It was June 2011 when Hanna assigned me to cover a cooking demonstration featuring Master Chef Sam Leong of Singapore. I must say I am not familiar with Chef Sam, but this is obviously because of my lack of knowledge about the culinary gods of Asia. Both Hanna and I were floored upon reading his profile and even more enthralled after meeting him at Shangri-la Makati. Here is the piece I wrote for www.cookeatnow.com.
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THE MASTER OF MODERN CHINESE CUISINE
The list of awards and recognition for Singapore’s Master Chef Sam Leong goes on and on.
He was Singapore’s representative to the Annual James Beard Foundation Awards, Friends of James Beard Gala Dinner, World Gourmet Summit, Annual St. Moritz Gourmet Festival, the Flavours of Asia in Napa Valley, California and many others.
He has had the privilege to be the official chef for the visits to Singapore of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, former US presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton, and His Majesty King Bhumibhol Adulyadej of Thailand.
He was also named the Best Asian Ethnic Chef of the Year at the World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence in 2001, 2002 and 2004, and Executive Chef of the Year and Chef of the Year in 2005. In the same year, he became the first Singaporean chef to join Singapore Airline’s International Culinary Panel of world-renowned chefs.
He was also named the Best Asian Ethnic Chef of the Year at the World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence in 2001, 2002 and 2004, and Executive Chef of the Year and Chef of the Year in 2005. In the same year, he became the first Singaporean chef to join Singapore Airline’s International Culinary Panel of world-renowned chefs.
If all these awards and recognition are making you dizzy, know that Chef Sam Leong worked his way to the top the hard way. His signature technique of infusing traditional Chinese cuisine with a modern flare was not an overnight success.
“I used to work in a traditional Chinese kitchen. I remember working day and night preparing all the ingredients. The kitchens were not very big and we get burns from the very high heat needed for Chinese cooking.” At the end of the night, they also have to wash the huge woks and clean the whole kitchen. “ We never go out to greet the customers. We prepare, we cook, clean and go home!”
Traditional Chinese restaurants serve meals family-style. The dishes are served in big plates ready to go around the turning table for each family-member’s turn. Fancy presentation takes a far second place from superior taste.
At the age of 28, Chef Sam started carving a name for himself. He worked at the Kuching Hilton and Novotel Bangkok before becoming the executive chef of Jiang Nan Chun at the Four Seasons Hotel in Singapore.
Here, Chef Sam showed he was different. “I started to serve our meals in several courses and in individual servings.“ This was an unheard-of approach at that time. “I always see businessmen, those who dine in threes, debating who gets the last dumpling in a serving for four. With my new technique, no one feels guilty of having the last piece!”
Word got around and more and more people wanted to experience Chef Sam’s modern style. Unbeknownst to them, Chef Sam’s kitchen crew despised him. “They asked me why I’m making them take so much effort in plating, why do they need to wash all the individual dishes, why they need to garnish,” recalls Chef Sam. “Almost all of them resigned at first!”
His restaurant manager was also wary. “He was so appalled by my idea to serve the peking duck in portions. In a Chinese restaurant, if you want the peking duck, you get the whole thing, but I never gave up! l once served the peking duck in a 7-course dinner, and my manager was impressed!”
“I used to work in a traditional Chinese kitchen. I remember working day and night preparing all the ingredients. The kitchens were not very big and we get burns from the very high heat needed for Chinese cooking.” At the end of the night, they also have to wash the huge woks and clean the whole kitchen. “ We never go out to greet the customers. We prepare, we cook, clean and go home!”
Traditional Chinese restaurants serve meals family-style. The dishes are served in big plates ready to go around the turning table for each family-member’s turn. Fancy presentation takes a far second place from superior taste.
At the age of 28, Chef Sam started carving a name for himself. He worked at the Kuching Hilton and Novotel Bangkok before becoming the executive chef of Jiang Nan Chun at the Four Seasons Hotel in Singapore.
Here, Chef Sam showed he was different. “I started to serve our meals in several courses and in individual servings.“ This was an unheard-of approach at that time. “I always see businessmen, those who dine in threes, debating who gets the last dumpling in a serving for four. With my new technique, no one feels guilty of having the last piece!”
Word got around and more and more people wanted to experience Chef Sam’s modern style. Unbeknownst to them, Chef Sam’s kitchen crew despised him. “They asked me why I’m making them take so much effort in plating, why do they need to wash all the individual dishes, why they need to garnish,” recalls Chef Sam. “Almost all of them resigned at first!”
His restaurant manager was also wary. “He was so appalled by my idea to serve the peking duck in portions. In a Chinese restaurant, if you want the peking duck, you get the whole thing, but I never gave up! l once served the peking duck in a 7-course dinner, and my manager was impressed!”
Also unprecedented was Chef Sam’s tour of the dining hall after service to socialize with the diners. This new approach proved effective, or at the very least, intriguing. Soon, the restaurant was getting overbooked, a new trend was established and the awards came pouring in. The rest, as they say, is history.Throughout his 26 years of culinary genius, Chef Sam has published several books including “A Wok Through Time”, “Sensations” and “A Taste of Home”. He also had a cooking show called “King of Kitchens” and was invited to be the chef-mentor for a television cooking competition, Star Chefs.
When he is not traveling, he spends his time teaching students in his own culinary school called Sam.Leong@Forest Cooking School in Singapore.
Makati Shangri-La has recently invited Chef Sam to a share his expertise in a cooking demonstration held at the Shang Palace. A four-course degustation menu including Chef Sam’s signature dish of Prawn Coated in Wasabi Mayo and Mango Salsa was served to the guests.
Try Chef Sam Leong’s Signature Dish!
PRAWNS COATED IN WASABI MAYO AND MANGO SALSA
Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 pieces large prawn meat
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp sugar
¼ tsp sesame oil
½ piece egg white
50 grams corn flour
Seasoning – Wasabi Mayo Sauce
300 grams mayonnaise
50 grams condensed milk
30 grams wasabi paste
30 grams fresh lemon juice
Garnish – Mango Salsa
100 grams mango, diced
30 grams mint leaves, chopped
30 grams Thai chili sauce
chervil leaves
Method:
- Mix all the ingredients for the wasabi-mayo sauce. Refrigerate.
- Mix the diced mango with the Thai chili-saue and mint leaves. Refrigerate.
- Marinate the prawn meat with salt, sugar, sesame oil and egg white. Coat the marinated prawn meat with corn flour.
- Deep fry with hot oil until cooked for about one minute, then mix immediately into the wasabi-mayo sauce.
- Garnish with mango and chervil leaves.
Expert Tips from Chef Sam
- The oil must be very hot. It ensures that your coating will be very crisp and will remain crispy even when the prawn is coated with the wasabi-may sauce.
- The prawns cook very quickly. You’ll know they’re cooked when they rise to the surface.
- Serve immediately.
Visit:
www.samatforest.com
www.samatforest.com
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