Malaysian son learns cherished family recipes from mother

Over the years, Oh has learnt how to perfect the family's traditional heirloom dishes, many of which he picked up from his grandmother and mother Chai. — LOW LAY PHON/The Star

IN the family home in Petaling Jaya, Benjamin Oh Jian Wei, 36, and his elegant mother, Alice Chai Min Foong, 64, are busy scooping up lavish heapings of jiu hu char onto lettuce cups that have been washed, dried and set aside for this express purpose.

The dish is a labour of love that requires hours of intense preparation, as the jicama and carrots in the jiu hu char have to be hand-julienned very, very finely in order to yield a juicy vegetable medley that is packed with flavour. It is a dish that the family has made numerous times for festive occasions and one that Oh has been involved in making since he was a child.