Originally, the narrator greatly admired her father, mirroring his every movement: “I walked proudly, stretching my legs to follow his steps. I was delighted as my feet kept pace with his, right, then left, then right, and we walked as one unit” (329). The narrator's love and admiration for her father was described primarily through their experiences together in the kitchen. Food was a way for the father to preserve the Malaysian culture he loved so much, while passing on some of those traits to his daughter. This is a major theme of the story. The afternoon cooking show, "Wok with Yan" (329), showed the close relationship between father and daughter because of food. His father doing tricks with orange peels was another example of the power food had to keep them so close, in a foreign land. Rice was the main food that the narrator paid the most attention to. The narrator's father carefully washed and rinsed the rice, removing any imperfections to create an authentic and pure dish. He used his time in the kitchen to teach his daughter about culture. Although the narrator paid close attention to her father's tendencies, she was never able to prepare rice with the patience and care that her father had given her..