Punched, not stirred: Salt Bae lookalike serves up coriander lemon tea in Johor Bahru

World-famous Turkish chef Salt Bae is as recognisable as they come.

So what would you do if you saw him at your neighbourhood night market?

Many might have done a double take when he was recently spotted at the Chill Day Night pasar malam in Taman Mount Austin, Johor Bahru.

Unfortunately for fans, the man is just a lookalike.

Instead of grilled meats, customers at the food stall of this 'Salt Bae' would be yearning for a cup of hand-punched lemon tea.

To keep in line with the persona, a generous amount of coriander is sprinkled atop the drink a la Salt Bae-style. 

It's novel for sure and customers seem intrigued.

So fair play to the man, Mendro Tan, for pulling off the look and demeanour so well — from the man bun to the shades and facial hair.

On Tuesday (Jan 10), food website SG FoodBuzz shared a 35-second clip of him preparing a cup of his unique drink.

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@sgfoodbuzz/video/7186635397416471809?_r=1&_t=8YvPUlJK5gI&is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7186635397416471809[/embed]

The drink was advertised as "duck s*** coriander lemon tea — violently punched 30 times".

It's a mouthful to say but certainly more strenuous to prepare.

Mimicking how a pestle and mortar works, Mendro punches lemons using a muddler before adding the juice to brewed tea. 

For the final touch, he adds a hefty serving of coriander to the drink. 

It appears that a crowd forms and watches on in amazement whenever he prepares an order.

In the comments section, netizens immediately got what Mendro was doing with his get-up.

"Salt Bae changed jobs?" one TikTok user asked cheekily.

Another mentioned that, hopefully, the drink's price is "not as exorbitant" as the menu items in Salt Bae's luxury restaurants. At the Nusr-Et Steakhouse in London, a wagyu steak starts at £95 (S$154) and the most expensive steak item will set you back £680.

Meanwhile, a cup of coriander lemon tea at Mendro's stall costs RM13 (S$4).

Also, it seems like the original Salt Bae lingers in the minds of some, fresh from his antics during the World Cup final last month.

Mendro's night market stall is set to run till Jan 19 but fret not, there is another location to get his famed drink.

He runs his own restaurant Chadohatsu in Skudai, Johor Bahru. The restaurant sells Japanese cuisine and is also a bubble tea joint.

If you're keen on the night market experience, the clock is ticking.

Be warned, Mendro isn't always at the stall so keep those fingers crossed.

Address: Jln Austin Heights 8/2, Taman Mount Austin, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Opening hours: 5pm to 12am daily

ALSO READ: 'Cute guy alert': Timothee Chalamet lookalike spotted selling hotdogs at Woodlands pasar malam

amierul@asiaone.com

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