Chef: Sun Kim Restaurant: Meta* Location: Singapore Type of cuisine: Contemporary Asian
Why did you become a chef? Since I was young, I was always curious with food when I was helping out in my mother’s restaurant. It also made me very happy whenever I saw my family enjoy my cooking. That was when I realised being a chef was the right path for me. What is your favourite food city in the world? Singapore. There is no other city in the world where you can get a plate of delicious local cuisine at the most affordable pricing. What cooking tip would you give a beginner cook? Understand the ingredient you are using, and be sensitive to the temperature of the food you are cooking. What is the name of your recipe? Guksu. Why this recipe? It’s my favourite childhood noodle dish, and it is easy for home cooks.
Chef: Bernhart Denny Sumarko Restaurant: BLANCO par Mandif* Location: Bali Type of cuisine: Progressive Indonesian Most underrated Asian ingredient? I think coriander deserves more attention, as it can add another layer to anything it touches. Biggest misconception about Asian food? Um … it’s always spicy and has to be eaten with chopsticks. What cooking tip would you give a beginner cook? Invest in a good knife, good salt and a good attitude, and everything will be revealed to you at a certain pace. No rush. What is the name of your recipe? Sate kambing (lamb satay). Why this recipe? Sate, usually refers to anything you put on the skewer – be it chicken, beef, or lamb – and we smother it with a combination of peanut and sweet soy, and a bit of chilli. It’s everywhere in Indonesia.
Chef: Margarita Fores Restaurant: Cibo* Location: Manila Type of cuisine: Italian What cooking tip would you give a beginner cook? Many young chefs in the industry today have come by way of professional culinary schools. Schools may churn out pretty much the same graduates with the same skill sets, but what really sets a chef apart is their personal experience. The chef who aspires to succeed should be like a sponge. They should learn as much as they can from their home town and culture, and have a desire to travel. The learning and inspiration they gain from their travels and experiences, and from meeting other people in the industry, will help set a chef apart. What is the name of your recipe? Crab milhojas of water spinach gnocco and calamondin gel. Why this recipe? It best represents my background from starting with Italian and eventually appreciating my national cuisine.