Chef Daniel Yong rules the kitchen in Kuala Lumpur’s funkiest restaurant PLOY. Nestled in the business district of Pusat Bandar Damansara, PLOY is a quiet haven for food lovers to experience a unique dining adventure.
Trained as a sushi chef, Chef Daniel knows very well what he wants message he wants to convey in his food – heart and soul. We spoke to the chef with a romantic streak to share his proudest creations and his classic favorite dish!
Q. How do you create the idea for your dishes?
I work the owner (Datuk Jared Lim) to come up with the dishes. I prepare the dishes, he’ll try them and he’ll give me feedback or what I need to modify the dish.
Q. What is your proudest creation from the new menu?
It has to be the Smoked Duck Breast with Chicken Ham Pizza. I think Malaysians love pizza, but this pizza is very light, and it’s a combination of Japanese and Western flavors. This pizza was made specifically for Malaysian tastebuds – you have to know what the locals want.
Q. Do you go by a food trends when it came to developing your menu?
Not really, it’s hard to keep up with food trends. I like creating dishes that come from the heart.
Q. What is the most unique food experience you’ve had?
I find molecular gastronomy very interesting. It’s not made its way into Malaysia yet, but I love how food and science comes together to create something artistic.
Q. What is the one food ingredient you cannot cook without?
I’m honestly not particular about ingredients because I can work with anything. I think it’s only difficult to suit the requests of your customers.
Q. On top of the food that you cook, what is your personal favorite food?
My favorite boils down to the simplest – baked beans and egg! Simple, and easy.
Q. Now that PLOY has earned the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2013, what do you intend to do to maintain the standard PLOY has?
My method to maintain PLOY’s standard is to simple – put your heart and soul into your food. It’s not about presentation or decoration – a customer knows when a chef puts his heart into his cooking because the spirit and energy of the dish shows.
