WAN-DERFUL MILESTONES

 

Chef Wan's latest tome, The Best of Chef Wan (the Bahasa Malaysia version is Selera Chef Wan) marks two major milestones in the renowned chef's life: his 25th year in the culinary field and his mother's 80th birthday.

Held at Kitchen Culture, Bangsaria, the book launch was a cosy affair with his family and friends showing up in full force in addition to the local media to support him.

Ever obliging, outspoken and talking nineteen to the dozen, Chef Wan was a laugh a minute; his candour remarks and rapid-fire chatter kept everyone in stitches with an occasional gasp and mock horror thrown into the mix.

The affable chef paid special tribute to his sprightly mother, labelling the real 'chef one' while he himself is chef number two. Recalling the days when he helped out by selling kuihs, Chef Wan affirms that his mentor and inspiration would always be his dearest mother.

"Cooking is about sharing, respecting nature and connecting with people," says Malaysia's food ambassador. "These past 25 years have a struggle but I still enjoy cooking; it's a great way to entertain people and impart our history, culture and food knowledge to others."

Chef Wan with his daughter-in-law and son, Riz

Star support ... fellow celeb chefs Azrah and Florence Tan at the book launch

After a quarter century in the business, the busy bee still has bigger fish to fry. Besides working on his food encyclopedia project to document and preserve the country's Malay food heritage, plans are afoot to make Chef Wan Asian Culinary Academy a reality.

"The school will be devoted to teach not only Malaysian but also Asian cuisine such as Thai, Indonesian, etc. It's a shame that we don't have enough chefs who are skilled in our regional cuisine. My culinary academy aims to plug this gap and concentrate on offering Malay/Asian cooking courses. I want to place everything under one roof; initiate a diploma for South-east Asian culinary studies and hold interactive classes where people can learn how to cook basic or special dishes, keep young people occupied and maintain our culinary heritage. I also plan to help underprivileged kids who dream of becoming chefs via the Chef Wan Foundation."

 

The food ambassador believes that we need to maintain and protect our food culture and heritage.

"Food's the only thing that binds people together.We have to be proud of our food as it gives us a sense of belonging. If there's something that I can change, I'd form a Ministry of Food," said Chef Wan. "We need to get our food right, a body to educate our people to cook quality food. It's sad we're letting foreign workers butcher our food and have tourists eating badly cooked local food at filthy eateries that use cheap ingredients. We must get back on the right track.

"That's why some feel offended when I speak out. They can't take my criticisms but I'm just doing my job by telling the truth. When you're honest, you have nothing to fear."

Although he has appeared briefly in the AFC-E&O's Next Celebrity Chef show, Chef Wan is no fan of reality TV.

"People get so excited about reality TV shows but my advice is don't expect too much out of them. Most are overly dramatic and it can be demeaning to those participating. You can be harsh but not rude.I don't believe in putting people down and breaking their spirit. One must be hard, tough and strong in the kitchen so cut out all the crying and drama. There's no place in the kitchen for egoistic chefs."

He firmly believes that it takes more than good cooking skills to be a TV celebrity chef. "Experience counts as well as one's self-confidence, knowledge and effective communication skill - the ability to teach and explain things.

Having travelled the world and tasted countless dishes, Chef Wan declares that the best dish in the world is still his mother's nasi goreng with ikan bilis, sambal belacan and egg.

For youngsters who are starting out in life, Chef Wan reminds them that life is a challenge and filled with choices.

"Young people must have spirit - love yourself, your country, culture, etc. Never be afraid of making mistakes. That's why I told my son that he should apologise for padding up him resume. Take responsibility for it and move on."

The veteran chef who turned 54 in January this year said in parting: "In life, one must be compassionate. Have self-respect and love for humanity. People will remember the good things you do."

STERLING BASH

This is one event that the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre team couldn't afford to make any mistakes. A hallmark bash that underscored everything that Chef Richmond Lim touts in his inaugural book - The Stainless Steel Kitchen - a classy, hard cover tome that reveals the precise art of banqueting.

