After experiencing one thirty minute cooking demo with self-proclaimed Malaysian celebrity chef, “Chef Wan,” it’s easy to understand why his cooking tent has excited fans spilling out the sides.
At Western Australia’s Mundaring Truffle Festival – an annual culinary gathering celebrating WA’s newly discovered cash crop, black truffles – Chef Wan stands on a foot-high stage running here and there like an overexcited monkey.
He tosses everything from lemongrass to coconut milk to tomatoes into a massive pot on its way to become some hybrid version on congee, a traditional Asian rice porridge. “I love making congee because you can also get a facial,” Chef Wan giggles as he sticks his face into the enormous pot. Everything Chef Wan says, he says with a smile. Signal laughter from the crowd.
As ingredients fly into the pot Chef Wan begins to tell a story about his ex-wife who he refers to as “Dragon Eyes.” From there he goes on to share a story about his grandmother who used to stuff pandan leaves into her bra to lure in suitors.
Throughout the entire demo, the flamboyant Chef Wan has the audience in stitches, as he goes into detail discussing his parents sexual escapades and how he and his siblings would have to leave the one bedroom in the house so his parents could “do it.” Sigh. “We could hear everything” he says looking very concerned.
Chef Wan does a little bit of everything. He trained at California Culinary Academy and the Ritz Hotel’s Ritz-Escoffier Ecole de Gastronomie Francaise and considers himself a food critic, chef, author, actor, and tv host. Chef Wan also serves as an ambassador for Malaysia and seeks to promote Southeast Asia through food. So, without further ado, a few questions with the gregarious, passionate, witty, entertaining, over the top, energetic Chef Wan:
Who Taught you to cook? My mother. She inspires me.
What inspires you? When I see beautiful things. I always wanted to cook to share with my neighbors.
How do you have so much energy? I’ve always been like this, since I was young. I channeled my energy to a good cause.
What have you learned from being an on-air personality? It’s an amazing way to connect with people. I am a loving person…I like feeling connected. I don’t judge people. The hand that gives is the hand that receives.
What kind of advice would you give to someone who wants to be a chef? Whatever the mind can conceived, the mind can be. Be whatever you want to be, but be the best.
via source
Categories:
Entertainment Asia
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Forbes
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