From Mum's Kitchen To Global Stage, Young Malaysian Chef Takes Local Flavours To Russia

KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 (Bernama) -- Long before he stood in an international culinary arena in Russia bearing Malaysian flavours to judges from around the world, Wan Amirul Asyraaf Wan Rosidi learnt his earliest lessons about food more simply.

Helping his mother in her food business nurtured his interest in cooking, eventually shaping his future career path.

The 22-year-old chef, who recently represented Malaysia at the Young Chef International (YCI) tournament held alongside the 17th International Economic Forum “Russia-Islamic World: KazanForum 2026” in Russia, traced his culinary beginnings to childhood experiences while helping his mother in her business.

“I learned when I started helping my mother in her food business,” he said.

His curiosity about food preparation was piqued, motivating him to deepen his understanding of culinary arts.

This gradually developed into a genuine passion, leading the eldest among four siblings to pursue culinary studies through vocational education before entering the hospitality industry.

Today, Wan Amirul serves as a junior chef (Commis 2) at Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, after completing his internship there. It was a journey that opened an unexpected opportunity to represent Malaysia internationally after a series of selection processes and culinary assessments under the guidance of his coach, Rossham Rosli, head of culinary at the same hotel.

Rossham is also the president of the Gastronomy Association of Malaysia.

The Kazan tournament marked several firsts for Wan Amirul. It was his first overseas trip, his first international culinary competition, and perhaps, the biggest challenge of his young career so far.

According to him, participants from 16 countries competed under the demanding “Black Box” challenge format, which required chefs to work with surprise ingredients and limited preparation time to produce dishes to impress a coterie of international judges.

Recalling his first reaction upon seeing the mystery ingredients, Wan Amirul admitted the pressure was overwhelming.

“I was nervous and for a while, my mind went blank,” he said.

Participants were, nevertheless, allowed to incorporate selected ingredients from their home countries. This allowed Wan Amirul to introduce Malaysian flavours.

Using salmon and chicken as the main ingredients from the Black Box challenge, Wan Amirul incorporated Malaysian flavours through two salmon-based selections inspired by otak-otak (spiced fish paste steamed in coconut leaves) and kerabu (Malay-style local herbs and vegetables), infused with aromatic ingredients such as bunga kantan (torch ginger flower), lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves to introduce Malaysia’s distinctive flavour profile to international judges.

The composition of flavours and fragrances was intentional — to highlight aromatic and diverse taste rather than spiciness to better suit international palates.

The effort paid off. Malaysia earned a Gold Medal in Culinary Art in Culinary Traditions, while Wan Amirul won the Best Award for Culinary Art in Culinary Traditions.

Beyond culinary techniques and competition pressure, the experience also strengthened Wan Amirul’s confidence that Malaysian culinary talent can compete internationally.

“Our food is heavenly. Although Malaysia is a small country in terms of size, we are highly skilled,” he said.
Competing alongside participants from 16 countries, Wan Amirul believes Malaysia’s culinary diversity and capabilities have given local chefs an advantage that should not be underestimated.

The experience also taught him valuable lessons that extended beyond cooking.

It taught him the value of adapting to different environments and building friendships across different cultures.

“The participants were all very friendly. They encourage (one another) although we were competing against each,” he added.

Interacting with chefs from different backgrounds also exposed him to different work cultures, attitudes and approaches, experiences which he believes were equally valuable as technical culinary skills.
There is one message aspiring young chefs need to keep in mind, Wan Amirul said — passion alone is not enough to succeed in the profession.

“Stay mentally strong, and your heart must be tough enough to weather the storms. You have to be resilient emotionally,” he said.

He stressed that long working hours, hot kitchen temperatures, pressure, criticism and continuous learning are realities that require resilience and determination in professional kitchens.

For Wan Amirul, becoming a chef goes beyond wearing the uniform or mastering cooking techniques.

It demands discipline, commitment, sacrifice and perhaps most importantly, a willingness to keep learning.

“Where there’s a will, there are a thousand ways — you can definitely face those challenges,” he said.
From helping his mother to sell food to bearing Malaysian flavours on the international stage, Wan Amirul’s journey reflects more than personal ambition.

It reflects how perseverance, passion and a willingness to embrace challenges can create opportunities far beyond one’s starting point.

For young Malaysians aspiring to enter the culinary world, his story is a reminder that even the simplest beginnings can sometimes lead to big opportunities.
-- BERNAMA