It is a quiet and tranquil morning as Kevin Wong unlocks his restaurant’s main door. “I was up until late last night,” he shares. “See, I’m kind of like a one-man-show at the moment, in the sense that I also need to edit the photos and upload posts on our social media channels,” Wong chuckles nervously. He adds, “there are also so many messages to reply to, and I am not yet done replying to all of them.”
Wong, who is only a year shy from 30, is the chef-owner of Seroja, a newly minted MICHELIN-starred restaurant this 2023. Seroja is the Malay word for "lotus flower", which is a significant symbol in its culture. Apart from the restaurant’s first-time Star recognition, Seroja has also been awarded a MICHELIN Green Star — the first one ever given to a restaurant in Singapore — and Wong has also been chosen as the recipient of the MICHELIN Guide Singapore 2023 Young Chef Award. Yes, you read that right. Seroja has bagged three MICHELIN recognitions this year: One MICHELIN Star, a MICHELIN Green Star, and the Young Chef Award.
Presented by Blancpain, the Young Chef Award is an accolade given to a chef under 36 years of age, who is working in a MICHELIN-Starred restaurant and displays exceptional talent and great potential.
Overwhelmed in the Best Possible Way
All this has merited not only a heightened exposure and curiosity about Seroja’s cuisine, but also, an inbox that has been flooding with reservations and requests. Wong shares that he is overwhelmed but in the best possible way. "More than anything, I am happy that our fishermen and farmers will get to showcase more of what they have to offer because of these accolades," he says.
Shortly, he is joined by his restaurant partners, Long Tran and Andrew Ou, who begin to prepare for the day’s work. “We’re only open for dinner today with lunch on weekends,” shares Wong. “But we still come in early to prepare, nevertheless.”
An alumnus of prestigious establishments in France, the U.S., and Singapore, Wong opened Seroja only one year ago in 2022. Hailing from the city of Klang in Malaysia, he pledges his love to the Malay Archipelago with his seafood-focused tasting menus that pay tribute to Malaysian culinary traditions, with a generous use of local produce, spices, and techniques.
Our MICHELIN Guide inspectors praise the restaurant, saying that the plating at Seroja is meticulous and well thought-of, and the dishes are artful, with flavours subtly and finely balanced.
Collaborative Culture
“At Seroja, we pay tribute to diversity and abundance,” Wong proudly shares. “We find ourselves in a region that has a lot of flavours, and at Seroja, we do not only celebrate those flavours, but we also celebrate the people of the region. We’ve integrated that so much in our culinary philosophy, and we make it our job to work with farmers and fishermen to give them a voice and a platform. Together our aim is to create a craft that is harmonious in all different kinds of disciplines.”
“Growing up, I didn't have a lot of food. I had enough, but I didn't have much. And I was just always very innately curious about food. I am lucky to have lived near the sea, so there was an abundance of fresh and affordable seafood that’s of amazing quality,” he shares. “Whenever I had money, I would buy different types of bread to try. I then took a job waiting tables to make a buck because it was the closest I could get to working in a restaurant at that time; and when the moment came to choose my career path, it was a no-brainer. I wanted to be a chef. It was intense work, and I took every small step to progress.”
Food as a Universal Language
When asked why Wong chose food to be the forefront of his career, he shares, “I believe food is a universal language. It helps bridge communities and connect people. In fact, you can connect with almost everybody and anybody. Food is also what makes me excited to travel and to entertain overseas guests in my restaurant.”
With Seroja bagging three awards this year, Wong shares that he still feels shocked, but in a good way. “It gives us encouragement on what we are currently doing, and it affirms us that we are on the right track. Our mission has been all about giving farmers and fishermen a voice, and the MICHELIN accolades give us a wider platform to do what we do. Hopefully it opens more doors to get more people, more artisans, more families, and more people who share the same vision to get together and champion this movement.”
A Team of Young Stars
Despite the accomplishments and the accolades, Wong keeps his feet planted on the ground. Without forgetting that he is this year’s recipient of the MICHELIN Guide Young Chef Award, Wong shares that his plans involve continuing to improve on their craft and prioritise his staff. "We are a very young team, but we work very hard. I know times are different now, so we make it a point to really put our staff's needs first," he shares.
Blancpain, the world's oldest watch company, proudly presents the MICHELIN Guide Young Chef Award, forging a symbiotic connection with the realm of haute cuisine. Over the span of three decades, Blancpain has fostered enduring partnerships with both fine dining and MICHELIN-starred restaurant chefs.
The MICHELIN Guide Young Chef Award celebrates pioneering culinary talent, honouring those who challenge conventions and ignite transformative creativity within haute cuisine. Far more than a mere accolade, this distinction serves as a catalyst, propelling the Singaporean food industry into the future and motivating young chefs to explore the boundaries of their imagination.
Wong goes ahead and explains more about their sustainable initiatives such as their location. “Apart from sending our team to take courses related to sustainability, this building that we’re in collects rainwater, and the rainwater is recycled to a special water system that distributes it. We also have a small solar panel, a compost, and on the sixth floor, we have a farm where we get some the herbs and vegetables that we use for our dishes.”
Wong's Signature Dish
Heading to the kitchen now, which is thick with the scent of aromatics — a cornucopia of spices, garlic, and herbs, Wong takes a silver spoon from his pocket and starts to sample sauces bubbling from pots and pans. He then proceeds to procure a plump scallop that he lightly sears until a modest char comes into view. This is his signature dish: a scallop with sauces hailing from various cultures and heritages. “The scallop comes from either Hokkaido, Japan or Scotland — depending on the weather,” he explains.
“This dish is inspired by all of my neighbours, my friends, and my colleagues,” says Wong. “Accompanying the scallop are several sauces such as a purée inspired by the Chinese culture, one with a spice mix called gunpowder, and one made with tamarind and fish sauce. We finish the dish with a little sauce made with ginger flower. Now it may seem like there are so many different polarising details to this dish, but it makes sense if you eat them all together,” Wong shares.
Soar High and Keep Your Feet on the Ground
Wong’s best advice to other young chefs? Dream.
“Not necessarily to dream big, but simply to dream,” he emphasises. “You also have to really stick to what you believe in; I cannot emphasise this enough.” He explains that what has worked for him might not work for someone else, and this is all just because everyone’s paths in life are different. “Also, there is no substitute to hard work. