We met up with Chef Leon to find out what he has been busy with ever since he won the runner-up of MasterChef Singapore in 2021. Just a quick recap during the finals of the show, in the three-course meal showdown, Chef Leon won the appetitiser round but lost the entrée and dessert challenges. Chef Leon scored 77 out of 90 while the winner Chef Derek scored 78. A really close fight we would say.
Renowned for his creativity, precision, and bold flavours, Chef Leon has captivated both the judges and the audience with dishes that told compelling stories on every plate. Here’s his story.
This is the first time we are meeting. Allow us to congratulate you for winning the runner up of MasterChef Singapore Season 2. So, how has winning this title changed your life?
Thank you. I think for me, this is like the single most life-changing experience I had over the past three years. I was in the civil service teaching, and then I went on to tutoring as a career.
But it was very unexpected to enter this competition. After MasterChef, a lot of opportunities came in the food and beverage industry because people know me from the show and they invited me to go for their events, to work with their brand activities or to create menus for themselves as well.
You mentioned you were a teacher. So what makes you go into the culinary industry?
At that point in time, it was, I would say impulsive, because my student was the one who asked me, “You want to go MasterChef with me?” So I said, “I will not go for myself, but if you want someone to accompany you, I will go with you.” For him, he was like, “Okay, let’s go together.”
In the end, he didn’t get in. I did. It was not so much of wanting to be the next MasterChef, but it’s more like I’m a teacher, I must be the one to motivate my students. That was what I was going for at that point in time.
What was the most challenging part of the entire competition, and how did you overcome it?
I think the most challenging part of the competition is the sense of worthiness. It wasn’t so important for me that I win or not. It’s more of like, ‘Hey, I’m there, and I’ve done it.’ It’s like a bucket list checked off in my life.
I think towards the end, I am thinking, people who wanted to be in this competition have left, and I’m still here. And I don’t know if I really wanted this or not. Do I really think I have the rights, or do I deserve this position? I think a lot of people go into a competition with the mindset that they want to win. But I go in with the mindset that I want to be there to experience the whole thing, especially when I am a fan of the show. I wanted to see how things are behind the scenes.
Can you share a memorable moment or dish from your journey on the MasterChef?
I think for me, the most memorable dish was actually, I would say it’s two dishes. Firstly, it was the pandan ondeh ondeh cake, and then the other dish was an otah dish. So, why are they so important? These are two episodes apart, and I went into the competition as a baker, but I failed horribly on the pandan cake challenge. So, it did affect my confidence.
But then the next challenge was this local, modern Singaporean dish, and we did a modern take on otah, and we got first in that competition. It was really like a roller coaster. You go to the lowest of the lowest and then highest of the highest in this competition.
I think a lot of people go into a competition with the mindset that they want to win. But I go in with the mindset that I want to be there to experience the whole thing, especially when I am a fan of the show.
How do you prepare yourself mentally and creatively for the competition?
Actually, I never really prepared for the competition. For the whole two years of COVID lockdown, I was just watching MasterChef from different countries such as Australia, UK, and US. And I never expected that they will have a season of MasterChef Singapore at that point in time. I would say I’m a pretty theoretical cook.
There were a lot of tips given in these shows, and I remember these small tips. It adds up. But in the competition, itself, a lot of people brought books or they read their notes, but I was, like, a bit oblivious to that. Everyone was reading something, and I was thinking, ‘why is everyone reading something?’ I did not get any notes. I was talking to the crew and the other contestants and making friends instead. I felt that I wasn’t really fully prepared. It was just more of go with the flow.
What advice would you give to aspiring chefs who dream of competing in MasterChef or any other similar competition?
I think for all cooking competitions in a reality TV format, it’s not just about your ability to cook. There’s also this aspect of your persona, your personality, your likability as a contestant, your mannerisms, and how you treat people on set. And also, definitely, your food cannot be too bad, right?
But it’s not always about the food. It’s always about who you are and how you present yourself as a person. So, I think what I did best in my season was that I felt I was true to who I am. Like, I’m my authentic self on screen and off screen.
What are the key values or philosophies that guide your approach to cooking and food?
I think for me, one of the main things about food is that we need to be creative. I think in Singapore we have been brought up and told what we can do, and what we cannot do. It’s a lot of black and white. There is very little exploration in the grey area.
But then food is very subjective. It’s not like this is right, that is wrong. Everyone’s palette is different. Everyone has their own favourite stall that sells chicken rice, for example. It’s more about who you are as a person, how you express yourself, and also how you pay homage to certain dishes that you have tasted before. So, I guess one of the main things that people can take away from cooking as a whole is just to be explorative and be adventurous.
