Chef Wan’s love for his country has earned him international recognition. He won the Best TV Celebrity Chef award at the recent Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2009, writes INTAN MAIZURA AHMAD KAMAL

IF anyone fits the moniker of “a man with many hats”, then it has to be Redzuawan Ismail, aka Chef Wan.

The 52-year-old livewire is not only a whiz in the kitchen, he’s also a multi-talented individual who has raised the bar from being just a mere cook to someone who can do so much more.

And what could be a more fitting tribute than his latest accolade – Best TV Celebrity Chef, which he received recently at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2009 held at La Comedie Francaise in Paris.

The genial Capricorn was also the proud recipient of the Best In The World Award for the Fundraising Cookbook category at the same event for a recipe book called Sajian Aidilfitri Bersama Chef Wan, a collaboration with Avon Malaysia last year.

Looking dapper in shiny blue baju Melayu, songket sampin and a black songkok placed jauntily on his head, Wan is at the Avon HQ in Petaling Jaya, after being away for months in Paris and Spain (researching another book), to launch Sajian Tradisi Bersama Chef Wan, a continuation of last year’s fundraising effort. It features 60 of his favourite recipes from various states, specially for Hari Raya.

Says Wan: “Last year, the focus was on kuih raya. This time it’s a selection of my favourite traditional Malaysian dishes. There are just so many recipes to choose from... hopefully I’ll get the chance to do something like a box set one day.”

His favourites? “I just love simple kampung food. Gulai Lemak Cili Api Ikan Semilang, Sambal Udang Petai and the different types of kerabu – delicious! They’re all in this book.”

Turning our conversation to his achievements at the World Gourmand Awards, his eyes light up. “I was so stunned when I heard I’d bagged the best TV Celebrity Chef award,” confides Wan. “I’d never have dreamt it in a million years.”

He might not have seen it coming but, for the panel of judges whose task it was to pore over the merits of all on the list, it seems Wan was the obvious choice.

“He’s the only chef in the world who can be so entertaining while being very precise in live cooking…” so reads the Press release that followed the event.

Furthermore, Wan’s experience in having hosted over 6,000 food television shows is, in fact, a world record.

Beaming with pride, he says: “When I asked the CEO of Gourmand why I was chosen, she pointed to the fact that I’d been more than just a chef in all my years in the industry.

“She mentioned how impressed they all (the judges) were by all the things I’d done to promote Malaysia in the food arena. It seems no other celebrity chef has gone to such great lengths to sell his or her country.”

They also remembered that Wan did an incredible job when he co-chaired the Gourmand Awards in KL four years ago. “Everyone said it was the best awards ever hosted by Gourmand in the last 10 years,” adds Wan, proudly.

All the big names were on the list, confides Wan, whose father is from Pahang and mum is a Singaporean. The sexy Nigella Lawson, the fiery Gordon Ramsey but “… they told me that I was the panel’s favourite, based on my capabilities and likeable personality. They said I was a true statesman. I’m really proud of that because I always strive to show how beautiful Malaysia is.”

His is a journey that has spanned more than 25 years. From working as a private chef to a very wealthy Hawaiian and cooking onboard a cruise ship from Alaska to the Caribbean, he’s done the lot.

He says: “There have been so many challenges. There were times when I didn’t get any sponsorship but I still kept going. I’d buy all the ingredients with my own money, attend the various food festivals around the world and paid my own way.”

But it is his passion for his country that keeps him driven. “I’m so blessed because our country has so much to share. We’re so unique but not enough has been done to show that. It’s our duty to promote Malaysia whenever we can,” says Wan whose other passion in life is gardening.

Last year, in November, Wan was in northern Greece for the Gastronomic Wine And History symposium. Working closely with the Islamic Museum and the National Museum, he presented a talk on the evolution of Malaysian cuisine from the time of Srivijaya’s downfall to the rise of Majapahit, right up to the period of British Rule.

Wan grins and says: “I received a standing ovation from all the speakers there. I don’t even have a PhD – I’m just a chef. When I was there, none of the chefs cooked but I did. With my own money and the help of students from a local hospitality school there, I managed to produce a four-course Peranakan meal to feed 120 journalists.”

Wan is quick to point out that he has never set out to emulate anyone. “I am also never in it to cook someone else’s food. I’ve always gone out to sell my country and with no apologies whatsoever. Kalau benda ni pedas, pedas lah. Kalau busuk belacan, busuk lah (If this thing is hot, let it be. If it smells, let it smell), because this is what we eat and we should be proud of it.”

These days, he says, there are too many chefs, albeit talented, who like to deny our food heritage.

“Too greasy lah, too lemak lah. They’re forever trying to change the food. For me, if you butcher all these wonderful foods from all these cultures, then you’ll lose everything. Protect our heritage. That’s what I strive to do and as a result, I’ve been given this award.”

Sajian Tradisi Bersama Chef Wan, available at Avon Boutiques nationwide from August 16, is priced RM21.90