Turn up the heat with Silli Chilli’s family-made ghost pepper chilli sauces
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 4 — A tentative dab on the tongue first, then a second more generous spoonful. The heat builds, creeping up the palate, not so much a slap as a slow, deliberate embrace.
Silli Chilli’s Ghost Pepper Chilli Sauce doesn’t overwhelm so much as invite: smoky, tangy, and unmistakably fiery. This is spice not as punishment, but as play.
For siblings Amanda and Brian Lee, and Brian’s wife, Jillian Chow, chilli has always been a fixture on the dining table. From that love came Silli Chilli, their small-batch condiment brand.
Amanda, 31, works in banking and handles strategy; Brian, 34, a Chemical Engineer, lends his formidable spice tolerance as Chief Taste Officer; Jillian, also 31, uses her digital marketing expertise to shape the brand’s playful identity.
“Silli Chilli grew out of our shared love for bold, spicy flavours, and turning that love into a brand has been such a fun (and fiery) journey. But really, we’re all just trying to figure out how this whole ‘running a small business’ thing actually works,” Amanda says with a laugh.
The name reflects that spirit. Jillian explains, “From the beginning, we wanted to be a fun and fearless brand that highlights bold, tasty and spicy flavours. Nothing about us is too serious — except our love for spice and flavour.”
Hence, the name “Silli Chilli”. Amanda adds, “It’s playful, a little cheeky, and it gives people permission to be their weird, silly selves while enjoying something bold and exciting.”
That philosophy led the trio to debut with the ghost peppers. Brian says, “They’re one of the hottest chillies in the world, but not something Malaysians are very familiar with, so it felt thrilling to bring that into the mix.”
Beyond sheer novelty, however, Brian insists flavour comes first. “We always say the sauce has to be more than just spicy — it has to taste good and hopefully addictive! With our Ghost Pepper Chilli Sauce, yes, it’s spicy, but it also has this nice smoky, slightly tangy flavour.”
This makes the sauce perfect for dipping. Try it with Tex-Mex style nachos... or even a more local treat... Peranakan pai tee!
It’s also versatile, Brian adds: “You can tone it down by mixing it with mayo or yogurt for a creamy dip, or use it to marinate meats, toss into fried rice, pasta, even instant noodles. So, whether you love extreme heat or just a little kick, you can make it work for you.”
Collaborations abound. The Silli Chilli Beef Pepperoni Pizza can be found in House of Hops, with other dishes featuring Silli Chilli permanently on their menu. Silli Chilli Seafood Maggi Goreng, anyone?
And who’s to say one can only use this fiery sauce on savoury dishes? For an event with Psychotic Operator, they came up with a special item menu — the Silli Chilli Ghost Pepper Cheesecake, which proved popular.
Branding was carefully considered. Jillian notes, “We didn’t just want to be another local condiment brand — we wanted Silli Chilli to feel fun, relatable, and really reflect who we are. At the end of the day, Silli Chilli is more than just spice — it’s about celebrating flavour and not being afraid to push the ordinary.”
Manufacturing proved the bigger hurdle. Amanda shares, “We needed someone who understood what we were trying to do, had the right experience, and also access to a good range of ingredients. That part was definitely a learning curve — from minimum order requirements to figuring out all the regulatory stuff that comes with food production.”
As a small family business, every step has been a mix of trial, error and learning for the trio. Amanda recalls, “Our first batch taught us so much, and while there were challenges, it only pushed us to keep improving with each new batch by partnering with the right people.”
Getting people to taste the sauce was key. Amanda says, “When we first launched Silli Chilli, we were really intentional about making it a physical event because we wanted people to actually taste the sauce. We were blessed to have friends who are business owners and were happy to collaborate with us, which made the launch a real success.”
Their Ghost Pepper Chilli Sauce remains the signature product, but more are in the works. Brian says, “We want to keep improving it, but we’re also really excited to play around with new flavours and create more sauces that are just as fun, spicy and tasty.”
For Silli Chilli, the secret ingredient might just be family — and the joy of sharing spice with others. And perhaps that’s the quiet lesson hidden in the heat: that even the fiercest chilli burns less when tempered by laughter around the table.
What lingers is not the fire but the fellowship, the memory of a meal made brighter, bolder and, yes, a little more silly.
Silli Chilli
IG: https://www.instagram.com/sillichilli.my/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/sillichilli.my/
[Source: Malay Mail]
