Our friendship has spanned a grand total of five years. Yet the first time I dined at Candice’s house was five months ago. Arriving fashionably late from night class, I tucked into leftover roast chicken, while the others dug into freshly baked apple crumble. The chicken was exquisite! Devouring the last morsel, I asked Candice if she had bought or made it. Her outraged glare answered my question. But even then I didn’t quite grasp the depth of her love for food - both cooking and eating it.

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.

Imagine this. You’ve just dug into a thick slice of gorgeous durian cheesecake and two bowls of silky-smooth tau fu fah. Such ambrosia could only flow from the hands of one who was born with a wok in her hand. Then Ipoh-born Chef Josephine Choong declares that she once detested cooking. That she refused to step into the kitchen because of the oil splatters. That she only attempted a home cooked meal after marriage. Today her family and friends have to beg her to leave her beloved kitchen. The moral of the story? Some great chefs are late bloomers.

My friendship with MJ began in a bar over a plate of warm French bread, generously slathered with homemade goose liver pate. He was experimenting with a new recipe and wanted us to sample it. The pate was heavenly and I instantly knew I wanted this friendship to last forever. So I continued frequenting the bar, he continued introducing wonderful dishes and his food continued receiving the two-thumbs up from all the regulars. After many months, I finally asked him the whereabouts of his restaurant. That’s when he grinned and said, “I’m not a chef. I set up call centres.”