Since first joining The Fullerton Hotel Singapore as chef de cuisine of Jade restaurant back in 2007, Chef Leong has continued to build upon his long-standing reputation for culinary excellence, a fact recognised at the recent World Gourmet Summit Awards where he netted the coveted title of Majestic Restaurant Asian Cuisine Chef of the Year 2016.
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E: What made you decide upon a career in the kitchen? Have you always wanted to be a chef?
Leong: I left school at the age of 15 with little ambition. As my uncle had a restaurant at the time in Malaysia, I was sent to work in the kitchen. The more I learnt, the more cooking started to pique my interest.
E: Prior to The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, where did you work?
L: From 2003 to 2007, I was Chinese Executife chef of the highly acclaimed Zheng He’s restaurant at Mina A’Salam at the Madinat Jumeirah resort in Dubai.
E: What would you say have been the highlights of the last decade at Jade?
L: Receiving the World Gourmet Summit award was definitely one of the highlights, but being able to express myself through a variety of creative outlets has also meant a lot to me. Four years ago, I started Yu Sheng calligraphy during the Lunar New Year season at Jade and in tribute to Singapore’s Golden Jubilee, during SG50 I held my first personal art exhibition “Ceramics Indulgence” () at the East Garden Foyer of The Fullerton Hotel Singapore
E: You have some amazing signature dishes – do you have a personal favourite?
L: Yes, my wok-fried diced beef tenderloin with sliced garlic in black pepper sauce. It took a lot of work to get exactly what I wanted in terms of consistency and flavour.
E: Perhaps unusually your menus feature a mix of regional Chinese styles – how do you ensure authenticity?
L: I study the style of the cuisine to understand the main ingredients used in each dish, then draw inspiration from different interpretations of it. I try to understand how it is cooked and experiment with reinterpreting the flavours through form or technique. From this research, I create a regional Chinese dish that bears authentic characteristics.
E: Can you tell us a bit about the out-of-menu experience you have been championing over recent years?
L: I have a regular guest who shares his thoughts with me on how he would like his dishes prepared in Jade, which often sparks new ideas. Once he requested a crab dish without its shell, so I made a crab salad with crab claw and Thai chilli. I feel a particular connection with this guest as he is in the lumber business, just as my father was, and we have a similar interest in the arts.
E: What are the challenges that chefs face in Singapore?
L: For a small country, we have a lot of dining options and new restaurants open daily. It’s a competitive landscape and we have to create something new to continually delight our guests.
E: What can guests look forward to in 2017?
L: With Jade recently undergoing a restoration, my philosophy is to continue providing consistency for our diners to enjoy high quality cuisine within our newly transformed interiors.
E: Away from the kitchen, what do you do for fun?
L: Possessing a deep appreciation for the arts, I enjoy ceramic making and Chinese painting in my free time.
E: Any advice for budding chefs?
L: My advice is to set your own rules in the kitchen and always be hungry to learn more about each ingredient. Honing your culinary skills requires a lot of passion and dedication, so do not be afraid to work hard.
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Wok-Fried Diced Beef Tenderloin with Sliced Garlic in Black Pepper Sauce
Ingredients:
- 800g diced beef tenderloin
- 2½tsp Maggie seasoning
- ½tsp corn starch
- 10ml vegetable oil
- 100g sliced garlic
- 200g diced eggplant
- 50g butter
- 30g minced garlic
- 30g minced shallots
- 30g crushed black pepper
- 1tbs oyster sauce
- 5g chicken powder
- 10ml water
- 100g diced onions
- 100g diced yellow pepper
- 50g spring onions
- 10g potato starch in 20ml water
- 20ml Hua Tiao wine
Method:
- Season beef tenderloin with 2tsp Maggie seasoning and corn starch for 30 minutes.
- Add oil to a heated wok, deep fry sliced garlic and eggplant until golden brown.
- Add marinated beef tenderloin and sear until medium rare. Remove and set aside.
- Add butter to heated wok and sauté minced garlic and shallots until fragrant. Add crushed black pepper, oyster sauce, chicken powder, remaining Maggie seasoning and water.
- Sauté reserved beef tenderloin with onions, yellow pepper and spring onions in black pepper sauce.
- Thicken sauce with potato starch water.
- Mix in Hua Tiao wine before plating.
SERVES 6
