IN THE KITCHEN WITH... CHEF RAYMOND THAM

Fresh off the back of his newly minted Michelin star, Chef Raymond Tham takes a moment to sit down with PRESTIGE and give us some insight into the food, the man, and everything in between.

- COLIN GOMEZ

It’s on rather short notice that I received the message telling me I’m scheduled to interview Raymond Tham at the new Skillet location. Short notice it may be, but when you get the chance to take a dip into one of the country’s foremost culinary minds and indulge in his latest menu afterwards, any allusions to reluctance or irritation are performative at best. Upon arriving at the new restaurant in Menara Hap Seng 3, I’m greeted warmly by Alex Cheah, one of the Co-Founders behind Skillet and Chef Raymond’s other occupational abode, the Michelin-starred Beta KL.

Alex then retrieves the man of the hour who, I learn, is on a bit of a tight schedule. Dinnertime is fast approaching, and Raymond informs me he has to leave for Beta shortly to ensure preparations are in place for what is sure to be an unforgettable evening for whoever walks through their doors. Raymond and I sit down for a hastily arranged interview in which we’re both caught a little off guard. Curiously enough, I find the interviews that begin along these lines to usually be the best ones. When both parties are forced to find their footing as they go along, all preparation goes out the window, leading to some unexpected detours and some of the most organic interactions.

I gather it will be good to kick things off by asking how he got his start. “I’ve been interested in cooking since I was very young, about six or seven. I would watch my grandmother and my mother prepare things in the kitchen, and I would learn something from them. And of course, I’d watch all the cooking shows on the TV as well,” he says, echoing what is a surprisingly common origination I’ve heard from some other well-regarded chefs.