Zander Ng is the first ever winner of MasterChef Singapore, a Singaporean who is obsessed with both Italian and local cuisine. Growing up in Singapore has allowed him to immerse himself in a myriad of different cuisines and cultures.
Food and creating dishes has been everything to him since his early university days. It all started off as a means to feed himself as he was just another cash-strapped student. His passion for food quickly grew and before he knew it he was hosting weekly dinner parties and conducting cooking lessons in his tiny shoebox kitchen. Sharing meals and laughter at the table with his friends in Sydney, friends who soon became family, those will always be some of his fondest memories in the kitchen.
Zander Ng
1. What is your philosophy when it comes to food?
My philosophy for food has always been very simple, source the very best local produce possible and do only what is necessary to bring out its maximum potential on the plate. In other words, respect your ingredients and less is more.
2. Name your most Favorite dish on the menu? And why?
I don’t currently have a favourite dish. It’s something that is constantly changing based on my mood and what I’m enjoying to cook at that point of time. For instance, right now I’m having a re-kindled romance with a classic French dish called Sole Meunière. What I’m doing different is exploring what fishes I can source locally and the spices, fresh herbs and techniques that I can use to make it my own.
3. Main considerations when it comes to choosing your ingredients?
Trying to always source for what’s local or the freshest. Living in Singapore we can be limited with what we can get our hands on but there are some cool local producers who are starting to shake things up. I foresee a lot of change in this area as we continue to focus on local production as the nation aims to produce 30% of its nutritional needs by 2030.
4. How do you see the growing demands for sustainable produce affecting the food world?
I personally think it’s fantastic that the F&B industry and general public are looking to sustainable food production as one of the future pillars of the industry. The food world will be better off with more people asking, “Where did this come from?”. Greater knowledge on where and how your food arrives on your plate will positively impact society as a whole.
5. Do you have a memorable food experience that impacted you as a child or young chef?
I remember spending a month in a Michelin star restaurant on Lake Como when I was 19 years old. I was completely lost in translation but even though I wasn’t able to converse with the other chefs in Italian what I did learn very quickly was their sheer attention to detail and just how much effort goes into sourcing the very best ingredients in the world.
At times it bordered on the line of obsession. Until this day I still think about the quality of the sardines and veal that they used in that kitchen.
6. What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
The thing I enjoy most about being a cook is being able to put a smile on someone’s face. I know it sounds a little corny but I’m being dead serious here. There’s a lot of love, time and history that goes into a dish and being able to positively impact someone’s’ life with a creation like that is incredibly rewarding. It really doesn’t get any better than that.
7. Other than creating good food, what are the most important qualities that make a successful chef?
Like any profession, it’s important not to rest on one’s laurels. We constantly need to push the boundaries, push ourselves out of your comfort zone and ensure that we’re always learning.
8. If you had a choice of anything for your last meal, what would you choose to have?
Oh that’s an easy one, fresh tagliatelle with white truffles from Alba. I know, quite the prince but after eating this dish in Alba it’s impossible to go back.