We met for the first time and went rock climbing in London. Kai tried to hold my hand and thats when my heart almost beat out of my chest. Since then we haven't gone a single day without talking. The things I love most about our relationship are not big milestones but rather moments hidden in our mundane life. so here is a glimpse into our daily life through food.

Emily: It was covid lockdown right after we met, so that meant no more outside dates. But because of this, we became so close so quick! This was the dish Kai made me on the day he asked me to be his girlfriend.

Kai: It quickly fell into winter after we met, both of us absolutely despise London winters. The dreary cold and the short days is enough to make even the brightest soul depressed. But, if there's one thing that makes it bearable, it's a hearty soupy dish, like Emily's Sukiyaki.

Kai: We ate this a lot after studying together, I'm glad we got to enjoy university life together and study in the library :)

Kai: Summer is by far the best season to be in London. The late sunset means we get to go for walks after dinner, and still be back before sundown. My favourite dish to make on a hot summer's day is Bibim Guksu (Korean spicy cold noodles).

Emily: Every birthday or celebration, I would bake Kai a chocolate cake. I realised that the process of making the cake always fills me with anticipation and joy, and it makes me so so excited for that day to come.

Kai: 2022 was the year we both transitioned to working life. Having adult money was fun, but I missed university life. I don't think Emily missed the stress very much though, but I always found ways to make her feel better.

Kai/Emily: Eating Kai's nasi lemak was the first time I fell in love with Malaysian culture, since then it has been so lovely visiting the country and meeting Kai's extremely welcoming big happy family.

Kai: Tomato and egg paired with watching Empress in the Inner Palace (zhenhuanzhuan). 70 x 1 hour episodes sounds like a lot, but it's so good you wonder where the time went. Apparently a Chinese girlie's must-watch.

Emily: Whenever I got sick, Kai would always make chicken congee for me. It became a staple and I have slowly come to believe that it has healing powers.

Emily: Being in London, its difficult to go so long without seeing our families. Whenever home-sickness hits us, we both try to make dishes that remind me of home. Luroufan is a dish that my mum use to make for me and seeing Kai eat it with so much joy brings a lot of comfort. In moments like these we are so grateful to have each other.

Kai: We also love going out to eat or travelling for food and recreating our favourites. We've visited so many places together, Germany, Croatia, Mexico, France, Japan, China, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Emily: Gyudon! Reminds me of when Kai asked for my dad's permission in Japan and my dad surprised him right after he came out of the onsen and formally interrogated him for an hour with my entire family... but he passed!

Kai: Emily knew it was coming sometime on our trip to Mexico, but I surprised her with a floral and candle arrangement on our hotel's palapa, overlooking the beautiful Bacalar's Lagoon of Seven Colors. I gave a short speech while on one knee, and asked her to marry me. She said yes. (I had nightmares leading up to this moment of dropping the ring in the water... thankfully that didn't happen).