Ah Gan: Logan Lopez’s Homage to Pork, Passion, and People. Nestled in Seputeh, Ah Gan is a humble yet deeply personal eatery founded by Logan Terence Lopez — the chef best known for Bangsar’s Wurst. Specialising in comforting, pork-forward dishes, Ah Gan is more than a restaurant; it’s a reflection of Lopez’s journey through kitchens, cultures, and culinary mentorships..
Ah Gan’s menu features soulful, nostalgic staples with refined technique. Standouts include the Homemade Pork Tendon Ball Noodles (RM10.90), featuring tender, gingery tendon balls in a rich, Penang-style broth with a mix of meehoon and yellow noodles. The Roti Babi with Crab (RM15.90) brings crunch and indulgence, packing minced pork and hand-peeled crab into a golden shell, while the Roast Pork Mun Fan (RM12.90) delivers smoky depth in gravy-drenched rice. For non-pork eaters, the Sekinchan Prawn Paella (RM22.90) offers saffron-scented calrose rice with prawns and a socarrat-like crust. Even dessert carries a porky twist — the Marble Butter Cake (RM6) is made with pork lard, yielding rich, old-school flavour.
The name “Ah Gan” comes from the letters “G”, “A”, and “N” in Lopez’s and his partner’s names. More than a brand, the restaurant serves as a no-frills local eatery — not a kopitiam, but a canteen-style spot where the menu changes with the day’s mood and ingredients.
Lopez’s culinary career began modestly — as a teenage dishwasher at The Mangotree in Bangsar. Chef Ricky Parlanti fired him, then encouraged him to attend culinary school at what was then Kolej Damansara Utama (now University of Wollongong), where Lopez enrolled. After graduating, he worked internationally in airline catering and later returned to Malaysia, taking roles with the Tai Thong Group, Le Bouchon, and even helping develop Asian Heritage Row.
His real passion, however, came into focus while working under Chef Jochen Kern at Chalet in the old Equatorial Hotel. Frustrated with unreliable butchers, Lopez asked for permission to cut his own meat — the start of his self-taught butchery journey. While butchery was part of culinary school, Lopez emphasises the reality of industry training: “In class, you make mistakes and move on. In a kitchen, mistakes cost. You learn to make it work.”
Wurst was never meant to be a big operation. Originally envisioned as a small, pork-free basement bar at Bukit Bintang’s MOV Hotel, it evolved when financial realities hit hard. Lopez calculated that he was losing RM8 per customer and pivoted: “Screw it. Let’s do pork.” That decision cemented his reputation as “the pork guy.”
Ah Gan followed as a natural next step — built within his existing central kitchen space, designed to serve straightforward, satisfying meals. The concept is simple: make good food, take things one day at a time, and serve the community. “It’s a canteen for industrial, working people,” he says.
Lopez draws inspiration from mentors and personal connections. His Roti Babi and marble cake pay tribute to Uncle Jack of Yut Kee, whose openness and guidance have deeply influenced him. Other dishes emerge from memory or necessity — like the tendon balls, originally meant to use beef, but adapted with pork. “A Chinese aunty taught me how to make them years ago,” he recalls.
Interestingly, for someone associated so strongly with meat, Lopez has a soft spot for vegetables. He’s planning to introduce dishes like vinegar pork trotters and even Hakka lei cha, thanks to an old connection with a lei cha stall in PJ Old Town.
Ultimately, Ah Gan isn’t about fame or franchises. For Lopez, it’s about finding joy in the process, honouring the people who’ve helped him, and staying grounded. “I didn’t open Ah Gan to complicate things,” he says. “Mostly, I’m just going to take it one step at a time.”
Kedai Makanan dan Minuman Ah Gan
11-1, Persiaran Syed Putra 3,
Taman Persiaran Desa, Kuala Lumpur
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-5pm
Tel: 012-423 4588
Instagram: @ahganseputeh
