Working in a foreign land is not that easy. Living far from your loved ones and from your comfort zone requires a good dose of courage, determination and passion. Chef Aaron Wong has all that! Read more to find out how he found LOVE & a home away from home.
(The passion at work)
An intimate modern European fine dining restaurant, The Churchill Room, is the haven for the young Malaysian-Chinese chef who helms its kitchen as a Senior Sous Chef. Located near the heart of the city, Singapore Tanglin Club boasts of its high standards and superb international cuisine.
Serving 60 people excites our young alumnus who is known for being very meticulous yet courteous in practicing his craft. Creating new set of menus every two weeks beguile his creativity and innovation as he puts his heart in every dish that he makes.
Love That Grows
His passion for cooking started at a young age. He loved to watch how his Dad transformed raw vegetables, meat and spices into something heavenly in taste! Guess what’s his dad’s specialty is and their family’s all-time favourite… It’s Laksa!
That seed of passion begun to grow as he personally made lunches for his sisters at age of 16. He later spent six months working in a hotel kitchen back in his hometown in Sarawak, Malaysia, before coming to Singapore and studying in At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy.
That leap of faith brought him a long way. In 2014, he became a pride of Singaporeans when he joined the team of Singapore Chefs’ Association in competing at Bocuse d’Or Asia-Pacific in Shanghai, China where he won the Best Commis Award – Bocuse D’or Asia Pacific Shanghai Selection 2014. The team went all the way to Bocuse d’Or 2015 in Lyon, France where they were ranked 16 out of the 24 countries who participated. In the same year, he also clinched the Gold medal when he competed in the Angliss World Cup 2015 and he was acclaimed as theApprenticeship Chef of the Year 2016 by the World Gourmet Summit.
Love That Lasts (Dreams and Aspirations)
For this tenacious chef, his culinary journey has only just begun. There’s still so much more that he wants to show and he’s determined to work his way to the top – the world is his oyster!
Of course, his journey would not be complete without the person who is the inspiration of every single dish… his fellow dreamer who ventured with him overseas… his pillar of strength in challenging times… his teenage sweetheart for 8 years… the calm voice that propels him to go on… the person to whom he dedicates his success and makes the journey all worthwhile… the person whom he wants to stand side by side with him when he opens his own restaurant in their hometown in Malaysia… the person whom he chose to grow old with… his fiancé, Yuling.
His Love Potion:
“Do what you like to do and do it at your best.”
Chef Aaron Wong, Class 2012 (WSQ-DCA-010)
Story by Jenny Mojica-Navaja