Alan Chong made the news last year when he gave meals away to struggling Melburnians negatively impacted by the fallout from Covid-19 lockdowns. Over the course of a few months, Chong and his team at Tian 38 cooked and gave away hundreds of meals to people who weren’t eligible for JobKeeper or JobSeeker, people who were vulnerable and struggling in the pandemic. But that’s not the only reason Alan and Tian 38 are special. Alan loves serving people the food he has created. He sees it as one of the most intimate acts you can do for someone. He hasn’t closed over any of the lockdowns and continues to serve his chilli crab jaffles, Hainanese chicken and vegemite osso buco rendang to adoring fans. Responding to the demand, Alan’s Tian to You boxes are now going out to suburbs beyond the 10km radius of Flinders Lane, so if you live in Doncaster or Melton, Hughesdale or Mordialloc, amongst many others, there’s a day of the week with your name on it and a memorable culinary experience to be had.