The menu included poached chicken, Cantonese steamed fish, smashed cucumber salad, braised abalone with broccoli, crispy roast pork, red braised pork belly, Mongolian beef and Hong Kong egg tarts – a mouthwatering spread that could rival any restaurant banquet.

Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, Lau said his day started before 8am when he went shopping for ingredients with his mother.

“My mother gave some feedback while we were shopping but she didn’t know what I was planning to cook,” said Lau, who lives in Johor Bahru.

Upon returning home, he started cooking and didn’t stop until past 5pm, with only a quick break for lunch. Other than the crispy roast pork, he shared that it was his first time cooking the other dishes which he learnt through online resources.

Lau shared that he handled the entire process himself, from planning the menu to cooking all the dishes in a single day.

He even filmed the experience for his social media followers, with his mother helping to capture footage of him and the finished dishes.

Still, he admitted that not everything went smoothly – he accidentally burnt his right hand twice! Despite the pain, he completed his culinary mission.

He said watching his family, especially his two younger brothers, enjoying the meal was the highlight of his day. His social media followers were equally impressed: to date, his videos on Instagram and TikTok have garnered over four million views!

This wasn’t the first time Lau wowed his family, and his followers, with his skills. For Christmas, he prepared a scrumptious feast as well.

The menu then included roast chicken with gravy and cranberry sauce, grilled Tomahawk, citrus baked salmon, cheesy mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, miso bacon cabbage, bread pudding, focaccia, cinnamon rolls, a Christmas yule log, fruit pavlova, and Finnish salmon soup.

Lau shared that he woke up at around 5am to begin preparing the ingredients he had bought earlier. Similarly, he shared that he cooked most of the dishes that same day, except for the focaccia bread, which needed to proof overnight.

This too was no small feat, especially since it was his first time preparing such an elaborate meal. And just like his Chinese New Year feast, he cooked the Christmas meal all on his own.

Besides his family who loved the meal, the videos he shared on Instagram and Tik Tok gained significant attention, amassing over 8.8 million views to date.

Lau said to be a good cook, one had to be effective in time management. He said the concept of “mise en place”, a French culinary term meaning to “put in place”, was an important part of the cooking process. The objective is to have ingredients and even utensils ready before cooking, to ensure the process is more efficient and smoother.

Lau said his interest in cooking and baking began at a young age. He even participated in competitions while in primary school.

However, it was during the pandemic that his passion truly blossomed. With restrictions keeping everyone at home, his mother spent more time in the kitchen and Lau learnt a lot from her.

On social media, his followers are treated to videos of him making pizza, pasta, desserts and beef wellington. He has even made pasta and bread from scratch. It’s no surprise he has over 85,000 followers across Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Asked about his aspirations, he said: “I’m thinking of becoming a chef and a content creator. Maybe.”

For now, he’s happy to keep whipping up delicious meals for his family and sharing his culinary adventures online.

“I just want to share everything with my viewers,” he said, adding that the positive feedback he receives inspires him to keep cooking.

Follow Ricardo Leonel Lau on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.