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A passion for cooking
Deafness has not deterred Chua Tick Seng from becoming an award-winning chef.
LOOKING relaxed and youthful, 25-year-old Chua Tick Seng is a far cry from the typical rotund chefs we see in movies.
No one would have guessed that this talented lad, who whipped up his first dish – fried eggs – at the age of nine, would win the Best Apprentice Award at this year’s Culinaire Malaysia cooking competition.
Chua’s interest in cooking was stirred from watching his mother in action. “I saw my mother cooking different dishes every day and I thought it would be unique if I could do that for a living.”
Born deaf, Chua used to attend an after-school English programme for the Deaf in Pusat Majudiri “Y” at the Young Men’s Christian Association in Kuala Lumpur. During an exercise, he wrote an essay about his ambition to be a chef. His peers were sceptical, but he held fast to that dream.
After Form Five at SM Pendidikan Khas Pulau Pinang, he went straight to work in a bakery for nine months. Then he was with Sushi King for two-and-a-half years, where he worked his way up to the rank of junior cook.
At this point, Chua decided to make cooking his career and enrolled at the Culinary Arts Centre in Penang. There were objections from his family, who wanted him to go into construction, like his father. Friends worried that he would have difficulty coping.
“My mother said cooking was a woman’s job and she had no confidence in my getting work in a hotel because of my deafness,” he recalls.
Despite such discouragement, Chua pushed on and supported himself through his course by working part-time and taking on two jobs during semester breaks.
The hard work paid off; after a year of culinary theory, cooking practicum, intensive cake decoration training, and an internship with the Shangri-La Hotel in Penang, he graduated with a professional chef diploma and a certificate in baking and pastry in July 2004.
Having made another step towards his dream, he then faced the daunting task of job-hunting. He sent applications to 20 hotels, but only three replied.
“Again, my mother attributed the lack of response to my deafness.”
But he persevered until he got an interview at Westin Kuala Lumpur, which led to a job offer in its Western kitchen. But the challenges did not stop there.
“My first year there was the toughest. I was in a new working environment and had communication problems. Also, I had to learn how to do western cooking, which was completely new to me.”
“I am very thankful that the management was sensitive to my needs. Also, my boss and colleagues motivated me on the days when I felt like giving up. In fact, it was the assistant chef who recommended me for Culinaire Malaysia 2007.”
Chua made Westin proud by winning the bronze medal for the Apprentice Display Palette, an original creation of cold dishes, and the gold in the Apprentice Hot Cooking category, for which he had to prepare four main dishes within an hour. His achievements in the competition further bagged him the special award for Most Outstanding Apprentice 2007.
“I was shocked when they told me I had won because I never expected it. The award was more like the icing on the cake. It was the challenge of creating the dishes, writing the recipes and preparing for the competition that was invaluable.”
Memorable as winning was, Chua can still remember his worst cooking experience.
“During my studies in Penang, I had entered another competition. Due to my inexperience and nervousness, I put salt instead of sugar into my dessert. The poor judge had such a shock when he tasted my entry.”
To succeed as a chef, Chua says, “A deaf person needs to have a good foundation in cooking skills, and perseverance, commitment, motivation and a passion for cooking.
“It also helps when you have parents and friends who are open and supportive of your dreams. I have never allowed deafness to stop me from achieving my dreams. Deep down, I always knew I could do it.”
Chua observes that all the deaf chefs he knows are pastry chefs. “I am the first one to work in the kitchen. I hope to see more deaf chefs braving it out in the kitchen.”
Although he is happy with what he has achieved, he yearns for more.
“I love chefs like Jamie Olivier, Gordon Ramsay from the TV Series Hell’s Kitchen, and Charlie Trotter. I would love to become an apprentice or an understudy to a famous chef. Perhaps I may even start my own restaurant. The sky’s the limit!”
Indeed, it is. But for now, how has his mother reacted to his achievements?
“I think she is very proud of me. She gave me a kiss when she found out that I had won medals at the Culinaire Malaysia,” Chua says.