I guess most of the guests that night came with pretty high expectations just like me. And happily, the KLCC team delivered; everything went off without a single hitch right from the start. What is even more surprising (well to me at least) is that the food was top-notch.

Now this is no small feat considering that the kitchen team has to cater to such a large group of guests. But then again I suppose after catering for countless international events of all types and group sizes, the night's launch would have been a walk in the park for them. Nevertheless, I was impressed that all the dishes were served at the right temperature, freshly and beautifully prepared and cooked to perfection.

Executive Chef Richmond Lim who delves into the meticulous nitty-gritty and precise work that go into each banquet told members of the local media that the book was conceived a year ago.

"It took me six months to jot down and compile all the essential notes for the book: from the different aspects of banquet operations, how cutting-edge technology from Electrolux has transformed the face of modern banqueting and my own thoughts, experiences and insights on how it is possible to replicate fine-dining dishes for hundreds and thousands of diners," says Lim.

The affable chef also paid tribute to his superior, KLCC CEO Datuk Peter Brokenshire and his dedicated team who supported him unstintingly for the book project.

After the ceremonial bit was over and done with, we circulated around the function room to sample the sumptuous spread laid out. Although it was a standing cocktail, only the starters and dessert were served buffet-style. Even then there wasn't a chafing dish in sight; every offering was in singular, dainty and visually pleasing portions to tickle the tastebuds.

Much to our delight, several specialities found in Chef Lim's 5-Star Banqueting book were recreated for us to savour. My choice picks include tender slivers of Peking duck stuffed with assorted lettuce and enoki mushroom in a crisp, kataifi-type cone; rolled salmon with its own roe and tangy dill-scented cream; smoked duck breast with pear compote; plump, sweet scallops with ebikko; miniature glasses of Asian seafood bouillabaisse and double-boiled Treasures of the Sea consomme.

One of the most outstanding dishes were the Malaysian evergreen favourite of Nasi Lemak. Served in carved out coconut shell tops, this ensemble of santan-rich steamed rice, half a hardboiled egg, fried baby anchovies, peanuts, cucumber slices and piquant sambal must have knocked the socks off quite a few international delegates had they gotten the chance to sample it.

Now few hotels and restaurants let alone an international convention centre would bother with a painstaking speciality like Nasi Kerabu but this is the other show-stopping delight that really grabbed me that night. Beautifully tinged to a dreamy pastel blue, the rice was amply flavoured by finely shredded fresh herbs like torch ginger flower with cucumber, cabbage, dry-fried grated coconut and long beans. It was a match made in heaven when eaten together with the tender Ayam Percik hot off the grill and generously doused with a thick, sweetish and spicy sauce.

Last but not least, the momentous occasion also marked a reunion of sorts for me and a couple of dear old friends (Rose and Majorie it was great having caught up with you both) and former chef colleagues (ditto for KK Yau and Vincent Tan)!

Glory Glory in Manchester UK

Norman Musa shot into the limelight when he became the team chef for Malaysian-owned Lotus Racing Formula One team earlier this year.

I managed to catch up with the youthful chef and interviewed him when he was in town recently thanks to Sidney Kan of Big Boys Oven. Norman's whirlwind visit to KL and Singapore was also to promote his self-published cookbook titled Malaysian Food; the Butterworth boy conducted several live cooking demos in the city's major bookstores to give readers a sampling of what's in his maiden publication.

One of the dishes prepared by Norman - Steamed Fish with Ginger

As the co-owner and head chef of Ning, a thriving Malaysian restaurant in Manchester, UK, Norman's self-taught culinary skills have won him plaudits from British food lovers as well as fellow Malaysians who are either residing or visiting there.

Read all about Norman's culinary success and aspiration to be Malaysia's next food ambassador in the following article published in the Star:

http://www.kuali.com/news/story.aspx?file=/2010/11/13/ku_features/7347906&sec=ku_features