The famed and acclaimed chef of Dewakan serves up five tips to succeed
The most convenient and frequent way to describe its food is “modern Malaysian cuisine”, but if you ever have the privilege of conversing with Teoh, you’ll realize that he’s not fond of labels. “I never say it’s Malaysiana. It’s too blanket a description,” Teoh says “At this café, we underline fixings – from the land, the ocean, the wilderness – because there isn’t anything more fitting than eating something that fills in your space. Then, we find modern and creative ways to play it out.”
Besides running Dewakan, Teoh is a lecturer at KDU’s School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts; an author of the book Re-definition: Molecular Cuisine: Traditional Recipes Through a Modern Kaleidoscope; and proprietor of Food Tour Malaysia. The 36-year-old has built his illustrious career, not through hashtags or TV shows, but from the grueling ground up Teoh began his career in 2001, doing part-time jobs in KL’s lodgings and cafés, both while examining and in the wake of graduating; worked in Singapore’s two-Michelin-featured Les Amis, as well as Au Jardin; stagiaire-ed in Noma, the world’s best eatery; and has an MBA. “It’s true, we weren’t paid well, the hours were very long, and there were very-high-pressure moments,” Teoh says of his early days. “But if you don’t live through the pressure, what are you gonna do? Without those foundational years, you don’t pick up a skill. So, you will improve when you have the right kinda mentorship and, more importantly, the right kinda practice.”
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Know Your – And Everyone’s – Purpose
At the point when you know your motivation, it’s likewise because you know the reason for the entire association. When everybody knows the purpose of the whole, and their purpose of existing in it, then they’ll do what it takes to make sure everything flows well.”
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Make Your Team Believe In The Purpose
“As the pioneer, you need to drive that reason, to guarantee they purchase into it. But they don’t owe you anything. There’s no reason for them to want to buy in unless you give them a damn good reason to. A lot of times, it’s not just about money.”
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Worry (In Moderation) About Your Work
“What’s wrong with worrying? Don’t you get sick and tired of people telling you not to stress? If it’s in overabundance and it affects your health, then I agree [about not stressing out]. But if it weren’t there, then what drives you? You have to want to worry.”
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Be (A Little Bit) Stubborn If You Wanna Be The Best
“It’s persistent effort, and it’s doing everything consistently, except simply guarantee you propel yourself continually. You have to have a little trait of stubbornness to pick yourself up every day and just do it again and again. The other thing is, that I just like working in the kitchen, and I enjoy honing myself. Enjoying it is a really important part of that process.”
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Stop Dividing Your Life In Half If You Want To Enjoy It In Full
“What is ‘work-life balance? Work is part of your life. If you said ‘life balance, I’m more agreeable, but ‘work-life balance’ means that work and life are completely separate entities, which means you are existing in two spheres. But that’s not necessarily true, is it? Your life experiences contribute to your work, and your work teaches you skills you may use in life.
“So make the values and principles you wish to live by and use those as benchmarks. If, then in your life, you feel work is most important, then work. But you also have to remember that other aspects of life need some attention, and know that with every decision you make, you’d have to live with consequences. The question is: what’s important to you?”
