culinary capers
feature
5 6
1
2 1. The stainless steel kitchen boasts a vast array of cooking equipment. 2. Children having fun decorating cupcakes. 3. Chef Khai adding the final touches to his Masamman Curry. 4. The cheery wall that greets students of At 19 Culinary Studio 5. Sweeeeet baked delights. 6. Colourful macaroons don’t just delight the taste buds, they are exciting to look at as well.
CULINARY CAPERS In the suburb of Damansara Heights lies a bungalow filled with exciting culinary surprises. text
3 4
36 september 2012
F
ooi may sim •
photography
art chen & at 19 culinary studio
OLLOWING the familiar aromas of chilli and spices, I found myself in a cosy kitchen filled with a host of interesting equipment, arranged around a smiley Chef Khai, the khru (teacher) for my Thai cooking class at At 19 Culinary Studio. “Thai cuisine is the art of balancing and combining different tastes – sweet, salty, sour and bitter – to create a truly glorious fusion of flavours,” Chef Khai tells me and Farzana, my fellow-student. At 19 Culinary Studio is a place where individuals can pick up culinary skills, but also serves as a platform for experiencing food – seeing, smelling, tasting, touching and even hearing the sizzle of every ingredient that goes into each dish. The studio provides a wide range of classes, from Japanese cooking (sushi) to Indian (thali and banana leaf rice), Thai, Malay, Nonya, Swedish, Chinese and French, to name a few. If you prefer something lighter, how about baking sessions that result in sweet, fluffy treats? Classes are held every Saturday and Sunday, and sometimes on weekdays. A weekend class can accommodate eight to 10 people. Upon request, a private class can be arranged for those who prefer a more intimate session. Most of the teachers at the studio manage their own food business or hold other permanent jobs when not whizzing around the kitchen during cooking class. But there is a full-time baker and a cake decorator who not only conduct sessions, but also take orders for cakes, breads and pastries for special events, and supplies these same delights to local niche shops. A number of corporations have recognised the importance of introducing children to the
kitchen and have come forward to sponsor classes for the underprivileged. Instead of donating clothes or sponsoring a meal, these companies realise that it is more important to have children experience cooking a meal because they will learn vital survival skills. The classes may inspire them to develop a passion and deeper understanding of food, or even to become chefs. In support of their initiative, At 19 Culinary Studio designed a year-long baking series for these children. These hands-on sessions were conducted once a month over a period of 12 months, during which the participants were taught how to bake breads and pastries. At the end of the programme, the young ones received a certificate each and were “crowned” little master chefs. Hellen Fong, founder of At 19 Culinary Studio, says even seasoned chefs from abroad have signed up for classes At 19 Culinary Studio to learn how to prepare Malaysian favourites like rendang, and to broaden their knowledge of food. During the cooking session, Chef Khai hovered around me to make sure that I cut the ingredients properly and followed his specific instructions. From something as simple as cutting a stalk of lemongrass and stopping at a precise point, I learnt that there are some things you can’t learn from books alone – like saving the remainder of the lemongrass stalk to make tea. The appetising Massaman Curry with Chicken and Four Mushroom Soup with Tofu placed at the centre of the table at the end of our three-hour class was proof of Chef Khai’s expertise and guidance. n AT 19 CULINARY STUDIO 19, Jalan Dungun, Damansara Heights, KL. Tel: 016-377 8236. Web: www.at19culinary.com Email: [email protected]
BANKER TURNED CHEF WITH many fond memories of cooking together with her mother, Hellen Fong is eager to encourage parents to join At 19 Culinary Studio’s classes with their children. “Doing something you like together will create lasting memories,” she says. Growing up, as the eldest of three children, Hellen was responsible for helping her mother with the household duties – from marketing to preparing ingredients and cooking meals for the whole family. Her mother taught her how to prepare traditional Chinese cuisine, using family recipes passed through the generations. All this fuelled her passion for cooking. After graduating from university, Hellen found a job in the banking industry, working her way up from junior executive to senior vice-president in consumer banking (wealth management) in 18 years. Although she liked her job, she felt something was amiss in her life. As she thought about what to do to fill that “gap”, memories of cooking together with her mother flooded back.
An avid believer that education is the key to a better life – she has an MBA in finance – Hellen decided to combine her training with her passion by opening At 19 Culinary Studio. “Apart from saving up enough capital, the hardest part was finding the courage to start my own business,” says the very hands-on Hellen. In between her busy schedule of running the school, Hellen also teaches private classes, imparting her knowledge of Asian cooking. Since opening its doors in August 2010, news about its cooking classes has spread through social media and by word of mouth. Encouraged by this, Hellen now plans to start serving made-to-measure private dinners at the venue in response to what she feels is a growing trend among customers. “We not only hold classes at our school, we are giving individuals an enjoyable experience involving food.”
september 2012 37
5 6
1
2 1. The stainless steel kitchen boasts a vast array of cooking equipment. 2. Children having fun decorating cupcakes. 3. Chef Khai adding the final touches to his Masamman Curry. 4. The cheery wall that greets students of At 19 Culinary Studio 5. Sweeeeet baked delights. 6. Colourful macaroons don’t just delight the taste buds, they are exciting to look at as well.
