What do you do and how did you get into the industry?
My name is Kelvin Kilin. I was born and raised in Tuaran which is a small town in Sabah. Currently, I work as a Sous Chef at Gobo Upstairs Lounge and Grill, Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur. My interest in cooking came from my father at a very young age – watching my father preparing dinner for us, his family. He always used fresh ingredients blending in all sorts of flavours into this cooking.
At the age of 15, I started working part time in one of the restaurants in my home town, during school holidays. My culinary career interest only began after I finished my college education at the age of 19. I was given a change to relocate to Kuala Lumpur. And as the cliche goes, the rest is history.
What’s the best/ worst part of your job?
The best part of my job is having the opportunity to create a dish and be the first person to taste, to criticise and be in control. The worst is spending less time with family. Being a chef you are required to sacrifice most of your time in your workplace.
What’s your favourite meal/ drink?
I do not have a specific food that I like because I mostly love anything related to food. I love eating, tasting and trying.
What’s one of the craziest things you’ve seen behind the scenes?
Using that meat cutter – it has to be so precise and I need to pay attention to details, otherwise, it will be like a scene in Texas Chainsaw Massacre!!!!!
The perfect day off would be… Spending time with my family and loved ones.
A day in the life of a chef is… filled with love for the food I handle and the passion of cooking them.
What do you do for fun? Bonsai, Futsal & Football
What’s something you’d like guests to know about Gobo Upstairs? I want them to know how good we are!!
What’s your favourite (s) food and wine pairing?
I love everything I serve at Gobo Upstairs including the wines, nothing in particular. In essence, I love food and wines. period.
What’s your view on the food scene in Kuala Lumpur?
Choices are many and differing in price range. To be remembered and having your guests return, you need one important ingredient – and that is consistency!!
What’s in store for you in the upcoming months?
We hope to bring our Memory Makers to another level and in the next few months, there will be different monthly promotions, look out for them!!!