There are moments of stillness that exist in the question-and-answer dance we all do when in conversation.
Milliseconds for breath and thought.
With most of these exchanges, after definitively stating my geographical point of origin, my mind cannot help but flash to all of the things I am notsaying – things that coordinates on a map could never offer.
The space of that pause is not expansive enough to tell you about the multitude of flavours that are a part of my – our – history. The length of it, insufficient to describe just how distinct the memory of walking through a bustling pasar (wet market) feels in my body. The breadth, inadequate to the task of carrying the scents of a kopitiam (traditional coffee shop), layered as they are – bread toasted over a charcoal fire, steaming pots of prawn and pork broths, strong kopi (coffee) sloshed around in mugs.
Instead, I make these memories tangible. I carry them in my palate, in the muscles of my hands, in my mind’s eye.
I cook them for you.
Growing up Malaysian-Chinese, I experienced food as an expression of care, cultural identity, and heritage long before I was able to put words to it. By the time I could, it was natural to me that food sustains and nourishes beyond the physical. Through osmosis, I was taught that every grain of rice is precious, that vegetables are bought from producers you know by name and that waking up before dawn to source the freshest whole fish for a simple family meal is just what people do.
I was lucky to have grown up like this. Food is approached with respect, curiosity, and love – values that are rooted in me ever more deeply, even as my understanding of the subject expands and evolves.
Kitchens in London, San Francisco, and Singapore have been a different sort of home for me – places of exploration and growth, accelerated by the intense pace and exacting standards that are expected at starred restaurants. In these establishments, I have learned to cook with my senses and heart totally attuned and with my mind intentionally absorbed.
Engaging intellectually with the act of cooking, eating and all that surrounds these activities so fundamental to life has profoundly impacted my relationship with food and the responsibility I carry as a chef. A responsibility to build on traditions in ways that serve us and our communities constructively and holistically, communities that include the environment of which we are a part.
Food transcends borders, whether geopolitical or cultural. While this has always been true, I am of the generation of chefs for whom globalisation and the interconnectedness of our food systems are more apparent than ever; the often continent-crossing arcs of our careers are evidence of that. It would then follow that the scope of our thoughts should likewise expand to enable us to more fully realise our role in feeding the world and feeding it well.
All of that, however, begins with a recognition of who and where we are – seeing the patterns that have coloured the ways we view the world; restructuring and reimagining where necessary in order to achieve greater sustainability and equity. Systemic change is imperative and localised individual action is fundamental.
For me, this has meant recognising that the ingredients we work with are not merely objects to be manipulated, but elements of a living, breathing ecosystem. Ecosystems that must be honoured and valued in our work.
For me, this has been an acknowledgment of the privilege I have had of training under some of the most brilliant and acclaimed chefs in our industry, while continuously questioning the metrics that have come to define our success within it.
Choosing whether I will allow my value and values to be tied to those prescribed paths, or create new ones.
For me, this has looked like seeking the insight and stories of others: elders, mentors, peers, juniors. It has also meant going one level deeper to find the voices that are often left out. Much of the power of food lies in the narratives that surround it – it is time for those narratives to do justice to the diversity of human experience and taste we see all around us, yet too infrequently reaching the rarified air of the very ‘top’.
For me, this has looked like reflecting on my heritage, with the gifts of time and perspective, in an attempt to better grasp and appreciate its meaning. Synthesising the skills and techniques passed on to me through generations of cooks with the rich culinary background I am fortunate to hold within me. Gleaning wisdom and contextualising it; cooking in a way that allows that wisdom to remain relevant, a guiding force.
For me, this is, and always will be a process of constant learning, experimentation, failure, and adjustment; a willingness to be corrected and taught. Embracing that the apotheosis of our craft is not a static point of perfection, rather, a consistent openness to redefining excellence to best meet the needs of our times and our communities.
I share all of this – what I can, what I know – in the hope that it will encourage others to do the same. History tells us that progress on a systemic level is the work of many and that change at scale requires us to contribute our voices (and our actions) to form a critical mass.
Chefs (even, and especially those of us who are younger) should and must be in the conversations that will determine the future of food.
Here and now is where we collectively fill in the silence of the pause with our dreams and ideas, our inherited and adapted wisdom.
I am listening. We all are.
Malaysian-born Zoee Wong graduated from Le Cordon Bleu London and has cooked in some of the most reputed restaurants in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and San Francisco. While her skills, work ethic and standards have been shaped by her career in fine dining, her approach to food and cooking are rooted in service to others. Zoee has cooked for respected industry professionals and celebrated figures, and is also committed to creating better food systems for all – even, and especially our most vulnerable communities. She has most recently been using her platform and industry experience to lead and participate in charitable food aid initiatives involving prominent restaurants and chefs in Malaysia.
