The young chef cooking Chinese food for all

For as long as he can remember, Woh Jia Le has loved cooking. By the time he was 24, he had moved from his home town in Batu Pahat, Johor, to Kuala Lumpur where he worked as a professional chef at a well-known hotel in the capital city. 

After the onset of Covid-19, however, tourist arrivals plunged to zero and the restaurant where he worked was forced to suspend operations. 

Alone at home, Woh began racking his brain for something to do to pass the time. But no inspiration came until one day, a Malay friend asked him how to cook halal Chinese food. 

It was as if a light switch had been thrown. Immediately, Woh knew what he could do. 

He decided that he would make videos teaching people how to cook traditional Chinese food that everybody could eat. 

It was a bold move to tout Chinese food without ingredients such as pork and rice wine, but Woh was determined to give it a shot. 

He uploaded his first video in January 2021, demonstrating how to make Cantonese char kueh teow. 

Bit by bit, he added to his collection and people began to notice him on social media. 

Today, his video on Hainanese chicken rice alone has gained over 2.3 million views. 

Recipes aside, Woh has also received praise for his use of the Malay language in his videos. 

While he was initially shaky in his command of the language, he said none of his viewers had complained or criticised. 

"In fact, they helped me," he said. "When I used the wrong word for something, they would tell me what the correct word was.

"I was touched," he added. "The more videos I made, the more I appreciated the spirit they showed. They would always leave comments that encouraged me to do more." 

Speaking in an interview with MalaysiaNow, Woh said there weren't many restaurants in Malaysia that provided halal Chinese food. 

"It was hard for my Malay friends and even some of my Indian friends to enjoy Chinese cooking," he said. 

"By making these videos and posting them on social media, I hope they can learn how to make some dishes for themselves." 

Woh also takes the opportunity to introduce Chinese culture and tradition to his social media followers by making ancient dishes such as bak chang or steamed glutinous rice dumplings.

"The method of wrapping and preparing bak chang is very traditional," he said. 

"Every year, the Chinese celebrate bak chang festival. This year, I can celebrate it with my Malay and Indian friends." 

Woh has been overwhelmed by the support he has received so far, saying many of his followers even post pictures of their culinary achievements. 

"I didn't think they would try because it's difficult to do," he said. "When I see the pictures, sometimes I shed a few tears. 

"I'm really touched," he added. "They try very hard to cook these dishes and appreciate the food. I feel like I have achieved my goal of sharing my culture."

Woh has also come up with a recipe for another classic Chinese dish: bak kut teh or herbal pork, only cooked with chicken instead. 

His "chi kut teh" video has received enthusiastic support on social media, along with his videos for other Chinese staples like mapo tofu, oyster omelette and sweet and sour chicken. 

The first video Woh made was with his friend, Han Sheng, in the kitchen of their rented house in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. 

They spent an entire day buying the utensils and ingredients they would need. After that, they talked about which cooking method to use. 

Then, they recorded their cooking session using a mobile phone. 

Now, they have rented a small studio in Kepong for filming. They also have three other crew members in charge of management, video editing and marketing. 

Before becoming a chef on social media, Woh studied culinary arts at an academy in Pudu, Kuala Lumpur. 

He underwent practical training at the Mandarin Oriental before landing a position at the five-star Grand Millennium in Jalan Bukit Bintang. 

But for all his training and the prestige that came with working at famous hotels and restaurants, he has never regretted his decision to make cooking videos instead. 

At the end of the day, he says, he is doing it as a child of Malaysia. 

"My hope is that the spirit and unity of Malaysians will only grow and become stronger through food," he said.

"That is why I'm doing this."