Featured Chef: Chong Lim Fong

Chef Chong Lim Fong is the man in charge of producing Prince Hotel & Residence Kuala Lumpur’s acclaimed dim sum. The secret to why people keep coming back for more according to Chong, is because his dishes are unique. An adventurous person at heart, he loves discovering new ingredients and incorporating them into his dim sum. While many chefs have their own favourite ingredients, Chong believes having that would be a restriction for him when he tries to come up with new dishes. “I will eat any food that I lay my eyes on because that is the key to gaining more knowledge, about food and flavours,” he says with wide eyes and a hearty chuckle.

The thought of travelling and trying different cuisines brings a sparkle to his eyes. This 49-year-old chef remembers Taiwan fondly and smiled upon the mention of Taiwanese food. “I love travelling but unfortunately at present, I don’t have much time to do it yet,” he says with a hint of regret in his voice. This charismatic man however, perked up again at the mention of his number one passion, namely cooking.

Cooking is such a great joy for him, having been in the industry for 23 years. He had moved from hotel to hotel, eagerly learning the ropes of becoming a great dim sum chef. Ensconced comfortably in Prince Hotel holding the position of heading the dim sum section, it is safe to say he is doing very well. A simple man at heart, he reveals that the only satisfaction he gets from cooking is the happy expression on an individual’s face upon savouring his creation. “You know, we as chefs generally love to see people eating our food, especially if the plate or bowl is completely empty after that,” he explains with a smile.

Click here to read our review of Tai Zi Heen at Prince Hotel in the Malaysia Tatler's Best Restaurants Guide 2013

What many might not know, is that this man is a self-taught chef, learning the ways of cooking Asian food and its techniques by trial and error. “I attended an association for a short period of time when I was younger to learn the skills needed for cooking,” says this admirable man.

Proceeding to make hand gestures as if he was cooking, he added in a matter-of-fact tone, “But it was just the very basic ones. They gave me the recipes and then all I had to do was follow it word for word.” Without a formal training, the rest of his journey to be in the position he is today is all due to hard work, determination and a willingness to learn – a commendable feat, we must say.

When a golden opportunity appeared, he made the daring move to Singapore where he started work as a kitchen helper in Shangri-La hotel. “I was very proud at the time, and I kept telling people about it because after all, it was an overseas job,” laughs the bubbly chef who sincerely believes that where he belongs is in the kitchen. Six to seven hotels later, he says, “The job is challenging. I can say that every day brings a new learning experience and surprises for me!”  

After all, it is in the kitchen where he truly shines the brightest. Sneaking into the kitchen to get a preview of his tasty creations, he could be seen hard at work, a serious man giving out definite orders to his team of chefs. Chong’s signature dishes include a wagyu beef tempura on radish cake as well as jade dumplings with scallops and prawns. The mere mention of them makes one salivate, something we are sure Chong would love to hear all about! 

This article originally appeared in the May 2013 issue of Social Bites, a supplementary magazine of Malaysia Tatler