A native of Malaysia, Lua Chang Yung has been living in Singapore for a long time. He has always had a taste for culinary competition. A contest organised by the Norwegian Seafood Export Council was his chance to shine the first time round, then came an apprentice contest organised by Otto Weibel in Singapore.
The Bocuse d’Or is of course the Holy Grail of cooking contests, even as a commis chef. The experience is above all synonymous with connections forged with Lyon, and he would have the opportunity to return there later on business. It was also the opportunity to visit the Institut Paul Bocuse, a school he has kept excellent relations with since he now teaches cooking at the School of Hospitality, Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College West in Singapore, one of the Institut’s partner schools for student exchanges. His wife Shirley teaches pastrymaking there.
Besides his teaching activities, he loves to get involved in events like the Gourmet Summit Tour, the 23rd of which was held in Singapore in 2019.
His advice for commis chefs at the Bocuse d’Or: “Don’t be afraid to really go for it. You learn even through failure. Stay humble: you are representing your country.”
