Chef of the Week: Fei Wong – Dim Sum Head Chef at Yauatcha in London

How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I have worked at Tao Group (Yauatcha and Hakkasan) since September 2015, moving around different branches here in London.

Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My passion in cooking was influenced by my late grandma, she had a very good reputation for her own home cooking (Malaysian style Chinese food) restaurant back home. I learnt my cooking and dim sum skills from the masters in Malaysia. This is where I learned the modern and traditional skills from the great masters to get my base solid.

What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Learning about different food cultures and different ingredients and having a chance to work with the best chefs around the world.

Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Salt, garlic and ginger.

Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Wok and rolling pin.

What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Vegan and Indian.

What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Basic mistakes like hygiene issue, and inconsistent skills which causes wastage.

What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Chinese New Year, because we can reunite with the people we love and toss the yee shang (Chinese raw fish salad). A lot of CNY pastries only appear during CNY.

Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Mooncakes, from developing and sourcing ingredients and teaching the people about mooncake festival.

How do you come up with new dishes?
Get some inspiration by exploring different cuisines and different restaurants. Then, combine this with my skills and culture.

Who was your greatest influence?
My late Grandma, without her I wouldn’t be wearing a white jacket.

Tell us three chefs you admire

Daren Liew
Jolan Thiry
Mandy Goh

What is your favourite cookbook?

A day at El Bulli
Hong Kong food diary (香港谈时录)

Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Chef Daren Liew, his new restaurant is very contemporary Malaysian Cuisine in London.

What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Nanyang Blossom by Chef Daren Liew in Knightsbridge.