Adu Amran Hassan

Adu Amran Hassan, Chef – ADU Sugar Restaurant

Chef Adu Amran Hassan

In this interview, Adu Amran Hassan chef and owner of ADU Sugar Restaurant in Bangsar, shares what it’s like to have a career as a chef and some reflections on the pandemic.

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

I am a chef/restaurateur. I got into the industry when I needed a career change. I was a dancer.

Share with us an interesting story from behind the scenes.

Even after nearly 30 years in the business (started in 1994 ), I still get super nervous before the service begins. I still think and feel like a dancer. Every day is a different audience, and I can’t make mistakes.

What’s a food memory from your childhood or travels that stands out?

I was always going back to my home town from childhood to see my grandparents, who were farmers. At a very young age, I was taught about the different herbs, trees, medicinal plants etc., by them. As they lived near the sea and river, we used to catch river prawns and collect seafood like clams, cockles etc. These were my most valuable culinary lessons.

As for food in travels, a dinner cooked by the skipper of a houseboat in Kerala for my 40th birthday stands out. I had the best Indian food ever!.

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

The best part is that I am free to create anything from the food to the ambience, to the music, to every single detail of the place. I don’t have set rules (except for the food, of course ) in running the establishment.

The worst, it’s really unsociable hours. I still work 14 hours a day on average.

What’s your favourite food and beverage pairing?

The freshest sashimi with the most expensive chilled sake.

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

I am not sure if it’s the craziest. Still, I have seen one chef in a London kitchen absolutely high on drugs (yes, they can be very rock and roll!) smash 10 plates of food just before sending them in the food lift! Thank goodness drugs were the one thing I didn’t pick up from this trade.

The perfect day off would be…

Taking the bus down to Melaka town and enjoying what the city has to offer, chilling by the river, all on my own. Seeing some familiar faces and ending up in my fav tapas place in the old part of the city. All in 24 hours! I have done it a million times and still do it whenever we can cross states.

A day in the life of a Adu Amran Hassan is…

… a day of turbo-charged passion, creativity, patience and meticulosity.

What do you do for fun?

I dance or watch movies whose languages I don’t understand (with subtilises, of course ). I am a sucker for European cinema and Bollywood. I don’t watch Hollywood.

What’s something you’d like guests to know about ADU Sugar?

ADU Sugar doesn’t use preservatives, food colouring or MSG in our cooking. Everything is made in house from scratch.

How has the pandemic changed you, your perspective or the way you operate?

It definitely makes me appreciate little things even more. It also teaches me to be more creative in using food ingredients. We started selling products that we make for the restaurant to the public to help support the business.

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

That it’s not all rosy and glamorous. The money isn’t that great either, but if you are passionate, that’s the most life-fulfilling job one can have!

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

We still don’t have enough good places that we can be really proud of. The ones who are more on the international platform are copycats of what you see in London, New York, Singapore, Bangkok or Denmark. They pretty much came from the same ‘chef’ originally. I find it very discouraging that to be recognised, you need foams, spheres and ‘leather’. My favourite eateries remain the nondescript local stalls. I also can’t understand ‘hipster cafes’. Am too old school

How has the pandemic changed you as a person?

I read and write more due to not being able to travel.

How has the pandemic changed you as a chef?

I work harder to sustain the business.

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

I am doing more research on Johor food to include in my menu. And more paintings, hopefully. I am working towards an exhibition.

Find more interviews similar to this one with chef Adu Amran Hassan here. And, stay up to date with the latest food and beverage happenings in KL here.

2 Comments

  1. He was a dancer? Now, that’s interesting!

    “My favourite eateries remain the nondescript local stalls. I also can’t understand ‘hipster cafes’. Am too old school.” Sounds like me too!

  2. As always, very interesting. Wow, what a change in the profession from dancer to chef.
    Cheers Diane

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