champagne, crémant or cava to top
Method
1 Shake everything apart from the bubbles
2 Double strain into a flute and top with your choice of fizz
3 To garnish, express lime zest over the flute

Chop Suey Aubergine with Thai Basil
Enjoy with a Sambal Snapper
RECIPE
Chop Suey Aubergine with Thai Basil (Serves 2 - 3)
Serve with a Sambal Snapper
Ingredients
3 baby aubergines aka Chinese aubergines (or regular ones), weighing about 600g
Oil (use a flavourless oil, such as rice bran or vegetable), for frying
1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced into strips
9 garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced
1 fresh red bird’s eye chilli, sliced
For the wok sauce:
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Seasoning station (optional):
Sugar, light soy sauce, black vinegar, MSG
To serve:
3 fresh Thai basil sprigs (or regular basil), leaves picked
Crispy fried shallots (or onions)
Dram of whisky
Method
1 Begin by slicing the aubergines lengthways down the centre and then into 4cm chunks.
2 Salt the aubergine pieces generously and leave for 5 minutes. Rinse the salt off the aubergine, drain away any excess water and pat dry with kitchen paper.
3 Add the oil to a large wok until it rises about 1cm up the sides and heat over a medium heat. Add the aubergine pieces and fry until smooth and buttery. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain any excess oil.
4 Return to the wok. You’ll need to keep enough oil to cover the base of the wok and can dispose of the rest.Add the red pepper strips and stir-fry over a high heat for 1–2 minutes or until softened. Now add in the garlic and chilli and fry until fragrant. Return the fried aubergines to the wok and mix all the ingredients together.
5 To make the wok sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Add whichever seasoning station ingredients you feel like today, to taste.
6 Pour the wok sauce into the wok and stir-fry everything for 1 minute. Try to achieve ‘wok hei’ (a smoky, charred aroma).
7 When ready to serve, garnish the aubergines with the Thai basil leaves and scatter over some crispy fried shallots.
Sambal Snapper
Ingredients
40ml The Botanist
20ml lemon juice
5 dashes maggi liquid seasoning
Teaspoon sambal (vegan alts available)
Couple of dashes soy sauce
120ml tomato juice
Pickles and cucumber to garnish
Method
1 Build the drink in a glass, over ice
2 Garnish with a cocktail stick of pickles and cucumber

Mango and peach pies
Sip on Pineapple & Black Pepper Botanist Iced Tea
RECIPE
Peach and Mango Pies (Makes 4)
Serve with Pineapple & Peach Iced Tea
Ingredients
1 x 320g ready-rolled puff pastry sheet, at room temperature
1 egg, beaten, to glaze
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Icing sugar, for dusting (optional)
Freshly whipped cream or squirty aerosol cream, to serve
For the fruit filling:
2 ripe peaches, peeled, stoned and finely chopped (or tinned peach slices or halves)
1 ripe mango, peeled, stoned and finely chopped (or tinned mango slices)
50g white sugar (reduce the amount if you’re using tinned fruit)
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp ground cinnamon
A pinch of salt
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting
Method
1 To make the fruit filling, combine the chopped peaches and mango with the sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt in a saucepan.
2 Place the pan over a medium heat and cook the fruit until tender, but not mushy. This should take about 5–7 minutes for fresh fruit and about 5 minutes for the tinned fruit, until the sugar has dissolved.
3 Stir the lemon juice and butter into the fruit mixture.
4 Once the butter has melted, sprinkle in the flour to thicken the mixture. Cook for a further minute.
5 Remove from the heat and let the fruit filling cool completely.
6 Lightly dust a clean work surface with a little flour. Unroll the puff pastry sheet on the work surface and cut it into 4 equal rectangles.
7 Spoon a good amount of the fruit filling onto one side of each pastry rectangle, leaving a 1cm border around the edge.
8 Brush the edges with the beaten egg. Fold the clean pastry over the filling to enclose it, then use the tines of a fork to seal the edges of each pastry parcel.
9 Fill a deep-fat fryer or large, heavy-based saucepan no more than two-thirds full with oil. Heat the oil to 180°C. Meanwhile, line a tray or plate with kitchen paper and keep a spider or slotted spoon to hand.
10 Working in two batches so that you don’t overcrowd the pan, carefully lower the pies into the hot oil. Deep-fry the pies for 5–7 minutes, or until golden and flaky.
11 Transfer the pies to the lined tray or plate to drain any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining pies. Allow the pies to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
12 Dust the pies with icing sugar for extra sweetness, if you like, then serve with a dollop of whipped cream or a squirt of aerosol cream on each pie.
Pineapple & Black Pepper Iced Tea
Ingredients
40ml The Botanist
Basil to garnish
For iced tea:
500ml boiling water
2 black tea bags
Small can of pineapple chunks in juice
2 teaspoons coconut palm sugar or honey
Method
1 To make the iced tea, add everything to a jug and leave to infuse for a couple of hours
2 Strain and bottle – the tea will keep in the fridge for a week or so
3 Garnish with some basil leaves over plenty of ice.

JULIE'S BOOK IS OUT NOW
Sama Sama by Julie Lin (Ebury Press, £28) Photography by Liz Seabrook.