Chef Tan Koon Siang tells Zurinna Raja Adam about the inspiration behind his dream
TAN KOON SIANG, or Sky as he is fondly known, has been hooked on Japanese comic since his teens. Shota, from comic-based Japanese TV drama series Shota No Sushi, was his idol. He was inspired by Shota’s passion, hard work and determination and it made him determined to be a sushi chef.
Sky has not only realised his childhood dream but remains on cloud nine for his proud achievement as the first runner-up at last year’s World Sushi Cup 2016 in Tokyo.
“After my SPM, I went to Singapore to work in a cafe which offered both western and Japanese food. But I was placed in the western kitchen. After a while, I asked my boss if I could help out in the Japanese kitchen too. So I started to clock in 15 hours daily as I worked in both kitchens,” shares the friendly Kluang lad before adding: “I was in charge of opening the western kitchen at 7am and I worked until 10am, preparing the ingredients for the chef. Between 10am and 2pm, I went to work in the Japanese kitchen. I had a 15-minute lunch break before I resumed work in the western kitchen to prepare for the dinner crowd. It was hard work but I learnt a lot from this experience.”
In the beginning, Sky recalls that he was only allowed to do the cleaning and washing in the Japanese kitchen. He could not touch the ingredients. His other task was to observe what the sushi chefs were doing. It was common practice in the industry to train from a lower rank.
It was at a Genki Sushi outlet that supplied sushi platters for hotels that Sky got his big break. After a while, he had the opportunity to join a Japanese fine dining restaurant in Tanglin Mall, as assistant chef.
Five years ago, he joined Standing Sushi Bar as sushi chef. Today, he is its head chef, overseeing five outlets in Singapore, using his creativity and years of experience to design sushi menu.
Sky entered the World Sushi Cup competition for the first time in Singapore in 2015. Last year, he won first place for creative sushi and third place for traditional sushi (edomae) to emerge first runner-up. The champion was Celso Hedeji Amano, a chef from Brazil.
ART OF SUSHI
“I joined the first World Sushi Cup to gain experience, to get to know other world class chefs, observe their skills and their creativity. Then, I did my research and practised almost daily to prepare myself for last year’s competition,” confides Sky before sharing that he does a lot of his research via YouTube videos.
“Sushi-making is all about practising. If there is any advice I can share with aspiring sushi chefs, it is to watch Shota No Sushi, follow his determination and practise every day,” advises the father of three who tells me that he normally goes back to Kluang once a week to be with his family.
Something else that motivated him to strive for the win was when he was given a knife by a senior chef in the industry shortly before he left for the competition. In Japanese culture, giving a knife to another person is a high form of recognition for the receiver.
“That was a great honour, to be given a knife from my senior. It inspired me to win the competition and to make a mark in the industry,” he says, with a smile.
His dream? To be a sushi chef in Japan for a few years before returning to open a boutique sushi bar in Malaysia.
WORLD SUSHI CUP
Started in 2013, World Sushi Cup is an annual event to create awareness on the proper way to prepare sushi due to the growing popularity of Japanese food outside of the country. The event is endorsed by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture and All Japan Sushi Association World Sushi Skill Institute.
Taking part in World Sushi Cup 2016 were 27 chefs from around the world. Their techniques and creativity were evaluated by a panel of renowned sushi masters.