Top chefs in Malaysia need a 'unique culinary DNA', says Raymond Tham of Skillet and Beta

Raymond Tham is a seasoned chef who says that it is important that chefs have physical and mental endurance in order to withstand the stress of the kitchen. — Photo: Beta

There was a time when being a chef was a job for people who weren’t academically inclined or had little options in terms of career paths. In fact, in Malaysia in the 1980s and 1990s – chefs were often termed ‘cooks’ and were typically the nameless figures in messy aprons who stayed behind-the-scenes.

Slowly, this perception has changed of course. The advent of reality television and cooking shows like MasterChef have given rise to the notion that being a chef is a glamorous pursuit that requires intelligence, creativity, a strong business mind and so much more (all completely true, by the way).

These days, even on the local front, there has been a growing appreciation for talented homegrown chefs – from fledgling young ‘uns to more established names who have set the blueprint for success on home ground.

But what does it really take to be a top chef in Malaysia? StarLifestyle speaks to Malaysian chefs who detail their journeys to the pinnacle and how they continue to strive for excellence.

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Raymond Tham is one of the most affable, well-liked chefs in the Malaysian culinary scene and he also has some serious credentials to boot. Tham is the chef-owner of modern European restaurant Skillet and progressive Malaysian restaurant Beta, both of which are Michelin Selected restaurants.

Tham says becoming a chef was always in his DNA as he started cooking when he was seven years old and would try and replicate recipes he saw on television shows. But Tham’s dreams took a detour when his conventional Asian parents vetoed his plans to study culinary arts.

Tham says that many chefs end up becoming copycats of other chefs and never develop a culinary style of their own. Photo: SKILLET KL

He ended up compromising and pursuing a hotel management degree before going to the UK to get his business degree. After completing it, he serendipitously managed to gain a scholarship to get into a culinary school in London.

Tham studied to be a pastry chef and worked in one of the top chocolate companies in the world before coming back to Malaysia where he was a lecturer at a culinary school. Eventually he teamed up with some friends to open his restaurants.

But he says working as a chef is not for the faint-hearted. When he was doing his apprenticeships and working until well past midnight, he frequently wanted to throw in the towel.

“I would call my mum and say, ‘I cannot tahan – I want to quit!’ and my mum would always say, ‘Just tahan a bit more lah’ so she was a real motivating force for me,” he says, laughing.

Tham says there are a few things he has learnt about surviving and thriving as a chef in the industry and the most important one is having physical and mental endurance and fortitude.

“The biggest challenge working in this industry is physical and mental burn-out because of the stress and long hours. So you need to be physically and mentally strong, otherwise it is impossible to handle the stress,” he says.

Having a mentor is also a big part of growing and learning as a chef. Tham says a good mentor has ‘been there, done that’ and consequently can help guide younger chefs.

Tham is happy to see that Malaysian chefs are finally being spotlighted a little more and hopes that this trend continues in the foreseeable future.

Eventually Tham says most chefs will have to become very hands-on in everyday operations, especially if they are looking at opening their own restaurants.

“I remember when we built Skillet, I needed to get my hands dirty so I had to learn how to make cocktails and coffee and talk to guests. Modern-day chefs can’t just hide in the kitchen – you need to know how to carry yourself and have some charm and personality. Many restaurant kitchens are now open kitchens, so guests become part of the dining journey, so you need to be able to talk a bit too,” he says.

Finally, Tham says becoming a top chef means standing out from the crowd and finding or developing a unique culinary DNA that is distinctive of the chef’s personality and creative process.

“Finding your own DNA is very important but that is also one of the most difficult things to find because a lot of young chefs go to Michelin-starred restaurants to learn something and when they open their own restaurant, they will copy 30% from one restaurant and 30% from another restaurant, so nothing comes from themselves. This is something I see happens often – there are too many copycats and shadows of other restaurants,” he says.

Ultimately though Tham says he is happy to see that Malaysian chefs are finally being spotlighted a little more and hopes that this trend continues in the foreseeable future.

“In the past three or four years, when you talk about top chefs, people pay a lot more attention to Malaysian chefs, so I think we are finally getting more recognition,” he says.