Quantcast
Channel: Headline – Borneo Bulletin Online
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 11476

Celebrity chef head over heels with Brunei

$
0
0

|     James Kon     |

CELEBRITY chef Martin Yan, famous for his cooking show Yan Can Cook – which he has hosted since 1982 – and his trademark tagline “If Yan can cook, so can you!”, said he would love to move and stay in Brunei Darussalam because of its “serenity, green rainforests and beautiful beaches”.

The Chinese-American chef and food writer is in the country to participate in the Culinary Journey with Martin Yan at Dynasty Restaurant.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Yan praised Brunei for its beauty, abundant nature attractions and stress-free way of life.

“Brunei is one of the last frontiers of serenity, ample with rainforests and many beautiful beaches,” he said. “I also understand that you have some of the best scuba diving sites. We don’t see that in many places. It will be my dream to stay here.”

He added, “Life is so stressful and I don’t feel any stress in Brunei. In many big cities, it’s very stressful. The people here look happy. Brunei is a country of abundant natural resources and it’s a great place to live. This is also such a safe and peaceful place. However, many people may take it for granted and don’t appreciate it. Learn to appreciate every day.

Celebrity chef Martin Yan speaks during the press conference. – BAHYIAH BAKIR

“The Culinary Journey with Martin Yan culinary showcase is a special event and project. I’ve always wanted to come to Brunei, I’ve never been here. I thought that it would be a great opportunity to be here. I travel to different places… I learn how to cook the local cuisine of the countries that I visit.

“I learn from the locals. I just finished filming my Taste of Malaysia, Taste of Vietnam and Taste of Korea TV cooking series, and I am currently working on Taste of Cambodia. [For the shows] I will go to the kitchen to learn from home cooks as well as chefs.”

Yan said that he would love to do a Taste of Brunei series, noting that it is his desire to promote the island of Borneo, including Brunei Darussalam.

“Normally, when I feature a country, I start with the landscape, history and heritage. Then I move on to the beautiful spots and explore local cuisine and snacks,” he said. “We can tell people about Brunei. This is a young country with a lot of history and heritage. I have tasted a couple of Bruneian food, I like the flavour – it’s explosive with a lot of spices. I like Malaysian food and it’s similar.”

Yan also spoke about his life. “I was born in Guangzhou, China and by the age of 15, my father used to have a restaurant in Portland,” he recounted. “All these years I took care of myself. You are lucky that the government takes care of you. Being a citizen of Brunei is very fortunate. If I can, I would like to move to Brunei.”

And what of his famous rapid-fire, Kung Fu-esque slicing style?

“Practice makes perfect, I cook every day, I use my knife every day,” he said. “Just like athletes who practise every day, I feel fortunate that I love what I do. I love my work.

“To be successful, you have to be very passionate about your work. You don’t get into this field because you want to be famous, you get into it because you love to cook and love food.”

Yan added that he would love to pass on his culinary skills and knowledge. “I love to teach in culinary school,” he said. “I do lectures in culinary schools in Asia except Brunei. It’s never too old to learn how to cook. I work with many students, in my office I have apprentices and interns from culinary schools. We develop recipes, programmes and cooking shows.”

Following his Brunei visit, Yan will return to the United States (US) for a few weeks before heading to Chengdu and Taipei. He says he is looking forward to coming back to Brunei again. Cooking fans and gourmands will get the opportunity to meet chef Martin Yan during the Culinary Journey with Martin Yan teaser event tonight at 7.45pm at the Goldstone Ballroom, The Centrepoint Hotel, during which Yan will show attendees how to prepare a number of selected traditional Cantonese dishes.

Seats are limited for tonight’s six-course meal event.

The Culinary Journey with Martin Yan food promotion will officially run from March 31 to April 14 at Dynasty Restaurant, offering diners a mouthwatering selection of chef Martin Yan’s Cantonese specialties.

Fans of chef Yan can also meet him on March 31 and April 1 at Dynasty Restaurant during the promo period.


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 11476

Trending Articles