Gastronauts!

Stuck between elevated cortisol levels, plummeting temperatures, and yet another winter storm, we found ourselves musing: Where can we go (at least in spirit) that’s warm, delicious, and not tangled up in the latest round of tariffs? Bonus points if it’s home to a cuisine shaped by many outside influences and happens to be what we ate for the very first Gastronauts.

Of course, the answer is Malaysia. A place where Malay, Portuguese, Dutch, British, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and yes, even Jewish flavors collide—where funky, fiery, and fragrant are the rule, not the exception, and where, somehow, we haven’t dined since the founding Gastronauts group first gathered around a table. Time to fix that.

So, ‘Nauts, this month, we’re heading to Taste Good, a humble little place in Elmhurst with a not-so-humble name. We’ve put together an atypical, bold, and deeply complex menu—exactly what we need to shake off the seasonal blues. Stink beans, Marmite pork, sour and spicy laksa—this meal won’t come with a beach, but it will get your blood moving again. They’re even making a special dish for us, (a wee bit late) for Chinese New Year fo the Snake: Yu Sheng, or Prosperity Toss—the higher you toss the salad, the greater the luck for the coming year. And we’ll need it.

Grab a seat, bring a drink, and let’s eat like we just landed in Kuala Lumpur.