Chef Mohd Farid Hafiz may have grown up in Kuala Lumpur, but his heart clearly belongs in Johor, where both his parents are from. Now a sous chef at the salubrious Westin Kuala Lumpur, Farid says he cooks all kinds of food all the time in the hotel but when he goes back to his family’s hometown of Muar for Hari Raya, it’s his parents’ food that he longs for.

“My dad is from Muar and has Bugis lineage so he has in-depth knowledge of Johor food, especially Bugis specialties. My mother is from Endau-Mersing, which is also in Johor, but has strong Pahang influence. So my dad taught my mum how to make all kinds of delicious Johor food, and he still does quality control checks!” says Farid.