Malaysian celebrity chef Chef Wan's garden is his 'heaven on earth'

Chef Wan’s garden offers him respite from his busy days. Photos: The Star/Art Chen

With nine restaurants to run and a few more in the pipeline, Datuk Redzuawan Ismail, popularly known as Chef Wan, leads a hectic life, which is well-documented in the Instagram posts he shares with his avid followers. But no matter how wonderful his trips abroad are and how interesting his adventures are, Chef Wan is always happiest when he is home.

“Wherever I travel, I look forward to coming home to my garden and my plants and of course my 11 cats, which I simply adore,” says Chef Wan, who bought his home in Cyberjaya 11 years ago.

Since then, he has worked hard to create his “heaven on earth”.

“Before people think of going to heaven, they must create a heaven on earth and that is of course your home,” says Chef Wan, who has designed a home façade bursting with flora and fauna.

“When I first bought this house, it was my dream to turn it into a ‘Garden of Eden’, on all four floors. On the topmost floor, I removed the jacuzzi and turned it into a rooftop garden.

“In the morning, I do yoga there, watch the glorious orange and red sun rise above the roof top, and it’s just such a wonderful energising feeling,” shares Chef Wan.

Chef Wan’s garden is his pride and joy.

His faithful followers are privy to the gregarious chef’s delight in sprucing up his home and garden, and he also sometimes shares the challenges of maintaining a beautiful home.

“When I first moved to my home, there were stones in my garden and the earth in some places was not soil but clay and had to be removed. I then employed a landscaper and a gardener and set out to turn the empty land into a garden.

“Many times, I had to take matters into my own hands as the landscapers did not always do a good job and overcharged me.

“I personally went to the nursery and chose the plants I wanted, and most important of all, I had to learn all about gardening and soil and what plants need in order to survive well.

“It was a learning curve for me, but over the years I learnt by reading gardening books, looking at Instagram and teaching myself all about each individual plant.

“This is not an easy task and I wake up at 5.30am, water my plants and attend to my garden. It’s a lot of hard work and it was trial and error, learning why some plants died, etc.

Chef Wan likes the kaleidoscope of colours in his garden.

“People often compliment me, saying, ‘Waaahh, your garden is so beautiful’ but they don’t realise this is my pride and joy,” says Chef Wan.

“One has to spend time learning about each plant – is there enough sunlight for this species of bougainvillea? Why is the plant not flowering as before? Too much or too little water? Is this plant in the right place? Maybe I need to replant it in a pot rather than leave it in the ground – it might thrive better in a pot.

“So, it’s not just a matter of planting the various flora and fauna and expecting it to thrive by itself.”

Although it is hard work, Chef Wan enjoys nurturing his garden. It takes patience to curate a garden, and one cannot expect instant results.

“Look at my garden now. It’s a work in progress, even now I change the plants and keep making it look fresh and colourful.”

Chef Wan also looks at other people’s gardens for inspiration and lessons.

“It is not necessary to employ a landscaper, one can develop an individual style best suited to the environment,” says Chef Wan, who today looks back with satisfaction on the effort and time he put into his garden, which is admired by friends and neighbours.

Chef Wan also has a kitchen garden where he plants ginger, ‘ulam’, curry leaves, mint, coriander and lemongrass. He likes being able to just pluck from his garden when he cooks at home.

“Why do we need to buy these ingredients that we use for cooking when we can plant them and have them fresh for our cooking?” says Chef Wan, who encourages everyone to grow their own herbs and spices for better results in their cooking.

As one walks through his garden, it is obvious that every nook and corner holds a surprise. His favourite corner is a breakfast nook surrounded by greenery. His followers know the chef spent many mornings here with his late mother, coaxing and cajoling her to eat well and take a walk around the verdant garden.

“I look at my life in terms of a painting, the more colour, the more beautiful but we need to work towards creating that kaleidoscope of colour.

“I love the energy of plants, it brings oxygen into my house and allows for better circulation, and of course, plants are colourful.

“For me, my philosophy has always been to live a healthy life, to be successful for our family, society and the nation.

“Malaysia is such a wonderful multi- cultured and multi-talented mixture of peoples and this is represented not only in the cuisine but also in our homes, where we can create a paradise to call our own,” adds Chef Wan.