What makes your culinary style or concept unique compared to others in Singapore?
I think for me I don’t really have a very strong fine dining training in the sense I don’t go for fine dining restaurants. I grew up in the heartlands. I eat at hawker centres all the time, which is something everyone probably grows up with in Singapore.
I think what I was trying to do is just to see what are some things that I like to eat, what I like to cook, and what I like to present to the judges as who I am. So my style is more of a foodie than a chef, I guess. I would not serve something that I wouldn’t eat.
Who has been your biggest inspiration in your culinary journey?
I think for me it’s always the people in the family because that’s where we pick up all these ideas of food. My family has a lot of gatherings when I was younger. And then everyone cooks, and we don’t really order from outside. So, this family heritage is something that really inspires me.
How do you continue to grow and refine your learning after MasterChef?
After MasterChef, there are a lot of opportunities, as I mentioned. When you work with a client, you will get multiple experiences from different industries. I can pull in my experiences from other industries to support what I’m doing.
Sometimes, a lot of the creative ideas come from a client, but it cannot be done in a certain way. Then we come up with new ways to do it. Secondly, I also had a cafe with a friend. There was this learning curve like creating menus and SOP for the cafe. Through this experience, it has taught me things like how certain items must be priced in a certain way. We cannot buy certain ingredients from this supplier because of the cost. MasterChef kitchen is like, take whatever you want, there’s no limit.
But when you’re in the real world for F&B, it’s cut-throat in Singapore. You need to balance your cost and flavour and also learn how to attract customers.
What role do you think does Singapore’s diverse food culture play in our food scene?
We have a very well-trained palate. I think most countries’ flavour profiles are quite singular or homogeneous. It’s like the use of different spices from the Malay and the Indian cuisines. And then we also have our Chinese cuisines. We are also a very metropolitan city. We have a lot of exposure to Western cuisines.
So, in Singapore, our palate is quite well trained. Singaporeans are also quite well travelled compared to other countries. We do taste the authenticity from other parts of the world as well.
What impact do you hope to make on Singapore’s food industry through your work?
I think for me it’s more of the education part. I think a lot of people, because of the way we live, the lifestyle that we have, we often overlook certain important things like heritage food.
People don’t cook that much these days. A lot of the heirloom recipes may be lost. I think for me it’s about preserving some of these things and legacies that are unique to our culture. And I’m a bit more pessimistic. I feel that the hawker culture is dwindling because of many factors. For example, people don’t really want to go to hawker centres these days. They prefer to go to fast food chains, restaurants or cafes. This part of our culture do require some form of supervision or even some efforts to revitalise so that the younger generation can continue this culture.
It’s been three years since you joined MasterChef. Can you share more about what you have been doing for the past three years?
For the past three years, the first year, was quite a blur. I think the first year passed very fast because a lot of people start finding you, even friends want to catch up with you. I was also busy with tuition because I was still holding on to all my students at that point in time.
But at the same time, I need to juggle different roles like going on TV shoots and I was also involved with a singing competition. Second year, it was more of an explorative year for me, like who I want to be as a chef, what do I want to cook, what kind of clients I want to take. I was doing a bit of consultancy as well as running the cafe.
Now in the third year, we closed down the cafe. I realised that ops is not my strength. It is not that I cannot do it, but it’s just something that doesn’t bring me joy, you know, unlike Marie Kondo. It made me realise I’m more into food education, which is more into my original form of training as I was a school teacher. How can we combine food and education together and help clients to educate their consumers on their brand? So now I am doing more consultancy work in this area.
How has your time on MasterChef influenced the direction of your business?
MasterChef is an internationally known brand, so it has given me the key to many doors. I’ve been on a project with the Poland embassy. At the same time, I think it gave me a lot of perspectives on how I cook. This show has given me a lot of inspiration.
Chef Leon, one last question. Can you share with us one most important lesson that you have learned throughout this culinary journey?
I think throughout this journey, I learned to be less concerned about people’s opinions. Not that I don’t care about what people say, but I think when you care too much, then you really can’t get much done, especially in food. You can’t please everyone. There will be people who enjoy your food. There will be people who don’t. So you need to be authentic. I think what I learned is, it is ‘okay’ with doing something that maybe I can accept, but maybe not everyone can accept.
Connect with Chef Leon: Instagram and LCL Experiences
Also read: Meet Evelyn Chew, Winner Of The Spirit of Enterprise Award 2024
