Compliments to the chef: How a 29-year-old fired up his love and pursuit for culinary arts

Written by: Han Xinyi

From watching his favourite TV chef personalities work their magic on-screen to becoming one of Asia’s youngest chef talents, 29-year-old Ian Goh has come far in his culinary journey.

Ian finished among the top three at the finals of the San Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2022-23 – one of the most prestigious youth culinary contests – and was the winner of the preceding Asia Regionals. He owes much of his success to his family background and the professional chefs that he met and trained under over the years.

As a child, Ian grew up watching cooking television shows, most of which starred British chefs and TV personalities like Jamie Oliver and Keith Floyd. In the eyes of his younger self, their masterful craft and handling of foods were awe-inspiring, which was exactly what “kickstarted his interest” in culinary arts.

Hard set on pursuing a culinary career, he studied hard, got himself certified, and soon began taking up various kitchen roles in fine dining restaurants like Alma by Juan Amador, Ma Cuisine and NAUEM Restaurant – of which he now works full-time as a sous chef, the second-in-command in the kitchen after the head chef.

While he was given the opportunity to cook for such renowned restaurants – some with Michelin Stars attached to their names – the processes behind them were never smooth-sailing.

Ian reflected on how there are certain kitchen skills that simply cannot be taught without practical methods, especially when entering the field young.

“As it can get heated in the kitchen, learning to deal with the harshness of hearing the truth while learning the ropes is standard practice. (You have to learn that) standing on your feet for hours on end and working on weekends is a common occurrence as well,” he shared.

Fortunately, most of the chefs he met during his years cooking were patient with him even during the restaurants’ rush hours. These include Ma Cuisine’s Mathieu Escoffier, NAEUM Restaurant’s Louis Han and Burnt Ends’ Dave Pynt.

Under their mentorship, Ian was able to further develop his cooking skills and serve up a variety of cuisines such as French and modern Korean. It was also through their teachings that he was able to instil more “confidence and a mental steadfast” in himself.

“I could not have asked for better mentors in my life…they brought a wealth of experience and knowledge, and all three played a part in my journey.”

Chef Pynt (left) acted as Ian’s appointed mentor during the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy grand finals, while Chef Han (right) is Ian’s boss at NAEUM Restaurant. PHOTO CREDITS: INSTAGRAM/@SPYOUNGCHEFACADEMY, @IANHOSEHBO

Despite his kitchen endeavours, part of Ian still wanted to do something more. Being a chef mainly meant that he was working behind-the-scenes (or kitchen doors, in this case), but he wanted to challenge himself and showcase his cooking prowess on the big stage.

He did not quite indulge in this thought until Chef Han encouraged him to compete in the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition, a youth-centred culinary contest that seeks to discover the world’s best young chefs. More specifically, the Michelin Star chef advised him to partake in the Asia Regionals held in 2022 and “try something he has not done before”.

With his mentor’s support, Ian trained throughout the months leading up to the regionals in different kitchens. Having the chance to “work around in different situations with different equipment” helped the youth ideate and eventually cook a dish that blew the judges away: the Heritage Lamb.

Paying homage to his Hainanese roots, Ian utilised an entire lamb carcass – as mutton is a popular ingredient in the culture – and used a mixture of western cooking techniques and asian spices to whip up the signature dish.

“I wanted to promote my Hainanese heritage, as well as let the public know more about my journey as a chef,” he said. He succeeded in doing just that by not only winning the regionals and moving on to compete in the grand finals the following year, but also clinching the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award for his Heritage Lamb.

Ian recreated his signature dish during the grand finals in October using a whole 20 kg lamb carcass and higher grade crockeries. Such resources were procured with the help of the National Youth Fund (NYF) – a grant provided by the National Youth Council to support ground-up youth initiatives and innovations.

This rendition of the Heritage Lamb was a little different than during the regional finals, as Ian had to personally butcher the lamb on competition day to “showcase technical ability and skill”. Under his assigned mentor Chef Pynt’s guidance, he was able to meticulously practise, ideate and even learn how to professionally butcher before the final competition day.

Ultimately, Ian’s hard work paid off. His cooking and presentation skills wound up placing him as one of the top three finalists alongside France’s Camille Saint-M’leux and grand finals winner Portugal’s Nelson Freitas, both chefs at Michelin-starred restaurants.

Looking back on this achievement, the young chef reflected, “Competing in such a large-scale global event allowed me access to the wider culinary scene, where I got to meet up and connect with some of the industry’s biggest talents and chefs. Working on a strict time frame also allowed me to have better time management and planning, which I can translate into my daily life as well.”

Ian also holds much gratitude to Chef Pynt, who helped train him while also juggling managing his own restaurants’ large teams at the same time. PHOTO CREDITS: INSTAGRAM/@SPYOUNGCHEFACADEMY

Even with grand finals now concluded, Ian has more lined up in his career journey. With his experience in competitive cooking under his belt, he is currently in talks with S.Pellegrino Asia to compile what he calls a “10-year series” of culinary tips and pointers with previous Asia regional winners. While still tentative, the compilation may help the next generation of aspiring young chefs should they decide to enter similar competitions in the future.

He also plans to make use of his previously tapped NYF grant to start up a community impact project, wherein a team of cooking talents gather and support the needy with non-profit organisation Willing Hearts. Discussions to organise dialogues with hospitality and culinary institutes are underway as well.

A career in the food and beverage industry may seem uncommon, but Ian hopes that his projects will help give back to society and inspire youths to “find this line of work to be a fulfilling one to choose from in the (job) market”.

Regardless of Singaporeans’ perception of young chefs and the country’s culinary scene in general, it is his belief that youths have a chance to step up to learn, represent the country and show off its penchant for unique fusion foods and flavour combinations.

“I hope that after (youths) read up on my journey, they would be inspired to challenge themselves by trying new things. Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard, so dig deep, graft and work towards your vision.”