at Bendemeer started the modern-day method of serving yusheng with a pre-mixed special sauce comprising plum sauce, rice vinegar, kumquat paste and sesame oil – instead of customers mixing inconsistently-concocted sauce. In 2012, Chris Hooi, son of Hooi Kok Wai, one of the four chefs, clarified that the four chefs never claimed they invented the dish and their modified dish only took off in Singapore in the 1960s. In Malaysia, Malaysian newspapers claimed that Yusheng was modified from a fish noodles dish originating from Guangdong, China by Lu Zhen Ji (陆祯记), a Chinese restaurant in the city of Seremban, Malaysia. In 2009, the Malaysian Department of National Heritage declared Yusheng, alongside other Malaysian food dishes, as an Intangible Heritage Object of Malaysia. In 2020, a descendant of Lu Zhen Ji stated that the origin of the claim was hard to prove and meaningless to insist on an origin, ending the dispute. Ingredients and their symbolism When putting the yusheng on the table, New Year greetings are offered. Some of the phrases commonly used are: 恭喜发财 / 恭喜發財 () meaning "Congratulations and be wealthy" 万事如意 / 萬事如意 () meaning "May all your wishes be fulfilled" The fish is added – its Mandarin word, "魚" (pronounced "yu") corresponds to a homophone of it "余 / 餘" meaning "abundance", thus 年年有余 / 年年有餘 (), "abundance through the year". Pomelo or lime (大利, da li / daai lei) is added to the fish, adding luck and auspicious value (大吉大利 , meaning "good luck and smooth sailing"). Pepper is then dashed over in the hope of attracting more money and valuables. 招财进宝 / 招財進寶 meaning "Attract wealth and treasures". Then oil is poured out, circling the ingredients and encouraging money to flow in from all directions – referring to 一本万利 / 一本萬利 , meaning "make 10,000 times of profit with your capital", and 财源广进 / 財源廣進 meaning "numerous sources of wealth". Carrots are added indicating blessings of good luck: the first word in the compound word representing the ingredient, "红萝卜 / 紅蘿蔔" (), 红 / 紅 (hong / hung) has a homophone in 鸿 / 鴻 referring to 鸿运当头 / 鴻運當頭 meaning "good luck is approaching". Shredded green radish is later added symbolising eternal youth – 青春常驻 / 青春常駐 , "forever young". After which the shredded white radish is added – prosperity in business and promotion at work (风生水起 / 風生水起 – "progress at a