Chef Suparman Yahya, sous chef of the Malay kitchen at Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa tells The Yum List of his passion for food and favourite dishes.
What do you do and how did you get into the industry?
I’m sous chef of the Malay kitchen at Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa. I entered the industry through interest, love and passion for cooking.
Share with us an interesting story from behind the scenes.
I love creating my own combination of spices using mainly Asian ingredients. By varying quantities of each spice, I can produce dishes with different tastes, aromas and colours. I love inventing my own signature dishes by blending Western and Eastern influences.
What’s the best/ worst part of your job?
The best part is getting to travel around the world to promote Malaysian cuisine. I was nominated as the ambassador of Malaysian cuisine for a few years and won the gold medal in the Asian Food Festival in Singapore in 1995. Those were memorable moments which I will remember fondly for the rest of my life. The drawback of loving one’s job is having limited time for one’ s family.
What’s your favourite Malaysian food?
I love rendang and my own signature Oxtail Assam Pedas which won me the gold medal in Singapore. You should try it!
What’s your favourite meal/ drink at Café TATU?
Teh tarik and vegetable fritters.
The perfect day off would be…
On my day off, I still enjoy being a chef by cooking for my family and friends!
A life in the day of a chef is…
…being creative with ingredients to create phenomenal dishes.
What’s something you’d like diners to know about the cuisine prepared at Café TATU?
As the chef for Café TATU, I encourage everyone to try the signature Oxtail Assam Pedas and the local delicacy Hinava (raw fish pickled in lime). Hinava is a wonderful cleanser for the palate and can be eaten as a starter before a hearty meal.
How do you select your ingredients and why?
By combining different flavours and aromas, I have a tendency of blending our ethnic spices with common spices to develop something original.
What can guests look forward to in the upcoming months at Cafe TATU?
Look out for Café TATU’s heritage menu promoting Borneo cuisine!Thanks Chef Suparman for taking time to talk with The Yum List. 🙂
What's that he's holding? Impressive!!! Nice name!