Chefs Ace Tan and David Lee tell all about their new mod-Asian Restaurant Ards
One segued from advertising to professional cooking seven years ago. Another did a culinary arts diploma in Taiwan, then worked in kitchens there as well as in Australia and Singapore. Meet Ace Tan, 36 and David Lee, 24, who have taken the plunge to start a New Asian fine dining restaurant. Called Restaurant Ards, it opened on Duxton Road last month.
Realising his passion was in food, Tan made the switch after three years in advertising, working his way up, first at casual restaurants then at fine dining establishments such as modern European restaurants Pollen and Bacchanalia. The Singaporean chef’s last stint was with Les Amis, Singapore’s temple of French gastronomy, where he was chef de partie. Such experience taught him that every detail counts when conveying a concept or story to the diner.
In Lee’s case, his stay in Taiwan gained him a deep appreciation for agricultural produce. The Malaysian also learnt techniques like the art of ‘wok hei’ or breath of a wok from working at Taiwan’s famous ‘kuai chao’, literally translated as ‘quick-fry’ stalls. A three-month stint at Ben Shewry’s vegetable-centric Attica restaurant in Melbourne followed. This and later positions at other restaurants like Pollen in Singapore as chef de partie further entrenched his respect for the quality and provenance of ingredients.
What ties the duo together is a deep respect for Asian produce and a desire to showcase its unique flavours to the world.
We first met at Pollen at Gardens by the Bay back in 2015.
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