Chef Mathew Leong of Norway’s three-Michelin-starred Re-naa eats stress for breakfast

“If you work for the best, you will know what it takes to become the best,” says Leong of his approach to reaching the top of his game. This was the same mindset that spurred him in the early years of his career to pursue a job overseas.

Over six months, he sent more than 100 resumes to top-tier restaurants in Europe. “With a very weak CV, I tried my luck,” he says. 

When Re-naa offered him the job, the then-21-year-old, who had been at the Tippling Club for about a year, asked without hesitation, “When can I come?”

As he prepared for his move to Stavanger, he had just one goal in mind: “To succeed and make a name for myself,” he says. He was unfazed by the Singaporean chefs who had come before him at Re-naa and warned him about the tough working environment. “If a chef doesn’t teach you or tell you you’re wrong, as a young chef, that’s not where you want to be,” he says.

He was also unperturbed by the fact that he had only S$500 in his wallet when he arrived—and part of it had to go to rent. “There were days I didn’t have enough for food,” he recalls, adding that he hardly went out or socialised with others outside of work unlike most of his peers in their 20s. Running on a tight budget every month, he says, meant failing was not an option. “I told myself that I needed to succeed to survive.”

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He joined Re-naa as a chef de partie, or station chef, before being promoted to junior sous chef the next year. In 2017, he left Re-naa and was later contacted by À L'aise in Oslo. He joined the one-Michelin-starred restaurant and stayed there for four years, climbing the ranks to head chef. 

Then, he bumped into and caught up with his former boss and owner of Re-naa, Sven Erik Renaa, at the Bocuse d’Or Final in 2021. The pair hadn’t met since Leong left the restaurant. A month later, Renaa asked Leong to rejoin the restaurant as its new executive chef, which he accepted.

That decision quickly yielded positive results; Re-naa was recognised as Norway’s best restaurant by one of the country’s national newspapers, Dagens Naeringsliv, within six months of Leong’s return.

Many chefs have spoken out about the pressure of earning and maintaining a Michelin star, so with three to defend, one would think Leong must be feeling it, right? Well, yes and no. When asked, he lets out a big laugh and says, “I love it,” adding that without stress, one can’t improve their craft. “If there’s no stress, there’s no point in doing this. I like to keep my mind running at all times.”

He clearly has a competitive streak, as he describes his goal for next year’s Bocuse d’Or 2025: to clinch gold and be the competition’s first and youngest winner from Singapore and Asia.

On September 22 and 23, he will be vying for the top spot for Singapore at the Bocuse d’Or Asia-Pacific 2024 competition in Shenzhen, China alongside what many would consider the dream team, which includes Odette’s Julien Royer, Les Amis’ Sebastien Lepinoy, Jaan’s Kirk Westaway and celebrated chef Bruno Menard. The team will then compete in the world finals in Lyon on January 26.

“For me, competition is healthy because it forces you to be better,” he says before quipping: “I love to compete so much, like if I have a restaurant and someone else has one near me and they get an accolade, I’ll be like, ‘Oh, I’m going to beat you’.”

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Having spent nearly half his life as a chef, Leong has long dreamed of starting his own restaurant. In fact, he won’t stop at one. When he was 16, he told his father he would own 20 restaurants one day. When his father expressed his scepticism, Leong replied defiantly: “You know what, I’m going to make it.”

When we spoke earlier in the year, Leong mentioned wanting to open his first fine-dining restaurant in Norway after the Bocuse d’Or next year. There are also thoughts of opening a bistro and eventually, a restaurant in Singapore.

Before he turns 30, he’s already talking about retirement, although it seems more in a way that it is a natural path in life rather than actually wanting it. He even says he hopes to slow down by the time he hits age 45 before quipping, “But my wife and the people around me don’t believe it”.

It’s true, he says it’s unlikely he will retire fully and when the time comes for him to step back, he wants to help the next generation. “That’s how the world evolves. The most important, for me, is to see people succeed.”

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How does a chef think? We asked Leong all our burning questions. 

What do you think your wife will say about what it’s like to be married to a chef? 

ML: You know, before we started dating, I warned her that she needed to test it out a bit, test me out. Time is always a challenge. I also don’t cook at home, she does. We will always have dinner together. In Norway, she will often cook my favourite ABC soup. After dinner, we will spend quality time before we go to bed. Recently, I told her I’ll cook every Sunday.

What advice would you give to budding chefs?

Mathew Leong (ML): I always tell younger chefs not to be like me but to be better than me. If you can, go to a place where you will suffer a lot, but where you’ll learn a lot. Get through the hardship for several years, learn as much as possible and absorb like a sponge. One day, you will be able to excel and create your own identity as a chef. 

Knowing what you know now, what would you tell your younger self?

ML: I’ll say be more focused, disciplined and consistent. Then I’ll have more than what I have today. I’m never satisfied. Until today, I still ask my wife, “Have I done enough in my career?” 

What’s been the most important lesson you’ve learned from chef Sven Erik Renaa?

ML: He taught me about the small details that not every chef thinks about and the last touch. Even today, he still goes, “Matt, it’s the flavour. No point doing 20 or 30 things on the plate. Just two things on the plate and flavour always comes first.” 

Discover more young chefs across Asia on the Gen.T Leaders of Tomorrow 2024.

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