About the Author

Philip Chia's passion for cooking wasignited when he learnt how to pound spices the traditional Peranakan way, witha batu lesong (stone mortar and pestle), at the tender age of six. Over the years, Philip continued to pick up cooking tips and learn the finerdetails of Peranakan cooking from his Nyonya aunties, who held exactingstandards when it came to preparing Peranakan dishes and sweets. This lead himto emerge as one of the finalists in a cooking competition judged by the lateMrs Lee Chin Koon, an acknowledged authority on Peranakan cooking. Today, Philip helms the Peranakan kitchen at the highly reviewed StraitsExpress restaurant in Singapore where he continues to share his passion for Peranakan cooking with his team of chefs and guests. He isoften invited as guest chef for Peranakan food promotions both locally andabroad, and he is also a familiar face on television, promoting Peranakancuisine. Philip Chia is also the author of Peranakan Heritage Cooking and Party-Perfect Peranakan Bites.