Chef Ignatius Chan – Attracted the International Culinary World

Do you like this post?

From humble beginnings to world-class chef, Chef Ignatius Chan culinary history is indeed a very inspiring story of achieving one’s dreams. Now, his restaurant, Iggy in Singapore is one of most visited fine-dining hotspot in the country, and it has also attracted the attention of the international culinary world. Today, Iggy is considered as the 28th best restaurant of the world, and Chef Chan still has so much to offer the culinary world.

Looking back on his childhood years, he stated in an interview that the memories that stand out the best are those times when he and his mother would visit and dine at some of the best restaurants in Singapore. They were not rich, but his mother would save some money from her meager earnings and, once in a while, would treat his son to these fine restaurants and give him a taste of the good life. They could have afforded expensive meals such as this, but the privilege was taken away when his father passed away, leaving his mother to take care of him. However, his mother wanted him to experience what she had when his father was alive, so she would always make it a point to treat her young son to these fine restaurants. These precious moments made him appreciate what good food really is and has served as an inspiration for him to excel.

However, Chef Chan admits that he was not that good in school, and this is mostly because he had to have a job at an early age to help his mother. Chef Chan heard from a friend that a hotel job can be lucrative, so he applied for a job at the Goodwood Park Hotel, the same hotel that is home to Gordon Grill, a restaurant where he and his mother used to eat when they have the money.

In 1985, Chef Chan decided to apply at the Singapore Hotel Association’s Hospitality School as a scholar, and he was lucky enough when SHATEC called him back, stating that the Mandarin Oriental Hotel will sponsor his education. After he graduated from SHATEC, he then went on to work at the Mandarin Oriental’s French restaurant, the Fourchettes.

Luck seemed to be on his side as he won a 6-month scholarship in 1989. The scholarship took him to Europe where he trained under some of the most prestigious restaurants in the continent, including Paris, Madrid, and Reims. Chef Chan also took advantage of his stay there to work in some of the wineries in Europe before he went back to Mandarin Oriental.

Chef Chan left Mandarin Oriental in late 1993 to open Les Amis with a good friend, Justin Quek from his SHATEC years. Les Amis won numerous awards, and it fast became a favorite place not only of gourmands but of food critics as well. He stayed with Les Amis for 10 years before striking it out on his own to launch Iggy’s with his wife, Janice, who was also a student at SHATEC. He gave Iggy his own magic touch that, pretty soon, his young restaurant was enjoying good reviews and earning prestigious awards.

All throughout his culinary career, Chef Chan has made a very big name for himself. He has earned numerous awards not only for his culinary skills but also for his sommelier skills, and all his efforts have paid off as Iggy’s is fast becoming the restaurant to dine at in Singapore.

Chef Ignatius Chan’s Bak Kut The (Pork Rib Soup)

Ingredients:

1 kg / 2 lb pork spare ribs
2 whole garlic bulbs
2 cinnamon sticks
5 star anise
2 tbsp black peppercorns
2 tbsp white peppercorns
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
6 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 tsp salt

Directions:

Cut and trim the spare ribs and place in a pot. Add enough water to cover the ribs and bring to a boil. Drain the ribs and rinse under cold water. Set aside. Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for 15 minutes, then strain off the mushroom liquid into a stockpot. Place the cinnamon sticks, star anise and peppercorns in a spice bag or a tea sachet and add to the stockpot. Also add the pork ribs, garlic and mushrooms. Fill with enough water to cover the ingredients, then cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil. When the stock comes to a boil, leave the lid partially open and turn down the heat to a low flame. Simmer until the meat is soft and almost falling off the bones. This process will take about an hour to 90 minutes. From time to time, skim the fats and any impurities that rise to the top. Remove the spice bag and taste the stock. Adjust the flavour by adding dark soy sauce or salt to your taste. Transfer to a claypot and serve piping hot with steamed white rice, you tiao (dough fritters), cut red chillies and dark soy sauce.

Servings: Serves 4.

Image Credit: mysingapore.sg

mysingapore.sg

Popularity: 1% [?]

Currently 0 comment - But what do you think?