After more than 13 years in the United States, Singaporean chef C-Y Chia is preparing to return to the Lion City. But not before leaving a parting gift for the diners who helped shape Chia\u2019s journey: a new cookbook that distils the spirit of Lion Dance Cafe, the vegan restaurant in Oakland, California, that Chia co-founded and ran with partner and fellow chef Shane Stanbridge.<\/p>\n
Lion Dance Cafe Cookbook: Authentic, Not Traditional<\/em> contains more than 100 recipes that reflect the pair\u2019s plant-based, produce-driven interpretation of Singaporean food. It includes dishes that came to define the San Francisco Bay Area restaurant\u2019s four-year run before it closed in 2024: laksa perfumed with coconut and spice, nasi lemak and pandan nian gao, a sticky rice-flour dessert.<\/p>\n The concept of the book has already proved a hit, as a Kickstarter campaign launched to finance the project surpassed its target in less than 10 days. \u201cPeople felt the story resonated with them,\u201d says Chia, who uses they\/them pronouns.<\/p>\n Part memoir, part manifesto and part practical guide, the cookbook includes pantry notes, cooking tips and contributions from respected names, including Brandon Jew of the one-Michelin-star restaurant Mister Jiu\u2019s, James Beard Award nominees Bryant Terry and Heena Patel, Superiority Burger\u2019s Brooks Headley and Singaporean chef Emily Lim.<\/p>\n This spring, Chia and Stanbridge will move to Singapore, the former eager to rejoin a dining culture they say has transformed dramatically in the years they have been away.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/img.i-scmp.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto\/sites\/default\/files\/d8\/images\/canvas\/2025\/12\/31\/2fc3367f-3677-4c02-bf72-aa3febcf0838_41e4a29c.jpg\" "\\"The")
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