Deafness has not deterred Chua Tick Seng from becoming an award-winning chef.
LOOKING relaxed and youthful, 25-year-old Chua Tick Seng is a far cry from the typical rotund chefs we see in movies.
No one would have guessed that this talented lad, who whipped up his first dish – fried eggs – at the age of nine, would win the Best Apprentice Award at this year’s Culinaire Malaysia cooking competition.
Chua’s interest in cooking was stirred from watching his mother in action. “I saw my mother cooking different dishes every day and I thought it would be unique if I could do that for a living.”
Born deaf, Chua used to attend an after-school English programme for the Deaf in Pusat Majudiri “Y” at the Young Men’s Christian Association in Kuala Lumpur. During an exercise, he wrote an essay about his ambition to be a chef. His peers were sceptical, but he held fast to that dream.
After Form Five at SM Pendidikan Khas Pulau Pinang, he went straight to work in a bakery for nine months. Then he was with Sushi King for two-and-a-half years, where he worked his way up to the rank of junior cook.
At this point, Chua decided to make cooking his career and enrolled at the Culinary Arts Centre in Penang. There were objections from his family, who wanted him to go into construction, like his father. Friends worried that he would have difficulty coping.
“My mother said cooking was a woman’s job and she had no confidence in my getting work in a hotel because of my deafness,” he recalls.
Despite such discouragement, Chua pushed on and supported himself through his course by working part-time and taking on two jobs during semester breaks.
The hard work paid off; after a year of culinary theory, cooking practicum, intensive cake decoration training, and an internship with the Shangri-La Hotel in Penang, he graduated with a professional chef diploma and a certificate in baking and pastry in July 2004.
Having made another step towards his dream, he then faced the daunting task of job-hunting. He sent applications to 20 hotels, but only three replied.
“Again, my mother attributed the lack of response to my deafness.”
But he persevered until he got an interview at Westin Kuala Lumpur, which led to a job offer in its Western kitchen. But the challenges did not stop there.
“My first year there was the toughest. I was in a new working environment and had communication problems. Also, I had to learn how to do western cooking, which was completely new to me.”
“I am very thankful that the management was sensitive to my needs. Also, my boss and colleagues motivated me on the days when I felt like giving up. In fact, it was the assistant chef who recommended me for Culinaire Malaysia 2007.”
Chua made Westin proud by winning the bronze medal for the Apprentice Display Palette, an original creation of cold dishes, and the gold in the Apprentice Hot Cooking category, for which he had to prepare four main dishes within an hour. His achievements in the competition further bagged him the special award for Most Outstanding Apprentice 2007.
“I was shocked when they told me I had won because I never expected it. The award was more like the icing on the cake. It was the challenge of creating the dishes, writing the recipes and preparing for the competition that was invaluable.”
Memorable as winning was, Chua can still remember his worst cooking experience.
“During my studies in Penang, I had entered another competition. Due to my inexperience and nervousness, I put salt instead of sugar into my dessert. The poor judge had such a shock when he tasted my entry.”
To succeed as a chef, Chua says, “A deaf person needs to have a good foundation in cooking skills, and perseverance, commitment, motivation and a passion for cooking.
“It also helps when you have parents and friends who are open and supportive of your dreams. I have never allowed deafness to stop me from achieving my dreams. Deep down, I always knew I could do it.”
Chua observes that all the deaf chefs he knows are pastry chefs. “I am the first one to work in the kitchen. I hope to see more deaf chefs braving it out in the kitchen.”
Although he is happy with what he has achieved, he yearns for more.
“I love chefs like Jamie Olivier, Gordon Ramsay from the TV Series Hell’s Kitchen, and Charlie Trotter. I would love to become an apprentice or an understudy to a famous chef. Perhaps I may even start my own restaurant. The sky’s the limit!”
Indeed, it is. But for now, how has his mother reacted to his achievements?
“I think she is very proud of me. She gave me a kiss when she found out that I had won medals at the Culinaire Malaysia,” Chua says.
