Rene Oskam – W Singapore – Sentosa Cove

Rene Oskam – Executive Chef

In this interview, Rene Oskam, executive chef at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove, shares some insight into being a chef as a profession.

What do you do?

I am the Executive Chef at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove.

When did you decide to become a chef?

My dad was a chef, so I helped in the kitchen when I was young. I think that planted the seed.

What food memory from your childhood or travels stands out?

The first time I went to France as a kid and ate a chilled seafood platter woke something up in me. The other time was when I first came to Asia to work in Thailand. I travelled through Bangkok by riverboat, got off in the middle of nowhere and had my first tom yam goong. The flavours absolutely shocked me. It was unbelievable – I was hooked. I was meant to stay in Thailand for six months and ended up staying for ten years.

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

Best: working with my team in the kitchen, seeing them get better, and moving things forward.

Worst: there are more fun things to do in life than meetings… but they are necessary.

What is your signature dish?

I love cooking with seafood and fresh seasonal ingredients, so signatures change accordingly. At the moment, I would say: Barramundi with heirloom tomatoes, beetroot gel, spiced fennel jus and dill oil.

What is your favourite dish to prepare?

I love cooking outside using a wood fire, so anything cooked that way.

How do you describe your overall cooking philosophy?

Get the very best ingredients and try to make them shine, always keeping your guest in mind.

Name the three kitchen tools Rene Oskam can’t do without?

A very sharp set of knives, good quality pans and lots of spoons.

What’s one of your favourite food and beverage pairings?

Langoustines with a nice bottle of white wine

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

I had a king cobra in my kitchen in Thailand during dinner service. It did not end well… for the Cobra. They make great soup! Lots of other stories that are best left out of this write-up

The perfect day off would be…

Early breakfast on the beach, then a surf and then a BBQ with friends.

A day in the life of a Rene Oskam is…

Early breakfast service, followed by a few meetings, short ones if it’s a good day, then getting ready for lunch, doing the rounds, lunch service, then some office stuff, kitchen meeting to make sure everyone knows what’s happening, usually some more office stuff, emails and maybe an appointment with a food supplier, then getting ready for dinner service, making sure everyone has what they need, then a few hours of cooking! Going home somewhere between 9 and 10 PM, depending on what day of the week it is

What do you do for fun?

Kitesurfing and travelling.

What would you like guests to know about W Singapore – Sentosa Cove)?

It’s an exciting time at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove. Lots of new exciting brand and property initiatives are happening this year. There are lots of reasons to come and rediscover our restaurants & bars

How have you grown in your profession? What are your key learnings from your start in the industry until now? Any misconceptions?

When you are young, you think you know everything, but later you discover how little you actually know. That also applies to the kitchen; there’s so much to learn. I have been cooking for a living for 26 years, and I still learn every day. I think our profession is unique in that way.

What do you want people to know about being a chef as a profession?

You better make sure you really want it. It’s not like on TV.

Rene Oskam’s view on the food and beverage scene in Singapore?

I have only been here for three months and have yet to be out a lot, but I have seen a highly competitive, exciting restaurant scene that forces you to bring your A-game if you want to be successful.

What practices do you currently implement or hope to implement to work towards social responsibility and sustainability in the future?

Marriott International has sustainability as one of its main goals. In culinary, we contribute by sourcing responsibly, as much local/regional as possible, from producers with ethical production practices. This ranges from where we buy our eggs to choosing grass-fed free-range beef over factory-farmed beef to having a wide selection of plant-based choices on our menus. We have a strict and effective food waste program, avoid plastic and styrofoam packaging whenever we can and work with our vendors and partners to align our goals. This often means we have to pay a little more for what we buy, but it’s worth it.

What can guests look forward to in the upcoming months?

Lots of new menus with exciting dishes, cooked with carefully sourced ingredients – W style.

Find more interviews similar to this one with Rene Oskam here, and stay up to date with the latest food and beverage happenings in KL here.