Welcome to A Wok on the Wild Side.

Please join me in my adventures in the culinary world and all things gastronomic.

Food, travel, books, music and the arts are all close to my heart, not to mention my tastebuds!

I've enjoyed tasting and testing recipes since I was a child in primary school who insisted on helping Mum stir her cake batters and test her bread and butter puddings for afternoon tea.

Dad was also a keen cook and his chicken curries were legendary, which he cooked from scratch after beheading the chickens we were given for Chinese New Year (ouch, more on that later).

My parents were true blue Peranakans or Straits Chinese, from Singapore, and instilled in me a love for good food and all the finer things in life.

Later when I started my own home, I tried to remember all that they had taught me, but admittedly found cooking every day quite a challenge.

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect and after all these years, I am still practising.

I find cooking very therapeutic, especially when I have a couple of hours to cook up a storm, try new recipes or bake a cake.

When I came to live in Melbourne, Australia, I was one of the few journalists from an Asian background, so was quickly roped in to review the Asian restaurants.

This expanded my interest in food (as well as my waistline!) and I now review restaurants of every cuisine, from Afghan to Zimbabwean.

My interest in cooking led to cooking classes and demonstrations in a variety of venues, from Melbourne's iconic Queen Victoria Market to shopping centres, to the Harvest Picnic and the Home Show, as well as on television.

I also review restaurants, films, theatre and books on the Smart Arts program on Radio Southern FM 88.3 with producer/presenter Barbara O'Sullivan.

I love travelling and tasting and hope to discover more of our wonderful world and its cuisines before too long.

Come with me on my journey and do subscribe to our mailing list.

Tell me what you want to read about, places to discover, recipes to try and more.

I'd love to hear from you,

Bon appetit!

Ida