Martin Yan

Meet the man who has proven time and again that if he can cook, so can you.

How did your love for cooking start?

I was born and raised in Guangzhou, China. When I was younger, I always hung around my father’s restaurant so I have a pretty much good understanding of what flavor, what color, what good food is all about. So I developed my palate when I was really young. And then my father passed away and I moved to Hong Kong when I was about thirteen. During that time, I worked in a restaurant. I went to high school then worked in a restaurant, part-time, after school, even on weekends and during summer. So I developed my culinary skills as well as my business skills in the kitchen. I also learned how to deal with the other chefs and work with them.

Do you have any special childhood food memory with your dad?

When I was a kid, I would help my mom in the kitchen. I even helped my mom dress the chicken. I’d get the chicken ready until my mom came home and cooked it. Also, as with most families in Asia, if your parents are in the restaurant business, you always hang around to help out.

Where did you work after?

After I finished high school, I was sponsored by a church to go to the US to study in a university. Throughout college, I held cooking classes from freshmen all the way to graduate school for five and half years. Then I’d take students to China town to learn more about dimsum, different ingredients, the religion, the temple, fortune cookies and all other things. So through all those years, I was always associated with food and cooking and teaching. And the more I taught, the more I shared with other people, the more I got passionate about food.

Good food brings friends, family and everybody together, even enemies. When you sit in front of a dining table with good food, nobody talks about differences. Everybody talks about the love of good food, so I always felt fortunate that I had the opportunity to do something with food and get to share it with people everywhere I go.

You’ve been to the Philippines many times over. What’s your impression of the people?

I have great respect for the people of the Philippines. I think we have a lot to learn from the Filipinos. They are always happy and jovial and despite adversity. And in today’s environment, in countries having tragedies, you’ve got to maintain that optimism; you know just enjoy life, enjoy food, enjoy being alive.

Food has continued to be the love of people. It doesn’t matter what your religious background is, doesn’t matter what your economic status is; everybody just loves good food. When you go to a restaurant, it doesn’t matter whether you’re rich or poor. Everybody can sit there and enjoy good food. And I think it’s wonderful to have a magazine like yours because it relieves people a little bit of the pressures and stress of life.

How did you get into TV?

One time, one of the chefs in a local television station got sick so they asked me to be a guest. I’ve never been on television before that. The director asked me to come back and do another show and after the second show, they asked me to do 230 shows.  It is what you call fate and fortune. That’s how I started. I never auditioned. I never wanted to be on television. It just happened. And since then, I’ve probably done more shows than any person in the world. Since then, we have made 30 books also. I have developed restaurants and websites. Everything about food.

Are your cookbooks and TV shows all about Cantonese cuisine?

No. I travel all over. I have a series which features Malaysian, Indonesian, Filipino and Thai cuisines. So I do a lot of Asian cuisine. I don’t tend to be an expert in all these Asian cuisines but basically what I do is when I come to Philippines [for example], I work with local chefs, with local people.  

“Martin Yan’s China” is my thirtieth book. In the book, we not only have recipes. We also will  take the readers to different places, introduce them to the culture, and a lot of innovative food. This is not typical Chinese food presentation. Basically, I consider myself to be a Culinary Ambassador, promoting the culture, history, heritage, the scenery and the tourist destination of South East Asian countries including China.

Can you share some of your most memorable experiences around the world?

One time, when I filmed by the Mayon Volcano, children gathered around. They were so happy, so innocent, and were so cute. They came with their grandparents, and we all laughed and had fun. You basically look at yourself and say life is all about believing in yourself and living well. It is not about money. I learned a great lesson from that and when I remember it, I still smile.

And the other one is when I was in Vietnam. I did a fund raising, a charitable event in a restaurant with about 3,000 guests. It was to raise money for the victims of the Vietnam War. I opened my wallet and pulled a hundred US dollars there and said, “I want you to tell yourself how lucky and fortunate you are. I want you to share some of your fortune.” So I pulled out a big wok, passed it around, and when it came back up, it was filled with money. That night, they wanted to raise 5,000 US which is a lot of money in Vietnam. But we raised 38,000 dollars. Experiences like that make you feel so fortunate and that what you do so much fun.

Advice to your fans or to aspiring chefs?

Always believe in yourself and don’t try to be somebody else. Don’t try to be a celebrity chef. If you work hard, you will succeed. And one day you will be a celebrity chef. But being a celebrity chef, looking for good fortune and fame is not the objective. In any profession, [it’s] your passion. Think what you love to do. So just believe in yourself, and work hard, and practice your skill and you‘ll be very successful. Success is in the eye of the beholder. You don’t have to be world-famous to feel you’re successful. The idea is you enjoy your work, you’re happy, you make a good time, you make a good living, to me that is success.

Pantry must-haves:

1. Garlic and ginger- I would definitely make sure that I have a garlic and ginger. Because these give a wonderful flavor profile, a basic foundation. Both garlic and ginger have a lot of medicinal benefits.

2. Vinegar - Vinegar is good because it gives balance to the food. If the food is savory, the vinegar cuts down the chili and the spices. Also, vinegar gives a different sensation. It brings and enhances the other flavors. When something is sweet, you put lime juice or orange juice or vinegar. It brings out the best of the sweetness.

3. Oyster sauce - It is made from oyster extract, but it doesn’t smell like oyster. It is a very good base for all the seafood as well as beef dishes. Oyster-flavored sauce goes well with everything.

Photography by Mark Ang  │ Interview by Angelo Comsti

• Nicole Feb 05 2010 @ 09:27am Report Abuse

     

  I can still remember Yan Can Cook with my grandma when I was little.