For his latest business venture, an overzealous young entrepreneur, Tim, hopes to start a restaurant franchise in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with Maki, a short-tempered genius chef who operates a no-frills local eatery. Maki, whose shadowy past has imparted many valuable life lessons, resists Tim's efforts to broker a deal with a well-known investor - but when Tim discovers the secret to Maki's irresistible sambal petai, he's torn between his desire to sell the recipe and his loyalty to his unexpected new friend.