Spices of life

Dr William Chong, CEO of Pacific Healthcare Holdings, loves curry and uses cumin and corianderin all his dishes

Dr Chong, 43, is executive director and chief executive officer of Pacific Healthcare Holdings. He co-founded the group in 2001 with dentist Sandra Chu and plastic surgeon Martin Huang. It provides services including specialist medical care, dentistry and health screenings. The group, which also has operations in Hong Kong and India, will be listed on Friday.

Dr Chong is an aesthetic dentist specialising in implant dentistry. His wife is a former banker-turned-housewife, and they have two sons, aged 11 and eight.

What's the worst thing to eat for one's teeth?

Toffee. Sugar in general causes cavities, but it's especially so for toffee because its chewy texture concentrates the sugar onto the surface of your teeth. To counter it, make sure you brush and floss your teeth afterwards. Most people lose their teeth through neglect, not through diet. What's also very bad is cracking crabs with your teeth. There's a reason people invented those instruments.

I hear you will eat in only five restaurants in town. Why?

I'm a real creature of habit. I like going to Shahi Maharani in Raffles City, Soon Heng Fish Curry in Kinta Road, Mitzi's Cantonese restaurant and Moi Kong Hakka restaurant, both in Murray Terrace, and Muthu's Curry in Little India. I know the staff at Shahi so well that I can call ahead to place my order. When my sons and I sit down, we need to wait only five minutes for the food to arrive - just jiak and chow (eat and go in Hokkien).

What should people order from these places?

I always order the nasi briyani and palak paneer (cottage cheese cubes in spinach paste) at Shahi Maharani. Soon Heng has really good fried fish cutlets and prawn sambal. I also have its ikan bilis to go, which is very good to watch English Premier League games with. Mitzi's shark's fin omelettes are the best. And I always order the yong tau foo and braised pork with buns at Moi Kong, and chicken masala from Muthu's Curry.

What other food goes well with football?

Dark chocolates, Ruffles potato chips in sour cream and onion flavour and prawn crackers. All the unhealthy stuff. I support Chelsea and Arsenal. Next year at the World Cup, I'll be supporting France and Brazil.

What food ingredients do you love?

Spices used in curry. I love curry. I use cumin and coriander in everything, like omelettes and fried rice. Just add five to seven grains of cumin into the oil before you start frying and it will change the flavour.

How did your love affair with curry start?

I played hockey in Anglo-Chinese School and most of my teammates were Indian. After practice, we often ate at hawker centres. That's where I picked it up.

It must be amazing to travel to India for work and to eat there.

Oh, I love it. In Hyderabad, you can find the best nasi briyani and gobi manchurian (Chinese-style curried cauliflower). In Chennai, I always go to a restaurant called The Kebab Factory in Radisson Hotel. It's got the best kebabs I've ever tried - so tender and succulent.

Do you like Western food?

Not really. The closest I'd go is Italian, because their pasta is like noodles, and German, because their pork knuckles is like our Chinese version. I don't drink liquor or wine. I'm probably the only doctor who doesn't drink wine.

How do you eat so well yet keep healthy?

I walk or jog 5km every morning. I also take between 15 and 20 pills a day, from Omega 3 for my cholesterol to multi-vitamins. Before a heavy meal, I take fibre pills to regulate my sugar metabolism.

If you could invite just about anyone to dinner, who would it be?

It's a toss up between comedian Jerry Seinfeld and movie director Woody Allen. I find Allen very intriguing but I think Seinfeld would be a lot more fun.

WHAT WOULD YOUR LAST MEAL BE?

'Nasi briyani and palak paneer (cottage cheese cubes in spinach paste) from Shahi Maharani in Raffles City. I'd get permission to bring in outside food, too - curry fish head and fried fish cutlets from Soon Heng in Kinta Road.'

Source: Sunday Plus Lifestyle, 6 November 2005