“Eat until pain”: Jeffery Chia, 75, Founder of Nonya Bong
A tribute to Jeffery Chia, 75, Founder of Nonya Bong
Uncle Jeff was a connoisseur of food, self-taught chef and the stalwart of Peranakan cuisine in Singapore. To him, nonya fare was not just simply "chap chye rice cheap".
It was complexity in motion, heritage encapsulated.
To him, preserving nonya cuisine is an act of love, to honor the generations that have meticulously crafted and passed down these recipes. Peranakan cuisine is more than food—it is history, identity, and art in one. Uncle Jeff also does what he does as a memorial to his late parents; it is piety. Jill Sara, a food blogger, said it best when she stated that cooking his family’s recipes made Uncle Jeff feels close to his parents.
Photo credit: Grace Kee
To Uncle Jeff, it was also important to retain unique cultural identifiers, lest they are lost in the face of rapid modernisation and globalisation. Food, taste, cuisine and gastronomy are inherently connected to constructions of place, tradition and the past, and they play a role in intangible, as well as tangible, heritage.
Peranakan cuisine, by integrating diverse influences, has for centuries responded innovatively to the cosmopolitan environments of a port city like Singapore.
In Uncle Jeff’s world of Peranakan cuisine, every dish is more than food. Its tradition, its history, it is above all, a love letter to Nonyabong. Or maybe it was just an excuse to showcase his brand of hospitality.
Every spread of Peranakan cuisine, from the humble Kueh Pie Tee to a nutty dish of Buah Keluak to belachan-blended sambal prawns to that savory plate of Babi Pongteh, it was all about giving his best to his guests. A cherished friend in and out of the kitchen.
Photo Credit: NonyaBong The Peranakan/FB
In fact, every dish is carol to the heart and soul, and a vehicle for cosy gatherings and quality conversations. Uncle Jeff’s kitchen is a bustling and riotous tour of Peranakan cuisine and heritage, and today, only silence is served. Uncle Jeff brings people together, and none fills a void like the company of a true friend. Uncle Jeff was such a friend, and his loss will be keenly felt.
Today, our local food scene has lost another icon. As Makansutra founder K.F. Seetoh puts it, “There aren’t many Peranakan stalwarts still there to guide, protect and light the way, being a link to an old school class of food”.
The taste that lingers, the legacy he left and the many anecdotes around the dinner table. These were the very kindness and generosity that Uncle Jeff has come to embody.
A culture of shared meals and many unforgettable memories. Our hearts are full.
May we continue to “Eat until pain”. Thank you, Uncle Jeff.
Top image: NonyaBong The Peranakan/FB