CULINARY CAPERS In the suburb of Damansara Heights lies a bungalow filled with exciting culinary surprises. text
3 4
36 september 2012
F
ooi may sim •
photography
art chen & at 19 culinary studio
OLLOWING the familiar aromas of chilli and spices, I found myself in a cosy kitchen filled with a host of interesting equipment, arranged around a smiley Chef Khai, the khru (teacher) for my Thai cooking class at At 19 Culinary Studio. “Thai cuisine is the art of balancing and combining different tastes – sweet, salty, sour and bitter – to create a truly glorious fusion of flavours,” Chef Khai tells me and Farzana, my fellow-student. At 19 Culinary Studio is a place where individuals can pick up culinary skills, but also serves as a platform for experiencing food – seeing, smelling, tasting, touching and even hearing the sizzle of every ingredient that goes into each dish. The studio provides a wide range of classes, from Japanese cooking (sushi) to Indian (thali and banana leaf rice), Thai, Malay, Nonya, Swedish, Chinese and French, to name a few. If you prefer something lighter, how about baking sessions that result in sweet, fluffy treats? Classes are held every Saturday and Sunday, and sometimes on weekdays. A weekend class can accommodate eight to 10 people. Upon request, a private class can be arranged for those who prefer a more intimate session. Most of the teachers at the studio manage their own food business or hold other permanent jobs when not whizzing around the kitchen during cooking class. But there is a full-time baker and a cake decorator who not only conduct sessions, but also take orders for cakes, breads and pastries for special events, and supplies these same delights to local niche shops. A number of corporations have recognised the importance of introducing children to the
kitchen and have come forward to sponsor classes for the underprivileged. Instead of donating clothes or sponsoring a meal, these companies realise that it is more important to have children experience cooking a meal because they will learn vital survival skills. The classes may inspire them to develop a passion and deeper understanding of food, or even to become chefs. In support of their initiative, At 19 Culinary Studio designed a year-long baking series for these children. These hands-on sessions were conducted once a month over a period of 12 months, during which the participants were taught how to bake breads and pastries. At the end of the programme, the young ones received a certificate each and were “crowned” little master chefs. Hellen Fong, founder of At 19 Culinary Studio, says even seasoned chefs from abroad have signed up for classes At 19 Culinary Studio to learn how to prepare Malaysian favourites like rendang, and to broaden their knowledge of food. During the cooking session, Chef Khai hovered around me to make sure that I cut the ingredients properly and followed his specific instructions. From something as simple as cutting a stalk of lemongrass and stopping at a precise point, I learnt that there are some things you can’t learn from books alone – like saving the remainder of the lemongrass stalk to make tea. The appetising Massaman Curry with Chicken and Four Mushroom Soup with Tofu placed at the centre of the table at the end of our three-hour class was proof of Chef Khai’s expertise and guidance. n AT 19 CULINARY STUDIO 19, Jalan Dungun, Damansara Heights, KL. Tel: 016-377 8236. Web: www.at19culinary.com Email: [email protected]
BANKER TURNED CHEF WITH many fond memories of cooking together with her mother, Hellen Fong is eager to encourage parents to join At 19 Culinary Studio’s classes with their children. “Doing something you like together will create lasting memories,” she says. Growing up, as the eldest of three children, Hellen was responsible for helping her mother with the household duties – from marketing to preparing ingredients and cooking meals for the whole family. Her mother taught her how to prepare traditional Chinese cuisine, using family recipes passed through the generations. All this fuelled her passion for cooking. After graduating from university, Hellen found a job in the banking industry, working her way up from junior executive to senior vice-president in consumer banking (wealth management) in 18 years. Although she liked her job, she felt something was amiss in her life. As she thought about what to do to fill that “gap”, memories of cooking together with her mother flooded back.
An avid believer that education is the key to a better life – she has an MBA in finance – Hellen decided to combine her training with her passion by opening At 19 Culinary Studio. “Apart from saving up enough capital, the hardest part was finding the courage to start my own business,” says the very hands-on Hellen. In between her busy schedule of running the school, Hellen also teaches private classes, imparting her knowledge of Asian cooking. Since opening its doors in August 2010, news about its cooking classes has spread through social media and by word of mouth. Encouraged by this, Hellen now plans to start serving made-to-measure private dinners at the venue in response to what she feels is a growing trend among customers. “We not only hold classes at our school, we are giving individuals an enjoyable experience involving food.”
september 2012 37
