Li Nanxing tasted 10 pies a day for his recipes

Actor Li Nanxing is launching three Nonya-inspired pies on Sunday.
Actor Li Nanxing is launching three Nonya-inspired pies on Sunday. PHOTO: LNXGLOBAL_ OFFICIAL/ INSTAGRAM

Actor Li Nanxing has been perfecting his pie recipes for the past three months, tasting up to 10 pies a day.

His Nonya-inspired ready-to-eat pies - in assam fish, beef rendang and chicken rendang flavours - will launch on Sunday at a special price of $8.80 each from 8am to 8pm.

In an interview in Shin Min Daily News on Thursday, the 56-year-old veteran actor said: "You know when I'm filming, I cannot afford to look fat. It would be unimaginable if I still ate 10 pies a day. I would have to run up and down for a couple of hours to burn all the calories."

Now filming Mediacorp drama The Peculiar Pawnbroker, the formidable home cook, who has Peranakan blood on his mother's side of the family, said he hit upon the idea of incorporating Nonya flavours into Western-style pies when he was stuck at home during the pandemic.

"It was not good enough that I thought they were delicious, so I found 40 to 50 people to do a taste test and at least half of them had to say okay before I approved of the flavours," he said of the three pies which made the cut and will be available on lnxfood.com.

He collaborated with Bakers & Co bakery last year to come up with curry chicken and a hae bee hiam croissant, based on his family's recipes.

Earlier this year, he worked with White Restaurant on a dried scallop hae bee hiam XO white beehoon.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 07, 2021, with the headline Li Nanxing tasted 10 pies a day for his recipes. Subscribe