新加坡

Chef Mak Kip Fu believes in cooking constantly to keep his skills in tip-top shapeThere are no shortcuts to becoming a chef.儲存 That is the firm belief of St Regis Singapore's executive Chinese chef Mak Kip Fu, who began his career at the age of 16.The 62-year-old Hong Kong-born chef says in a mix of Mandarin and Cantonese: "I started out washing dishes for two years before I could step into the kitchen. And that was only because another cook quit. If no one left, I would still be washing dishes."His other odd jobs included carrying plates as well as deboning chickens or plucking their feathers.Since then, he has worked his way through acclaimed restaurants such as three-Michelin-starred Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong and two-Michelin-starred Zi Yat Heen at the Four Seasons Hotel Macau.He is also familiar with Singapore, having worked at The Regent Singapore from 1985 to 2000.He joined The St. Regis Singapore in September and helms its Cantonese restaurant Yan Ting as well as their Chinese banquets.Mak recently introduced a variety of new dishes to Yan Ting, such as baked rack of lamb with chef's signature coffee glaze; pan-seared crab claw stuffed with shrimp mousse; and steamed coral trout with Yunnan ham in lotus leaf.He has a 32-year-old daughter with his wife, 59, who is in the banking industry.Having started out "from the bottom", Mak notes the vast differences in a young chef's career path now. He says: "Nowadays, there are so many restaurants opening, but with not enough manpower. So people take on a lot more duties without fully understanding the basics."Last time, we learn every step - A, B, C, D and E. Now, they just jump from step A to E and forget about the middle part of the process. As long as the dish looks like the original one, it's good enough for them. So in three years, people can call themselves masterchefs without fully understanding the basics."He adds: "I considered retiring when I was 55 years old. But my wife encouraged me to continue since I am still able to work. People think that executive chefs don't cook, but we need to constantly cook and teach. If no迷你倉, our skills will get rusty."What are your childhood me-mories of food?It wasn't about the taste at that time. As long as our stomachs were full, that was enough. Back in the 1950s, life was tough, which is why I worked in the kitchen as it got me three meals.What was the first dish you cooked?Fried rice and noodles. I had no opportunity to cook other dishes when I started out. Every chef already had his duties.What are your favourite local foods?When I first came to Singapore, I loved chicken rice and Crystal Jade's wonton noodles. I haven't had the chance to try them again. A lot has changed very quickly in the restaurants, food centres and markets, so I'm not sure if the quality is still good.Since you love eating wonton noodles, tell us which is your favourite stall in Hong Kong.Mak's Noodle in Central, Hong Kong. For about HK$29 (S$4.70), you get five wontons with a small portion of noodles. The standard of wonton noodles in Hong Kong is dropping. It's important to have good soup as well.What are your favourite desserts?I love bubur cha cha and desserts with red bean inside.Are you an adventurous diner?There's nothing I don't eat, since they say that the Chinese eat everything. I've eaten bugs and snake in China. I've also eaten worms that feed on the dried husks of grain in the padi fields. They are baked with egg and Mandarin orange skins. You can buy the worms, dried or fresh, in Macau and China.Do your wife and daughter cook?My wife and I cook together on special occasions. But sometimes she doesn't listen if I give her my opinion, probably because the way a housewife cooks is different from a chef.My daughter, who is based in Hong Kong, cooks only instant noodles. She lived in Singapore when I worked here the last time, so she knows this place and when she visits, she would buy ingredients for instant chicken rice and chilli crab and take them back to Hong Kong to cook.If you could pick someone to dine with, whom would you pick?Home-cooked food with my family and two grandchildren, aged three and five. The enjoyment of sharing food with them is something that money cannot buy.euniceq@sph.com.sg儲存倉