Coming from a household where the aroma of dishes like buah keluak, a local nut spiced with belachan chilli, was often in the air, the young Malcolm Lee grew up a cooking aficionado.
But it was not until he cooked for some friends in junior college that he realised his potential.
'That was the first time people told me they enjoyed my food,' said the final-year Singapore Management University (SMU) business management student.
Mr Lee, 24, went on to clinch the $23,000 Miele Guide-at-Sunrice scholarship two Saturdays ago.
The Miele Guide will publish a list of Asia's best restaurants yearly. Its inaugural 2008/2009 edition lists 300 of the best restaurants in Asia and is available at major bookstores.
At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy, started seven years ago by Mrs Kwan Lui, now boasts students from 25 countries.
Upon finishing his final exams at SMU in December, Mr Lee will start his diploma in culinary craft and service excellence with the academy, at Fort Canning Centre.
When SMU had a student-run restaurant called the Treehouse, now no longer operating, Mr Lee was one of those running it. He saw to it that the food was of a high standard.
'My parents have seen what I've done and how cooking has developed me as a person, so they are very supportive,' he said.
His signature dish is tagliatelle, a pasta dish, with ragu sauce. The sauce alone takes him eight hours to make.
He has also cooked in Harry's Tap Room, in the American state of Virginia, for 21/2 months. There, he learnt that fresh produce makes all the difference.
He hopes to own a restaurant one day.
He plans to travel once his 15-month course at the academy is over.
'I want to learn from chefs all over the world and bring my experience back to Singapore and share it with my customers.'
Zureena Habib
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