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My day on a plate: Victor Liong

Chef Victor Liong, 34, shares his day on a plate.

Victor Liong.

7.45am Two double espressos to start my day.

9.45am Another double espresso at work.

10.30am Half a dozen poached pork and mushroom dumplings in a clear broth with rice noodles.

Noon I snack on offcuts of meat during lunch service.

4pm Staff meal is tortilla soup, one of my favourites! It's a chicken soup with taco spices, flour tortilla noodles, raw vegetable garnishes, chopped avocado, onions, green chillies, radishes, charred corn, tomatoes, coriander and some sour cream.

6pm The day's last double espresso.

11.30pm Home to do laundry and emails. I snack on four-bean mix with balsamic, olive oil and crackers, a soft cheese and a small portion of charcuterie meat.

1.30am A small pot of Pu-erh tea before bed.

Dr Joanna McMillan says …

Top marks for … Your tortilla soup, as it was your most balanced meal of the day and sounds delicious! The protein from the chicken and low-GI tortillas will help to curb hunger pangs for the next few hours, while the vegies and spices all add a wonderful array of nutrients and protective plant chemicals. You would be better to choose corn tortillas over the flour variety as they have much more fibre.

If you keep eating like this you'll … Risk symptoms caused by excessive caffeine such as headaches, heart palpitations, high blood pressure and poor-quality sleep. A double espresso contains on average 160mg of caffeine, so you are having roughly 640mg a day when the recommended level for a healthy adult is 400mg.

Why don't you try … Drinking a longer coffee by adding water or milk. This may help you to avoid the second and third double shots! Your Pu-erh tea also has caffeine and is not ideal so close to bedtime. Try a herbal tea instead.

Victor Liong’s restaurant Chuuka is located at Jones Bay Wharf, Pyrmont, Sydney.

This article appears in Sunday Life magazine within the Sun-Herald and the Sunday Age on sale July 14.

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