Blending Asian, European tastes for Resorts World Manila
MANILA, Philippines - What do you get when a Malaysian kid in love with the cooking of his homeland, studies French and Western cuisine? Meet Chef David Choo Sam Chai, chef to the VIPs of Resorts World Manila.
As young as 10 years old, Chef David was already helping out at his uncle’s restaurant in Penang, Malaysia. It was a small restaurant known for its meat and seafood specialties, but this was where he sharpened his knowledge, not just of Malaysian cooking, but what makes a dish special.
“I learned as a child how important smells are. I can tell when an ingredient is missing in a dish just by the smell. Even now as an adult it has served me well, I can tell when a staff of mine skipped an ingredient even when I didn’t see how he prepared the dish,” he shares with a smile.
Chef David was 18 years old when his sister in Paris sent for him. It was there he studied French cuisine. The transition was difficult at first, the language barrier also made it hard for him to understand the lessons, but it was his sister’s advice that motivated him. “My sister, Pakr, told me to stand out, to be myself. From there I realized how I could stand out by fusing my knowledge of Malaysian cuisine and European cuisine.”
From European cuisine, Chef David progressed to Western cuisine, but he couldn’t forget his first love, which was Asian cooking. From his travels all over the world, he learned to prepare Thai, Chinese, Singaporean, Taiwanese, and even a little Japanese, Korean, and Filipino cuisine.
His distinguished guests, from prime ministers to royalties, remember him best for his curry puffs. The creation of these puffs is a careful process that takes two days to ensure the flakiness of the pastry and the tastiness of its filling. It’s the perfect fusion of the spiciness of Malaysian cooking, and the perfection of French pastries.
Chef David is currently the master chef of RWM’s exclusive lifestyle club, The Genting Club, which houses six dining destinations that cater only to the discerning taste buds. He is also the chef who answers to the culinary requirements of Maxims Tower’s VIP guests.
Chef David’s famous curry puffs are available at Café Maxims located at the ground floor of Maxims Tower. For more information on Resorts World Manila, call the visitor hotline (632) 836-6333.
