'True wealth is also the relationships, values and legacies our clients build,' says Sammeer Sharma, head of consumer financial services, Malaysia (Photo: Sam Fong/The Edge)
The impact left on loved ones is perhaps the most unmistakable sign of a life well lived. Any bank or wealth planning service can tell you the benefits of intergenerational accumulation and management of capital, and there are hardly any parents who do not strive to ensure their children will inherit all the necessary tools to thrive.
The really good advisers, however, have a more holistic approach. The art of handing things down through generations pertains not only to wealth and tangible assets, but also the customs and values that breathe life into the household.
Founded in 1932, OCBC has a philosophy of bequeathal that goes beyond savings accounts and vaults. This year, the Premier Private Client division decided to put that belief into operation through the launch of The Private Table. Designed to support high-net-worth clientele beyond their banking needs, this new flagship platform is part of the banking group’s broader suite of value pillars and plan to incorporate lifestyle experiences. The activation follows the milestone establishment of the OCBC Premier Private Client Centre in 2025. Located in Bangsar, the 18,000 sq ft space combines in-house dining, private hosting areas and bespoke engagement opportunities on holdings and future planning.
While it is increasingly common for banks setting roots into culture and lifestyle to zero in on the arts, OCBC took this opportunity to highlight a different virtuosity that lies at the heart of almost every local abode — cooking. Malaysians take pride in being gourmets, having a love of food shaped by our upbringing and enriched by the nation’s world-class gastronomic scene. Many families have their own renditions of traditional dishes, made distinctive — and often especially delicious — by closely guarded techniques passed down through generations. With this in mind, the bank chose “Inheritance” as the theme for the inaugural edition of its new venture, held on Sept 4 as a two-part series.
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The first segment, Behind The Craft, saw 10 Premier Private Client customers team up with an accompanying family member of their choosing, before going head-to-head as pairs in a cooking contest. The duos were tasked to put together dishes that have hallowed places on their own dining tables. Faithful recreations were served up alongside creative reinterpretations, with plenty of produce used. Beyond the good fun of friendly competition, the event brought relatives and strangers together in a shared space, strengthening bonds and forming new ones over a collective fondness for food.
Dishes were scored on taste as well as verbal presentation on their familial history and significance. At the forefront of the judging panel was owner of DC Restaurant chef Darren Chin, whose heritage played a key role in his involvement. The son of David Chin, founder of Dave’s Deli and Café Bistrot David, Darren developed a love of cooking and began his culinary journey at a young age. Traditions and childhood memories continue to inspire his trade today, making him the ideal choice as chief adviser of the contest.
Activities culminated in a private dining experience at Edenmill by Metal Bees, featuring a special menu curated by Darren. About 140 guests sat at long tables as the first course of the evening arrived. The amuse-bouche began with thin lavash flatbread topped with smoked butter, Cantabrian anchovies and PX sherry vinegar. Next came petite yam croquettes, their delicate golden shells giving way to a meaty mushroom “char siu”. Rounding out the trio were crunchy croustades, shaped and coloured like Nyonya pie tee, filled with fish tartare, leek floss and crowned with Kaluga Hybrid caviar.
With home-grown ingredients at the heart of Malaysian cooking, Darren chose line-caught fish, sourced by the chef himself, for the second course. A Marseille-style bouillabaisse featured delicate cuts of the catch in a light yet flavourful broth, whetting appetites around the room. Next came the classic French quail André Malraux, reimagined through a Malaysian-Chinese lens and met with much enthusiasm. The Foshan quail, served in an aged tangerine jus, was paired with silky bamboo shoot mousseline, smoked carrots, red plum and dots of hibiscus jelly.
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The day’s theme really shone through in the main course, which harked back to Darren’s childhood and his father’s star dish served at many family weekend meals. Roast chicken, cooked to perfection for a shattering skin and tender interior, was imagined as crispy suprême and legs in boudin with onion and mui choy. Plated alongside a sweet corn mash and finished with oregano oil and hua tiao chicken jus, it demonstrated how age-old comforts can be refined through contemporary nuances without losing their original soul.
To cap the feast, a mangosteen sorbet palate cleanser, its scoops shaped like budding roses and nestled in the fruit’s purple shell, offered a refreshing prelude to dessert. Last but not least, a 65% dark chocolate tart and chocolate crémeux were tempered by a tart blood orange sorbet, adhering to the cardinal rule of a successful Asian dessert: never too sweet.
Before the night drew to a close, the winning dishes from the morning’s cook-off were announced. Vivien Tan took home Best Overall Dish for her dabai fried rice, insisting that the star ingredient be brought in from its native Sarawak. Datuk Gillian Teh’s soy sauce and loh bak with fried rice earned Best Storytelling, while Shaun Tan received Best Interpretation of the Theme for his indulgent crab mee with stuffed crab, accepting the trophy alongside his aunt and sous chef, who helped bring the dish to life.
Regardless of who claimed a title, it was clear amid the big smiles and all-around applause that all contestants were champions that night. Memories shared with those dearest to us and the handing on of intergenerational knowledge are, after all, the beating heart of real legacy and the most priceless of inheritances.
This article first appeared on Sept 28, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.
