Tong Chee Hwee, chef-patron of Gouqi, reveals he's working on new project

What was your best subject at school?

 

Cooking

 

What was your first job?

 

Calligraphy

 

What was your first job in hospitality?

 

Commis chef at the Ritz-Carlton in Singapore

 

What do you normally have for breakfast?

 

Mantou bread and a latte

 

What do you do to relax?

 

I take my dog for a walk – but also watching TV, running and swimming

 

Which is your favourite restaurant?

 

The Fat Duck, Berkshire

 

What’s your favourite hotel?

 

The Ritz Carlton in Singapore – it’s where I began my career

 

What is your favourite drink?

 

Kopi Luwak coffee

 

What is your favourite food?

 

Everything

 

Which ingredient do you hate the most?

 

I don’t hate any ingredient

 

What flavour combinations do you detest?

 

None

 

Which person in catering have you most admired?

 

Chef Chin Hon Yin was my mentor, and I followed him throughout Asia for 14 years, developing my culinary skills. 

I started as a commis chef and worked my way up to head chef at the Ritz-Carlton Singapore. He taught me that cooking is a way of life, and every dish must be cooked with passion to offer the best possible dining experience to our guests. I learned to work with integrity and initiative and embrace every aspect of cooking.

 

If not yourself, who would you rather have been?

 

A famous interior designer

 

Tell us a secret...

 

I’m planning a new project

 

What irritates you most about the industry?

 

Unfair feedback

 

What’s your favourite film?

 

Three Kingdoms

 

Who would play “you” in a film about your life?

 

Nicholas Tse

 

What is your favourite prepared product?

 

Lee Kum Kee products – especially the oyster sauce 

 

Who would be in your ‘fantasy’ brigade?

 

Heston Blumenthal, Daren Liew of Blue Jasmine in Southampton and Jeff Tan of VietFood and GO