Perched at the edge of a row of shop lots in Petaling Jaya’s Damansara Kim is Table & Apron. Under the stewardship of owner Marcus Low, the 12-year-old eatery has become a firm neighbourhood stalwart with an army of fans and followers that have pledged undying allegiance to the food served here.
But Low is one of those restaurateurs who isn’t content to rest on his laurels or let the restaurant fall victim to complacency. Time and time again, he looks at ways to build community and develop the talents of his team in unconventional ways.
Last year for example, he encouraged an internal staff cook-off and dangled a lucrative prize: the winners would get to open their own pop-up restaurant within Table & Apron. Called The Teahouse Upstairs, the limited-time opening was focused on the Myanmar cuisine so beloved and familiar to many of his team and reflected Low’s efforts to build enthusiasm and encouragement within his establishment.
This year, Low is once again raising the stakes in a one-day only event on 21 November 2026 that will feature the kitchen team cooking from the pages of famed British chef Fergus Henderson’s The Book of St John.
Henderson is the revolutionary chef behind St. John in London, which is renowned for its nose-to-tail eating philosophy and copious use of offal and off-cuts.
All proceeds from the one-day event, which has three seatings (11.30am, 5.30pm and 6.30pm) and is priced at RM350 per person will go towards supporting the Dignity for Children Foundation’s hospitality training programme. The non-governmental organization provides care and education for urban poor children in Kuala Lumpur.
“So this was really part of an evolution of what we call an incubation project, where we incubate our talents and give them an environment where they can stretch themselves behind the usual restaurant fare. So The Teahouse Upstairs revealed ‘A-ha’ moments where we could develop talents by giving them projects but the natural evolution was to nurture our talents AND support a cause we really believed in,” explains Low.
Since most of the team had never actually been to St John in London to experience the food themselves, Low says that has been a major hurdle in putting together the menu.
“We had to watch videos and documentaries and learn to cook from there, so the team was put in a situation where they had to be resourceful and use their imagination,” says Low.
The menu will include Welsh rarebit, a green pea and mint soup and freshly-baked madeleines – all signature St John offerings. Low also says the charity fundraiser will likely be an annual affair at the restaurant as this is something he wants to keep doing.
“I think every year we will pick a cookbook to cook from because it offers us a way to refresh what we do and connect with guests and we can use this as a new ritual to celebrate our existence but also contribute to a cause we believe in,” says Low.
To make a reservation or get on the waiting list, go to www.tableandapron.my.
