You started your journey by working in a kitchen at the age of 13. Today, you are a celebrated chef and have several restaurants to your name. Which particular aspects shaped your journey?
I come from a family of restaurateurs who used to run various food establishments in Singapore and Hong Kong. Hence, I was raised in a restaurant environment from a young age. A desire to see the world and live among different cultures led me to work and live in multiple countries Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, and later China. This has had a significant impact on my career.
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You run successful restaurants worldwide, what are the two aspects that make a restaurant successful?
Essentially, it is all about offering a product that our core customers would appreciate rather than what the Chef or establishment owners would personally prefer. Attentive service and quality food are the fundamentals, but these need to be adapted to suit the venue.
Please tell us about your method. How do you create the menu for a restaurant?
It is a complex process involving understanding the guest profiles, the actual establishment, the venue’s location and interior design, the market’s spending power, the local market’s ingredients availability, competitors’ data etc. In essence, it is to create an offering that our customers would like.
How have you tried to set the bar high at Ufaa by Jereme Leung at Conrad Maldives?
Ufaa by Jereme Leung is unique mainly due to its distinct location. Being a resort in the Maldives, many guests were pleasantly surprised when they could still find authentic and quality Chinese cuisine similar to that in major Asian cities.
What’s been the biggest challenge in your career, and your proudest achievement?
Being a restaurateur is a people’s business. Challenges are a part of daily life, while achievements are things that have been over and done with. Having been in the business for almost 40 years and having had the good fortune of hosting hundreds of thousands of guests, including numerous high-profile VIPs, from world leaders to superstars, the most interesting thing for me is always happening tomorrow.
What makes the food at Yi by Jereme Leung at Raffles Singapore stand out?
All Jereme Leung namesake restaurants have a unique menu and distinctive Chinese cuisine styles from different regions of China. At Yi by Jereme Leung, we focus on "Modern Chinese Cuisine”, which I developed and made popular over twenty years ago. Essentially, we give traditional Chinese cuisine modern touches through ingredients, presentation, and service style while keeping the taste profile authentic.
What’s next?
Currently, we have four new restaurants in renovation stages located in Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Guangzhou and Hangzhou respectively. These days I spend substantial time grooming the next generation of younger chefs to ensure that their talents get the appropriate platforms to be showcased and their culinary dreams realised.
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