#ChineseFoodiesofIG: WoonHeng Chia

WoonHeng Chia

This is part of an ongoing series of interviews I’m doing with my favourite Chinese foodies that I follow on Instagram. Come and follow the #ChineseFoodiesofIG hashtag on Instagram and leave a comment showing your support for these talented folk!

Where are you from? Where are you really from?

I'm from Malaysia, came to the US for my undergraduate degree and settled down here.

What does home taste like?

Malaysia is a tropical country and is best known as a foodie haven with a wide array of delicious foods, all thanks to it being an ethnic melting pot. In addition, it offers a wide variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, and spices all year long. While in Malaysia, I enjoy shopping in the morning outdoor markets, ‘pasar pagi’, for my daily fresh produce. There’s just an endless possibility of creating many tasty dishes using fresh produce. The sights and sounds of a morning outdoor market are just something you have to experience yourself if you ever visit Malaysia.

Share a food memory:

I grew up around food. We celebrate with food either on birthdays, anniversaries or any major festivals such as Chinese New Year, Mooncake Festival.

Ultimate comfort food:

To me, it has to be chu cheong fun - a type of flat rice noodles, normally rolled up and served with either sweet bean sauce or curry.

The secret to Chinese cooking is:

To know how to flavor food and use your five senses when cooking. There is no one set of rules that one can follow because Chinese cooking is based on experience, which I'm still learning day by day by consulting my parents, doing research and reading.

Who’s your Chinese food legend?

I have a few: Chef James from Taiwan, Chef Chen Kenichi from Japan.

Dream dinner party guests:

I would love to make food for kids and share my food with them. Also, I would love to have chefs join at my dining table.

A Chinese recipe everyone should learn:

Dumplings because they have such a great meaning behind them and are fun to cook together with family.

What’s in your fridge?

Assorted vegetables, tofu, and a variety of sauces!

What does Chinese food mean to you?

Growing up in Malaysia, my food is more ‘Malaysian’ where our food is influenced by the Malays, Indians, and Chinese. One unique Chinese food to me is all about home cooking or mom's food.