Mince pies & turkey stuffing: Chef Han Li Guang shares his favourite Christmas food memories

There are food memories replicated for deliciousness, and then there are food memories replicated for mere nostalgia. For Han Li Guang, chef-owner of Labyrinth and co-founder of casual snack kiosk Har Har Chicken!, Christmas falls into the latter.

“Growing up, Christmas was always extra special. It was an opportunity for my extended family to get together and catch up,” he shares wistfully. “As a kid, it was quite magical. It was the time when I’d choose who my favourite aunty or uncle was depending on the presents they gave me,” he says with a chuckle. “Now that I have to buy the presents, it’s not as fun.”

His grandfather owned a steakhouse, and his father worked for the corporate section of a hospitality group, so Han was introduced to traditional Christmas fare such as sausages, log cakes and turkey from a young age.  Han is quick to admit that he prefers turkey stuffing to the bird itself.

But the one dish that absolutely has to be at the Christmas table is mince pies. The sweet treat is a staple at the Han family’s Christmas dinners. “It doesn’t really matter where it’s from, but it needs to be there, and it needs to be served with whipped cream on top. The kind that comes from a can,” Han says.

Having run a restaurant for the past decade, Han hasn’t been able to attend his family dinners as Christmas is one of the F&B industry’s busiest periods. 

Instead, he spends Christmas with his restaurant team, which has become a family of sorts. The restaurant celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. “10 years is a long time for a restaurant,” he muses. “Especially when we are championing Singaporean cuisine.” 

2024 marks a decade of Labyrinth’s foothold on the local culinary scene. The fine-dining restaurant has been awarded a Michelin star for seven consecutive years and voted into Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list four years in a row. It  was also the year Han opened a casual takeaway kiosk, Har Har Chicken!, alongside three other business partners serving har cheong gai or fried prawn paste chicken.

While others may take their 10th anniversary as a sign to maintain the status quo, Han and the Labyrinth team decided to drop some of the restaurant’s most iconic dishes, such as the Chili Crab Ice Cream. He explains that it was necessary for the restaurant to progress. “If we don’t cut ties with the past, we cannot display our potential for the future.” 

“Captain hindsight is a powerful superhero,” Han replies when asked if he would consider any do-overs for Labyrinth. “After learning from experience, there are always things I can do better, but I think it’s important to remind ourselves that decisions were made to the best of our abilities then.” 

Fresh plans have also been laid for Har Har Chicken! Following its first outlet in Junction 8, the casual joint opened its second outlet at VivoCity in October and will launch its third in Ion Orchard in December.