More than a sous chef, he is part of the rhythm that shapes our kitchen each day. Please say hi to Wilson!

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Hi, my name is Wilson. I come from Brunei and this is my first job in Indonesia. I have been working in the kitchen for the past 10 years. And I’m just a guy who loves to cook.

What first pulled you into the kitchen?

It’s my mom and my auntie who are a big part of my cooking journey, because without them, I wouldn't find a love for cooking when I was young. I still remember when I was young, the first meal that they ever cooked for me was a Sarawak laksa, which is a kind of coconut and sambal based, and from there, the first bite of the broth made me fall in love with cooking.

Your favorite dish?

Growing up in Brunei and Malaysia, my favourite dishes are Hainan Chicken Rice and Chinese fried rice.

What brought you to Jungchan Dining?

Jungchan does a lot of fermentation, which is very interesting for me.

Prior to this, I worked in various places around the world. I used to work in Brunei Darussalam, Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

I used to work in a hotel. For me, hotels do have pros and cons. Working in a restaurant, you tend to be more creative and tend to be able to express yourself more.

Working in Jungchan is like a double edge sword, you sacrifice a lot but you get a lot of knowledge and you enjoy the process.

How’s your first week in Jungchan?

My first week in Jungchan, it kinda surprised me because this is the 1st time I work in such a small place and small kitchen with limited equipment and space so it really made me learn to work in a different environment.

What is one small detail you are strict about?

I always tell my team to always taste everything that you do, because you have to know what you cook and you have to be able to taste it to make sure the food is good so that people can enjoy your food. If you don’t like your own cooking, what makes you think other people will like your cooking?

How do you keep the team calm when service gets intense?

I always try to find a solution and not blame first, because everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes. During the service when things get intense, my first instinct is to always find a solution to get through the service, and after that, we can discuss after the service.

What kind of chef do you want to become next?

At the end of the day, you have to love what you do, so I just want to be a chef who loves to cook and makes people enjoy my cooking. I want to be a chef who is respected and not becoming just another chef who would cook in the kitchen, but also I want to build a strong and positive kitchen environment when I open my own restaurant, and to be able to express myself through my cooking.

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