I’m Vivien, a Malaysian living in Paris with my French husband and two teenage daughters.   Bibi is my culinary journey that started against the backdrop of my Peranakan heritage - from growing up with my mother’s Chinese Hakka-Malay fusion Peranakan home fare and Malaysia’s multiethnic food to discovering new cuisines in places I have lived in and travelled to.   It’s also about living in France, re-imagining my cooking and of course, eating like the locals.  

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Interesting journeys are those with unexpected changes to the itinerary.  When you’re faced with a roadblock, a detour may take you to otherwise unexplored places.  That’s how I think about cooking sometimes.  Being able to readapt, reimagine and recreate familiar flavours I grew up with using what I can find locally is comforting in a time of the Covid pandemic.  The kitchen is where I can transcend travel bans and border restrictions. It's where my identity and my culture have a place.  And it's also where I can continue to make a connection with my mum.

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Come along on this journey with me!