Our chefs are the heart of Palate Sensations. Their love for food and passion for cooking lets them enjoy educating both home gourmands and budding chefs alike. In this blog post, we’ve asked Chef Alfie Mossadeg 8 questions so you can get to know him better. Let us introduce Chef Alfie first. Alfie cooks Singapore cuisine family style meals fused with flavours from neighbouring Southeast Asian Countries.  He is currently sharing his knowledge and skills in his classic Indonesian, Thai and Malay cooking classes in Singapore. His dishes are healthy and packed with fresh herbs, exotic ingredients, and spices with a twist of western influence.  He might look badass, but he doesn’t bite although his food is worth every bite. Working in the Singapore Prison as a chef and inmate helped Alfie develop his cooking skills further.  Upon his release, he worked for French Chefs Francois Mermilliod from Flutes @ The Fort and Patrick Heuburger from Au Petit Salut which refined his cooking techniques and honed his skills in French Cuisine. In 2010, a friend secretly entered his name for a cooking competition called Chef Selebriti and he placed fourth in the competition amongst the hundreds that had applied.  Afterwards, Alfie left for Bali for 5 years to take on the responsibility of head chef in Baba, Huu Bar,  a 12-year iconic establishment in Bali for clubbing and fine dining. There, he became known as the “Laksa King”.  He has recently returned to Singapore after a 2-year stint as Executive Chef of Dream Phuket Hotel & Spa.

What makes you happy?

I get great enjoyment from finding new ingredients, combining flavours, making sauces and accepting the accolades that come with a meal that is good when your guests leave plates clean. Also when you start to look at cooking as a hobby. Like driving a car, things which you do without thought you will enjoy the same benefits of cooking which make me happy.

What is your favourite part about being a Chef?

As a Chef, I'd have to say the energy, the teamwork, and creativity. We get to create every day and it's a never-ending playground for us. If it doesn't work, it's just one dish and one idea. You get multiple tries and thus we learn from our mistakes to make it better. Just as Thomas Edison quote " I have not failed. I have just found 10000 ways that won't work.

Who is the person you most admire in the food industry?

Chef Gordon Ramsay for his beauty & creativity in his food and as a culinary artist. But also it is their lives outside of the kitchen that makes them great not only as chefs but as icons and individuals who have made our jobs now more glorified and has open up more doors for inspiring chefs.

What are you most excited about right now? 

Doing this questionnaire to be featured as " Chef Of The Month " so I can get more cooking classes lol. On a serious note, I'm presently doing a Private Chef table sessions where guests can have private dining where I shall be the host and cook for them in the comfort and privacy of my home.

What are three essential cookbooks on your shelf?

The 3 books  that are presently in my possession are Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course, New Shanghai Cuisine By Chef Jereme Leung and lastly, Malaysian Cakes & Desserts By Rohani Jelani

What was your biggest kitchen disaster?

My biggest kitchen disaster was working in the dark and the ventilation was shut off in the kitchen as the power supply broke down and the emergency generator was also down. 3 hours in the dark with natural lights from the windows was all we had as we did our mise en place. Thank God it was in the morning and we had no lunch service on that particular day but boy, we were wet through and through.

What inspires you?

I used to help my dad cook when I was younger and it left a lasting impression on me. He used to give me extra pocket money just to help with buying groceries, washing the dishes or just simply plucking the laksa leaves from the stem to make Assam fish. I fell in love with cooking and it certainly inspired me to become a Chef.

Last weekend on earth – what would you eat?

Oh my, that's a long list, I guess it will be something I never tried and couldn't afford such as Pudding For $35000 at Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel, England. This pudding is shaped to look like a Fabergé egg and is made with high-end chocolate, Gold leaf, champagne, caviar and a diamond by Chef Marc Guibert.  

[See chef Alfie's upcoming classes]

“For me, cooking is an expression of the land where you are and the culture of that place.  South East Asian food is very easy to like because it hits your mouth very differently.  Compared to European food which may hit 2 flavours such as sweet and salty, Asian food tends to encompass all four flavours (sweet, salty, spicy and sour) all at once.” - Chef Alfie Mossadeg