Ahong Yeang, 32, owner and cook of Grub
Submission video recipe: Turmeric fried chicken
What sets you apart from the other finalists?
I’ve done all this before. I was on Masterchef Malaysia and I blew it big time. I think I came out of it a better man. I’m not doing this for fame or money, because I think those have a more negative effect on me. Now I’m more focused, and I think I’m clearer on my goals.
What do you currently do?
Right now I’m the owner and cook of Grub, my own establishment. We sell “confused” Western food to a bunch of doctors and blue-collar staff in a hospital. One thing I’ve found is that cooking something for another person means you are putting yourself out there to be judged. But life goes on and when I see a satisfied customer, everything’s okay.
Best piece of cooking advice received?
The best piece of advice is that there’s no recipe. Recipes are just prescriptions that a chef passes on to you as a suggestion. At the end of the day, you have to rely on your eyes, your nose, your taste and your touch. Once you master those, you can pretty much make anything.
What is your biggest pet peeve in the kitchen?
My biggest pet peeve is a dirty kitchen. I don’t mean just clean, I mean if I drop my food on the floor, I can eat it off the floor. Because if you do not keep your kitchen clean, for me it means you have no love and no respect for what you’re doing.
Kelly Siew, 31,
singer/food blogger
Submission video recipe: Ayam masak merah with cauliflower nasi tomato
Why should you be our first R.AGE Food Fight champion?
Because I am obsessed with all things food! I love writing about it, reading about it, talking about it, and most of all I love eating and cooking. So this is an opportunity for me to learn what I can from the professionals and in turn, share that with my audience.
What do you currently do?
At the moment, I’m a full-time singer. I perform about five times a week, and during the day I teach music to school kids. I also run a blog called kellysiewcooks.com, so it keeps me on my toes all the time and is pretty exciting.
What is your most favourite dish to make?
It’s something simple and low-carb – cauliflower rice. It’s like fried rice, but with cauliflower instead of rice and has a lot of veggies to keep it healthy.
What food do you absolutely hate?
There are very, very few things I won’t eat but I would say that I avoid durian because of the aftertaste.
Best piece of cooking advice ever received?
The best piece of cooking advice has to do with plating – keep everything as clean and as elegant as possible.
What is your biggest pet peeve in the kitchen?
Probably has to do with disturbance. You know how there are backseat drivers? I don’t like backseat cooks. If there’s someone who is constantly telling me what to do, that would get on my nerves.
Ashley Pan, 23,
tax consultant
Submission video recipe: Chocolate fondant with gula melaka ice cream
Why should you be our first R.AGE Food Fight champion?
You know how punctuation gives meaning to a string of words? For me, I believe I have a greater purpose than to just be a chef in a restaurant. I want to be a chef that bridges multiple cultures, like Peranakan and Western. Ultimately to me, food is all about loving it and sharing it.
If you do win, what will you do with that RM10,000?
That’s a lot of money! It would definitely help with a food outlet I have in mind. It’s going to be an outlet that serves affordable, mouth-watering, healthy food to all groups of people. But beyond that, I want to feed the hungry and poor.
What do you currently do?
It’s definitely not as exciting as cooking. I’m currently a tax consultant with Ernst & Young in Kuching, so you can imagine, it’s all about facts and figures, eight hours in front of a computer, typing away the whole day.
What is your most favourite dish to make?
My favourite dish would definitely be kuih pai tee. Even if it’s just a vegetarian dish, it’s so simple. Sliced fresh veggies, with a top hat shell, and a bit of chilli. That’s perfect.
What food do you absolutely hate?
This is easy for me. The food that I really hate is anything matcha, or green tea flavoured. Everyone loves green tea but I hate it and that’s so strange. It has this earthy, plastic-y taste to it.
Best piece of cooking advice ever received?
Less is more. Whenever I create a new dish, I remind myself to focus on the simplicity of the flavours.
Food Fight finalists profile video. Will be held at the Spacemens’ studio where profile videos of the Food Fight finalists are being shot. It is an opportunity for the finalists to tell us a bit about themselves and what not at Pelangi Sentral at Kota Damansara,PJ on 8th Oct 2015.The Star/Sia Hong Kiau
Nurilkarim Razha, 26, manager at Jawi House Cafe Gallery
Submission video recipe: Prawn and pineapple gulai
What sets you apart from the other finalists?
For my age, I’m maybe a little bit more well-travelled and I’ve experienced a lot of different cuisines. To compare what I have experienced and what we have in Malaysia, I can say, very proudly, that we have equally good produce and equally beautiful things to share with the rest of the world.
What do you currently do?
I’m managing and cooking at our family-run cafe, Jawi House in George Town, Penang. It started off as a gallery but over time we decided to promote more of our local traditional heritage food. It’s pretty fun and I’ve learnt a lot along the way. I think promoting our local heritage is something very important.
What is your favourite dish to make?
I love comfort food, so I‘d say Malay food, but my ultimate favourite is cucur udang or prawn fritters, which is very traditional. I’ve served it in many places and It’s a winner every time.
How old were you when you first started cooking?
When I was eight or nine, but my professional career took off when I was 19. I entered college and then after that I worked in a restaurant.
What is your biggest pet peeve in the kitchen?
Hygiene for me is the first thing I look for. I worked in Japanese cuisine early on in my career so hygiene was definitely very important. I also absolutely hate people being late. You have to be punctual, and you must have very high standards when you’re around food. There’s no room for mediocrity.
Food Fight finalists profile video. Will be held at the Spacemens’ studio where profile videos of the Food Fight finalists are being shot. It is an opportunity for the finalists to tell us a bit about themselves and what not at Pelangi Sentral at Kota Damansara,PJ on 8th Oct 2015.The Star/Sia Hong Kiau
Li-Anne Kuek, 25, graphic designer and food stylist
Submission video recipe: Hummingbird cake
What sets you apart from the other finalists?
I’ve lived in Melbourne for the past eight years and being there has really strengthened my love for food. I thought I loved food when I was in Malaysia, but being there was just like the next level. I’ve been exposed to very diverse food cultures. I love experimenting with new ingredients and I’m very adventurous and want to share my food journey with everyone.
What do you currently do?
I’m currently a graphic designer and food stylist. I mainly do graphic design for cafes and restaurants. When a cafe or restaurant has a new menu, they ring me up and they say, “make the food look pretty!”
What is your favourite dish to make?
New York Cheesecake. Not only does it taste really good, it also holds a lot of memories for me. It’s the dish that all my friends always ask me to make when they haven’t seen me in a long time. That’s what food is all about – for people to enjoy.
What food do you absolutely hate?
I don’t like to dislike any food, but one food that I can’t learn to love is black liquorice. It is something I just can’t get my head around. I’ve tried to love it many times but it’s just not for me.
What’s the best piece of cooking advice you’ve received?
Always go with your instincts when you cook and always use the freshest produce, and celebrate it in a dish. The fresher the produce, the less cooking you need to do, and the dish will definitely shine.
What is your biggest pet peeve in the kitchen?
People who are afraid of handling certain ingredients, like octopus, because they think it’s slimy, or crabs, because they’ve never cooked it before. I think cooking is about getting out there and being hands-on. Just go for it!
To take part in the R.AGE Food Fight, all the finalists submitted videos of themselves preparing dishes using palm oil. For more recipe videos from the participants, go to rage.com.my/foodfight.
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