{
  "id": 17496024,
  "title": "She was ashamed of her father's restaurant. Now she's preserving his legacy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/01/she-was-ashamed-of-her-fathers-restaurant-now-shes-preserving-his",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-01T00:01:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/lifestyle/sunday-vibes/2026/11/1567972/she-was-ashamed-her-fathers-restaurant-now-shes-preserving"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Jennifer Wong, known as Jen, once felt embarrassed by her father's Chinese halal restaurant in Ipoh. After his passing, she decided to preserve his legacy. The restaurant, Caterbest, has been a staple of the Ipoh community for over 33 years, serving generations and fostering friendships across cultural divides. Growing up within the restaurant, Jen yearned for a different life, leading her to pursue a corporate career and become a deputy manager. Her relentless drive for success took a toll on her health, prompting her to return to the family business and honor her father's vision of making Chinese cuisine accessible to Malaysians.",
  "summary": "THE day before he died, a man asked his son to bring him one last meal from his favourite restaurant in Ipoh. It was the black pepper beef he had come to love from the Chinese halal restaurant run by Jen’s father. The son went to tapau (take away) the dish before taking his father to the hospital.",
  "key_points": [
    "Jennifer Wong, known as Jen, felt ashamed of her father's Chinese halal restaurant.",
    "After her father's passing, she decided to preserve his legacy at Caterbest.",
    "The restaurant has been a community staple for over 33 years, fostering intercultural friendships."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Returning to the family business marks a shift from corporate ambition toward honoring a multi-generational culinary legacy that bridges cultural divides within the local Ipoh community.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}