Once again I was privileged enough to meet and interview another one of AFC’s Chef, Martin Yan. This is all thanks to Alice George Communication. Thank you so much! =)
Below is the article I wrote that is published in the current issue of Vision KL Magazine.
Check it out!
It was a hot afternoon as a small group of invited guest were ushered into a spacious room at the Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur. We were all here to witness the man known for his witty humour and of course, his swift knife skills, Chef Martin Yan.
If you don’t already know, (shame on you) Chef Yan is AFC’s most popular chefs thanks to his shows “Yan Can Cook,” and “8 Treasures of China.” The humorous and jovial chef has been appearing on television for over 30 years. “There’s more to come,” he says. “I love what I do and that is an important factor that keeps me going. If you are passionate about what you do, whether you’re a writer or chef, than work becomes pleasure,” he explains.
As the afternoon progressed, guests were treated to a live demonstration by Chef Yan as he showed the audience how easy it was to prepare healthy Chinese dishes in a few short minutes. “I’m always cooking, even at home. It takes me 25 minutes to cook for the whole family, my wife takes 17 hours!” he says as the crowd breaks into laughter. He than proceeds to de-bone an entire chicken in 15 seconds! “My record is 12 seconds, the trick is to massage the chicken and of course practice. People always ask me if I’m afraid of cutting myself, but that hardly ever happens because I’ve been doing this for years.”
According to Chef Yan, it doesn’t take much to be a good cook. He believes that everyone possesses the skills to become as good as him. “Passion, technique and imagination. That’s all you need to be a good cook. That’s how I got here.”
One thing that struck me was how confident Chef Yan is. He attacks each question with a positive comeback without missing a beat. “As the Chinese saying goes, you take lessons from your failure. As a professional you will make mistakes here and there. But you have to be strong enough to rise above it. The more you put yourself down the more it will affect your work. I handle a knife everyday; if I walk around feeling bad I might cut myself or injure those around me. Just trust yourself and have confidence. I feel that I have done a good job. And nobody can argue with me seeing as I am holding a knife in my hand! Remember, if Yan can cook, so can you, if Yan can’t, than you better not try!” he concludes with a wink.
