Chef hopes to bring world-class culinary skills to East Malaysians

SIBU: Master chef Leslie Tong, 42, who has 30 years of culinary experience is hoping to get East Malaysians to learn world- class culinary skills from him.

Speaking to reporters over dinner here on Monday, he said he had students from Peninsular Malaysia, but none from East Malaysia.

“My aspiration is to bring East Malaysians to experience world level culinary triumph,” he said.

According to him, Malaysian dishes and desserts had potential to enter the world stage, but sadly, no one was causing this to materialise.

Tong started to cook at the age of 12 and has since been cooking different kind of cuisines including that of Malay, Oriental and Western .

About eight years ago, he ventured into the China market where he explored different dishes, especially desserts of the Chinese.

“I have a dream to bring Chinese desserts to every corner of the globe. Culinary skill too must be abreast with the times,” he suggested, saying that included bird’s nest-based dishes.

Tong said he had come to Sibu with a smattering of knowledge of bird’s nest.

“After being here for a while, I think I now know a lot more about bird’s nest.”

He said through dialogues with people in the field, he had come to know that the quality of bird’s nest was not necessarily based on its price.

“Malaysia has good quality bird’s nest. I hope to promote it in China where people know little about bird’s nest. Bird’s nest usually comes on the table as dessert. That, I want to change,” he said.

At Monday’s dinner, Tong came up with nine different dishes and desserts which were bird’s nestbased.

He said he got the inspiration to come up with these dishes and desserts after his stay in Sibu.

Meanwhile, Tong said he would exhibit the Malaysian Snow Skin Mooncake at the Shanghai Pastry Exhibition in May. Bird’s nest is among the ingredients.

“China also has Snow Skin Mooncake, but the Malaysian version has its uniqueness and is softer,” he said.

Sibu Resident Hii Chang Kee, Sibu Municipal Council ( SMC) chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King and United Chinese Association ( UCA) Sibu division president Kong Hian Khim were also present at the dinner.