AT HOME WITH…

What awards have you received throughout your career?

I was honoured to be named the World Gourmet Summit (WGS) Executive Chef in 2006, 2008 and 2009, which got me a spot in the Awards of Excellence Hall of Fame in 2010.

In 2010, I was also named Best Western Cuisine Chef at the Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards, and at the WGS Awards of Excellence 2017, I picked up the Lifetime Achievement award.

Also in 2017, I received SkillsFuture’s Adult Education Fellow award (from the Institute of Adult Learning) for my work as a mentor and trainer to young chefs.

My catering company, 3 Embers Culinary Craft Pte Ltd, was awarded Best Caterer of the Year in 2020 and 2022 at the prestigious World Gourmet Awards.

Food plays a central role in Singaporeans’ Chinese New Year celebrations. What are some of your must-have dishes for the festive season?

I love yu sheng (traditional raw fish salad), ngoh hiang (fried beancurd skin rolls), steamed pomfret, pen cai (a potpourri of delicacies like abalone and fish maw braised with vegetables), ee fu noodles (stir-fried “long life” noodles) and king prawns. Try my delicious prawn recipe. It has honey mandarin oranges and walnuts.

How do you celebrate Chinese New Year?

It’s a time of renewal, so I always start the day by putting on new clothes. I also cook all my favourite festive dishes.

What are some of your favourite cooking appliances for Chinese New Year?

I love Tefal products, like the non-stick Ultimate Wok, which is perfect for cooking Chinese dishes, and the Home Chef Smart Pro IH Multicooker, which is a great time-saver. And of course, I must have a good rice cooker.

Fragrant Tiger Prawns with Honey Mandarin

Oranges

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

•1kg Fresh tiger king prawns, shellon, trimmed, and lightly dusted with cornflour

•100g Walnuts, roasted

•20 Small honey mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented

•Cooking oil for deep-frying

Vegetables

•1 Yellow bell pepper, roughly cut

•40g Celery, cut into 3cm pieces

•60g Red onion, roughly cut

•30g Carrot, sliced

•15g Ginger, sliced

•10g Garlic, sliced

Sauce

•20g HP sauce

•20g Oyster sauce

•20g Light soy sauce

•15g Sesame oil

•30g Sunquick concentrated orange juice

•1 Chilli padi, mashed

•30g Plum sauce

•30g Tomato ketchup

•100ml Water

Method

1 In a wok, heat the oil over high heat and flashfry the prawns. Remove the prawns and set aside. Strain the oil.

2 Using the same wok, fry the vegetables in a small amount of oil until fragrant. Remove from the wok and set aside.

3 Add the sauce ingredients to the wok and bring to a boil. Add the prawns and braise until the sauce has thickened and the prawns are nicely glazed. Add the cooked vegetables, walnuts and orange segments. Toss well and serve.