Like her lui cha, Kulai-born Chef Wong Lin Chin is also humble and unassuming, but not without quiet strength. After greeting our entourage (and it was a big one!) she led us to her kitchen and stepped back to graciously permit us temporary reign over her ‘kingdom.’ She accommodated our photographers’ every request swiftly, willingly and silently. Her soft voice and gentle demeanour made her almost invisible. But when she sat down to answer my probing questions, the full flavours of her personality emerged … just like the lui cha when it’s ready to be served.

Is cooking a chore or a choice for you?

It used to be a chore. My mother has five girls and she was adamant that all of them learn to cook. Fortunately I’m the second daughter and was able to shrug off this duty when my two younger sisters were old enough to don an apron. I was too lazy to cook. I preferred hanging out with my friends. I didn’t see why I had to bustle around in the kitchen when there were five (mother included) other people who were already doing that!

Then you got married.

Then I got married. That’s usually the way the story goes, isn’t it? I didn’t think it was right for a married man to be eating out all the time - I told you I’m steeped in tradition! - so I began burying my nose in cookbooks. I followed the recipes right down to the last pinch of salt until I was confident enough to modify it according to my taste and curiosity. I remember cooking a lot of chicken dishes when I first started.

Do you believe that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach?

Absolutely. The first dish I cooked for my husband was yong tau fu. He said it was very nice. That was the best compliment I received.

Does this mean you never eat out?

This is Malaysia. How can one possibly not eat out? It also helps that I live right across a Chinese hawker shop! I like spicy food, so Malay and Indian cuisine goes down very well with me and I love my laksa. I haven’t cultivated a taste for Western food though. Especially steak. It’s just too much meat.

What do you and don’t you like to cook?

I enjoy making chicken and curries, but beef and mutton are low on my list. I don’t like lamb either. The smell is a big turn-off!

If you ate a particularly delicious or different dish in a restaurant, would you find out how it’s done?

Of course, but I wouldn’t do it through asking the chef or waiters. I’m not that thick-skinned! I wished I was. It would have made things easier. What I’d do is figure out what ingredients were used, then experiment at home.

You mentioned your daughter knows how to cook. Do your sons?

No, but it’s not important for them to know. Their job is to bring in the dough, which means they don’t have time to be in the kitchen.

What if your future daughter-in-law can’t cook? Would you disapprove?

No, I’d teach her how to cook, but she has to want to learn first. If the interest isn’t there, no amount of practice will make the food taste as appetising as it’s meant to be. But I wouldn’t disapprove if she showed a lack of interest. It’s her choice. My son would just have to be content with takeouts!

Do you consciously try to eat healthily?

Yes, I do. I’m very careful of how much salt I use and I try to go vegetarian as much as possible. I stick to three square meals a day, and as hard as it sometimes is, supper is a huge no-no!