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[title]It was a dream come true for Sitka’s head chef Chen Kim Leun when he took part in the semi-finals of the San Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 competition, which aims to identify the next big thing in the culinary world. The semi-finals, which took place at Singapore’s Asia Culinary Institute on October 23, saw him compete against ten of the best young chefs in Southeast Asia, one of whom would go on to compete in the grand finale in Milan from May 11 to 13 2018.
Sadly, the 26-year-old didn’t win – the top spot went to Jake Kellie from Singapore’s Burnt Ends – but nevertheless, he still impressed the judges with his entry dish: aged duck with daikon fondant, puffed quinoa and a confit duck bao.
We spoke to Kim about the inspiration behind the dish, what it was like to compete and more.
Aged duck with daikon fondant, puffed quinoa and a confit duck bao. Photo: John Lim
Where did the idea for the dish come from?
The aged duck was one of the first few dishes we put on Sitka’s menu when we first opened the restaurant. The concept of Sitka revolves around local produce, but we aren’t particularly Malaysian or European – we’re just about modern gastronomy – and Sitka Studio [Sitka’s test kitchen upstairs] is where we present to diners a new way of experiencing the ingredients that they’re familiar with.
The competition required us to cook a signature dish that represented our restaurants which has a story behind. This whole dish also highlights Malaysian elements – the bao was made with a char siew-like duck jam using a duck leg jerky, and the daikon reminds me of the lou ngap (Cantonese-style braised duck) I used to have; it’s been sous-vide for two hours with a master stock made with shiitake mushroom, duck stock and duck bone, so it absorbs all the flavours of the sauce while maintaining a firm texture.
What does the ageing process do to the duck?
The aged duck that I used in the competition was a 90-day aged duck, which has not only an intense flavour, but also a different texture of skin because the fat has broken down. So what you’ll get instead is not a super crispy duck, but a piece that melts in your mouth – you’re not chewing on the fat as you would on an unaged duck.
What was it like to compete at such a high level? Was it a stressful experience?
It was very intense when I arrived in Singapore; it felt like everyone had their game face on. But when it came to the competition, everyone was friendly and helped each other out – there was an understanding that we’re all professionals, and it was as if we were working in one kitchen; if any one of us needed something, we’d just ask each other.
I think that element of friendship is missing in the Malaysian restaurant scene – here, it’s too competitive; it’s rare to see a chef finish work, then hang out in another restaurant, talk and be friends. Sure, the competition was intense, but the intensity came from knowing that we’re competing at a high level of skill, and not from personal rivalries.
How did you feel when you didn’t win the contest?
I felt sad, of course, but not because I didn’t win. It was more of a missed opportunity to expand the network of the restaurant, to present the Malaysian dining scene on a bigger stage – imagine, if we won, we would’ve gone to Milan to present Malaysian cooking to a panel of judges from around the world.
This dish will make an appearance as part of a seven-course dinner in Sitka Studio on November 24.