Chen Xiuhuan Launches F&B Biz Selling $368 Truffle Pen Cai, Mum’s Bak Chang On Offer Next
“Even Rebecca Lim texted me to order, too,” says the actress of the CNY dish offered via her new biz, Huan In A Million.
It’s no secret that Chen Xiuhuan, 56, is a huge foodie and loves to cook and entertain. The actress frequently shares her culinary adventures on social media and is a regular on our Foodie Friday round-ups. She launched her own F&B brand, punnily named Huan In A Million, on Friday (Jan 7) so that she can share her creations with more people. “My friends and family have been telling me to open a restaurant but I don’t want to do that. I want to [share my food with others] my own way,” she tells 8days.sg.
Huan In A Million is an online-based business where Xiuhuan lends her creative muscle and branding in collaboration with various F&B Folk. This time, it’s with the Royal Cuisine Group, which runs Yanxi Dim Sum & Hotpot Restaurant. Its group executive chef, Hong Kong-born Chan Wai Keung, a good friend of Xiuhuan’s, won the 2015 Milan World Expo Food & Fashion world competition, and was conferred the title World Chef God.
She currently only offers one product — the luxe-sounding truffle pen cai.
Xiuhuan with chef Chan
Xiuhuan wanted her brand’s first offering to be the auspicious one-pot dish ’cos it’s her “dream” to create a festive pen cai.
“It’s my family tradition to have pen cai during Chinese New Year. I also enjoy eating it ‘cos there are always surprises in the pot and I feel very blissful when the whole family eats it together. So, when I told chef Chan about this, he suggested we collaborate,” she says.
The fancy pen cai comes in a steel pot loaded with 18 premium ingredients like abalone, braised pork belly, scallops, fish maw, and has been given a “Western twist” in the form of freshly-shaved Italian black truffle.
“We use mother hen, pork bones, white fungus, fish maw and truffle to create the broth to give it a nice hue and aroma. We also top the pen cai with shavings of an entire truffle. You are greeted with the aroma of truffle when you open the [pot containing the] pen cai,” says Xiuhuan.
Only 100 sets available
Priced at $368, the dish, which will be prepared by chef Chan’s team, will launch on Jan 13 and only 100 sets will be available. If you are interested in snagging a pot or two, you’d better be quick. Xiuhuan shared that she has already received “more than 50” requests for pre-orders from friends.
“After I shared about my F&B business on social media on Friday, a lot of my friends called my husband and I hoping to place pre-orders. Even Rebecca Lim texted me to order, too. I am really touched by the support,” says Xiuhuan, adding that she might consider offering more sets for sale.
Fans can look forward to more culinary collaborations between the actress and her chef pals, as well as some of her favourite dishes like her mum’s Hokkien bak chang.
“I love my mum’s rice dumplings ’cos they have the ‘taste of mum’, so maybe I will sell my mum’s bak chang during Dragon Boat Festival, as well as some of my mum’s signature dishes,” she says.
Order at https://www.royalcuisinegroup.com/product/truffle-pencai/ (from Jan 13) or call 8858 2263.
Photos: Chen Xiuhuan
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