Ivan Ong, Pastry Chef – Troika Sky Dining

Ivan Ong – Pastry Chef

Ivan Ong, pastry chef at Troika Sky Dining tells of his passion for baking, favourite food pairing and some hair-raising stories from behind the scenes.

What do you do and how did you get into the industry?

I take care of all pastry for Troika Sky Dining restaurants, Mr Chew’s Chino Latino Bar, and Brasserie Fritz. My mother is a lousy cook (sorry mom), but luckily, she bakes well. I followed her doing baking since young. Eventually, I became in charge of cooking at home. By taking a step at a time and by meeting people who trusted in me, I achieved my ambition of being a chef.

Share with us an interesting story from behind the scenes.

This happened in W Hotel Maldives. The lobster supplier had accidentally dropped the lobster in the sea, and the kitchen staff had dived in and managed to catch it back! Turned out we served a very fresh lobster to the customer!

What’s the best/ worst part of your job?

The best part of my job is that I can research and invent sweet things and other interesting dishes that I like. The worst part as all chefs do is sacrificing festive seasons because of the load of work, and in contrast, we only have free time when no one else does.

What’s your favourite food and beverage pairing?

My favourite food is Chinese bah kut teh paired with Chinese tea.

What’s one of the scariest things you’ve seen behind the scenes?

Once in the kitchen, we were deep-frying food, and one of the staff dropped something in the oil but not in a gentle way… She ended up with a big wound as the oil splashed all over her hand. It was awful, it took her months to fully recover. Kitchens are not places to be taken lightly.

The perfect day off would be…

Cooking at home for family and friends.

A day in the life of a chef Ivan Ong is…

Quality controlling, food costing, creating new dishes and staff training (almost like a father nowadays).

What do you do for fun?

I watch a movie and have some quiet time as I spend already a lot of time in restaurants.

What’s something you’d like guests to know about Troika Sky Dining?

We are very serious about creating a taste and atmosphere that are memorable for our customers. We never use artificial ingredients or flavouring. We design our menu to fit the customer. To us, the utmost priority is to ensure customers have a unique dining experience.

What’s something you’d like people to know about being a chef as a profession?

It is not the same as what people see on TV. Real-life as a chef is way more difficult. Not many jobs are physically and mentally draining at the same time, not to mention the irregular hours. You have to push away family time for work. You really need to be passionate enough to be able to continue the journey.

What’s your view on the food scene in KL?

The evolution of the food scene in KL is slow as if in the ’90s. People are still conservative and not really open to trying new things. Many people prefer to eat the same familiar food forever. Customer’s spending power is not there. Innovative restaurants are serving minorities. But the situation is slowly getting better. I wish that more Malaysians would head out to try restaurants that they have never been to, and experience a new culture.

What’s in store for you in the upcoming months?

We recently re-opened Cantaloupe with a new exciting menu. I love the hi-tea we did for delivery, but we had to design something which travels well. I am working on something different now. A lot of new desserts are actually coming in, but you will have to visit us to discover more. (wink)

Find more interviews similar to this one with Chef Ivan Ong here. And, stay up to date with the latest food and beverage happenings in KL here.