For someone who has no formal training whatsoever, self taught celebrity chef Alvin Yeung has definitely come a long way. With three Michelin stars to his name, he is now the face of Masterchef Canada being aired on TLC. We spoke to him about his experiences on the show and everything that has led him to where he is today.
“I was born in London and we soon moved to Canada, where I grew up. However, I moved back to London later on and that’s where I’m currently based. My father was an engineer and while I did try that route myself, my passion for food saw me switching careers quite late in life,” begins Leung, who is Chinese by origin.
A graduate of acoustic engineering and environmental science from London’s South Bank University, Leung was working as an engineer in Hong Kong where he began his journey with food, at a speakeasy which he named Bo Innovation on purchasing the tiny space. Now barely 12 years down the line, the chef with a rebellious streak has created quite a splash in culinary circles the world over. And with bold and unusual dishes like ‘Sex on the beach’ (a dish made with an edible condom placed on edible sand), it’s really not that surprising.
While now his entire life revolves around food, he remembers a childhood when it wasn’t really something he’d given much thought too. “I can’t remember a dish my mother made that to me was pleasant,” he says, adding, “To this day I have a phobia of instant noodles.”
Having worked as an engineer for two decades, it’s only natural that he uses some of that precision and accuracy in his food. With restaurants in Toronto, Hong Kong and London, the chef is best known for inventing his own cuisine, X-treme Chinese. “It’s a combination of fusion and molecular gastronomy,” explains the ice hockey fan, who calls himself the ‘Demon Chef’ in keeping with a tattoo on his right bicep, which translates to the moniker in Chinese.
Talking about his connection with India, Leung casts his mind back to his visit to Mumbai last year. “I did have a great time in Mumbai, but I’m hoping to return this year to Indian and would like to visit Delhi and probably Bengaluru. I find South Indian cuisine more in keeping with my personal preferences, so would love to visit a city in the South,” he signs off.
