By Willy Wilson | Apr 9, 2010
Chef Wan's home: A feast for the eyes
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Chef Wan in his antique-studded living room
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Datuk Redzuawan bin Ismail, better known as Chef Wan, is a professional chef, TV host, comedian, entertainer, author, food critique and lecturer, all in one. He is no rock star, but certainly lives like one.
A truly Malaysian icon with more credits to his name than many other local celebrities, Chef Wan is an accountant-turned-chef who found fame and fortune by delighting millions with his wit and humour while demonstrating his cooking prowess on TV for the past 25 years.
Malaysian audiences may remember him from his earlier shows such as The Kuali Cook Show, Chef Wan, and more recently, Citarasa Sedunia Bersama Gas Petronas.
But it is a string of international TV shows such as A Taste of Australia with Chef Wan (Australian ABC Network), Flavours of Asia (Prime 12, Singapore), Market Kitchen (UK Food Network), Flavours of the World (TV4, Sweden) and Chef Wan and Gino’s Specials (Orge TV, Norway) that paved his way into worldwide stardom.
In his new series aptly entitled Best Wan, which will debut on AFC in June 2010, Chef Wan travels around Malaysia to cook and sample the local dishes while assessing the local history and culture. For all his dedication to the food industry, Chef Wan was named the Best Celebrity Television Chef at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards last year in France.
And just when we thought that he would sit down and enjoy his accomplishments, the graduate of California Culinary Academy and Ritz Hotel's Ritz-Escoffier Ecole de Gastronomie Francaise said that he is currently working on a new talk show that combines the best elements of Oprah Winfrey's and Martha Stewart's TV shows.
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A splash of red, peach and brown dominate Chef Wan's house, perhaps a testament to his colourful life
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StarProperty.my catches up with the chatty chef about being a grandfather, his high-flying life and why he would spend RM10,000 on a bedsheet at his cosy, mid-level duplex.
A professional chef, entertainer, entrepreneur, TV host, published author, lecturer and the list goes on. What’s your favourite profession?
First and foremost, I am a father of two children and a soon-to-be grandfather! I love all the professions I have done so far for I believe that when you are blessed with so many talents, it would be a sin not to exploit them. So here I am still wearing many hats at 53 years old [laughs]. Gosh, I really am getting old!
But you look impossibly youthful! Tell us how many TV shows you have done this year alone.
Well, thank you. I have just finished shooting TV9’s Ekspedisi Chef Wan season 2. I went to Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Macau, Bali and London to shoot it. I am currently preparing the third and fourth seasons, where we plan to visit Mauritius, Turkey, Korea, Egypt, Sweden, Lebanon and Syria.
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Colourful living (clockwise from top left): living room, displayed antique collections, dining area
and bedroom
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I have also recently finished a project with Singapore’s Suria Channel entitled Makan Angin, whereby I share scenes with Najib Ali of Asia Bagus fame. Also completed recently is my 15-episode show for AFC, Best Wan, which is produced by the same team who worked on Jamie Oliver's and Nigella Lawson's cooking shows.
What about your upcoming projects?
I’m working on a very exciting talk show with TV3. It would combine Oprah’s engaging topics and Martha Stewart’s taste of good food. And as if that’s not enough, I’m launching a range of tableware and kitchen set, called Chef Wan Lifestyle, which will utilise direct-selling, multi-level marketing technique.
What a busy schedule you have. How does your extensive traveling influence your taste when it comes to home design and decor?
I appreciate beauty, and through travel, I have learnt that each culture has its own definition of beauty, which confirms the old adage that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I buy authentic pieces from these countries, which varies from antiques and rare rugs to simple decorations, as you can see in my living room.
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Priceless: A painting of Chef Wan's great grandmother
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How would you describe your duplex unit?
I would describe it as intimate, romantic, cosy and restful, thanks to warm colours such as red, peach and brown that dominate the unit. The soft lighting, stacks of books and old rugs, further emphasise the homely atmosphere. No corner in this unit that looks like a beautiful but staged furniture showroom, if you get my drift.
How does your home reflect you?
I guess my home reflects my colourful life. I have been living in this duplex for the past 10 years, so there have been a lot of ups and downs that I went through while living here. You can see my professional and personal journeys, interests and preferences through the design and décor of my home.
What does a home mean to you?
As clichéd as it may sound, home is really where my heart is. It is important for a home to have that “lived-in” ambience, no matter how much time you spend at home.
What is the most valuable piece in your home?
A painting of my great grandmother with a cylindrical areca nut-pounder made of stone at the foyer of her house. She is of Peranakan descendant. The traditional Malay pounder, which is now in my kitchen, made a cameo in my AFC show Best Wan.
In your opinion, what is the most essential thing in a home?
I invest in good bedsheets, because you may have a house that looks like a crashed ship, but you want to have a good night's sleep at the end of the day. I’m willing to splurge on high quality bed sheets, even if
that means I have to pay RM10,000 worth of bedsheets from Harrods. A word of advice: only sleep on
400 thread-count cotton bedsheets.
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