Hooi Kok Wai

Hooi Kok Wai (simplified Chinese: 许国威; traditional Chinese: 許國威; pinyin: Xǔ Guówēi; born c. 1939), also known as Hooi Kok Wah,^[1][2] is a Singaporean chef and restaurateur. Known as one of the country's four "heavenly kings" of cooking, he began his cooking career in the 1950s.

Career

Hooi started working as a cook at the Cathay Restaurant in the 1950s.^[1] On 8 April 1963, Hooi opened his own restaurant, the Dragon Phoenix Restaurant in Tanjong Pagar.^[3] In 1974, the Red Star Restaurant, a joint venture between Hooi and his former colleagues at the Cathay Restaurant, was opened.^[1]

Hooi is credited with creating a distinct version of chilli crab that involves eggs, sambal, and tomato paste.^[4][5] Hooi and his Red Star Restaurant co-founders, collectively known as the four "heavenly kings" of cooking in Singapore, are also credited with popularising a Chinese New Year raw fish salad known as yusheng^[2][6] and inventing the yam ring.^[7]

As of 2018, Hooi was still involved in running the Red Star Restaurant, while he had handed over management of the Dragon Phoenix Restaurant to his son.^[8]