LOSS AND GAIN. I have been cooking since 11, but believe it or not, my time in the Food and Beverage Industry started because I wanted to shed some weight. As an overweight kid in secondary school, I was desperate for a change in lifestyle and was determined to enhance my knowledge for a healthier life. I then decided to take on Nutrition in polytechnic and lost 20kg in 22 weeks.
LOVE THY JOB. I participated in a cooking contest, judged by chef Emmanuel Stroobant, and was offered an internship at his restaurant, Saint Pierre. It was then that I realised I could see myself putting in that kind of time and effort and not feel like it is a job. Upon completing my National Service as an Infantry Officer, which taught me discipline and teamwork, I decided to enter the workforce instead of continuing my studies.
GO-GETTER. After Saint Pierre, I worked at The Kitchen at Bacchanalia and Nouri in Singapore. I then went on to intern at Relae and Amass in Copenhagen. Instead of taking the conventional route, I invested my time to gaining knowledge through experiences. One amazing trip was when I went backpacking in Europe. There, I knocked on the doors of various food service shops and asked if I could learn their skills during my, albeit limited, time in each city.
A HAPPY ACCIDENT. My journey with NKU Firewood was entirely coincidental. I was on a vacation in Taipei when my friend brought me to NKU and from then, I became friends with the team and owners. As head chef, I manage the whole restaurant, including costing, pricing and training of our staff. Apart from leading the kitchen, I also design the beverage program. NKU’s complete operation has 12 people, consisting of a small but efficient front of house team.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
New Blood
The next-generation is breathing new life into the forgotten art of spice-mixing, peppering the traditional trade with renewed ideas and fresh perspectives.
Sharing Is Caring
Compared to its flagship at Serene Centre, Fat Belly Social at Boon Tat Street is a classier and bolder affair, in more than one sense.
Nutmeg's Role In Singapore's History
From tales of it being used to ward off the plague in mid-1300s Europe to one of the ingredients in dessert, we have all known, tasted, or at least heard of nutmeg. But not many know of the spice’s role in Singapore’s history.
New And Improved
The ever-profound chef-owner Kenjiro ‘Hatch’ Hashida finds more room, three to be exact, to express a Ha Ri philosophy at Hashida Singapore’s new location at Amoy Street.
Pairing Spice-Driven Cuisines With Wine
Pairing spice-driven cuisines with wine has long been a challenge but with a little imagination, it doesn’t have to be.
Let Land Grow Wild
Niew Tai-Ran has worn many hats: aeronautical engineering major, investment banker, avid surfer, and, for the last 14 years, winemaker. Discover how this Malaysia-born, Singapore-native is championing the “do-nothing farming” philosophy at his vineyard in Oregon.
The South Asian Misnomer
Incredibly diverse and varied than most know, Indian food is far more intriguing than butter chicken or thosai. Here is a crash course on the extensive cuisine from region to region, recognisable for the seemingly infinite ways of using spices.
Keepers Of The Spice Trade
From its glory days along trade routes to pantry staples all over the world, spices have become so commonplace that we’ve taken them for granted. For these three trailblazers, however, spice is their livelihood and motivation: Langit Collective working with indigenous rural farming communities in Malaysia; IDH’s Sustainable Spice Initiative; and chef Nak’s one-woman mission to share forgotten Khmer cuisine.
Sugar, Spice And Everything Nice
Like food, spices bring vibrancy and variety to alcoholic beverages. Surfacing in unexpected ways on the palate, find everything from cumin to tamarind, cloves to cardamom enriching these drinks.
Building Blocks From The Archipelago
For the smorgasbord of dishes found in Indonesian cuisine, it is a little known secret that the modest bumbu, in all its variants, is the bedrock of such flavourful fare.
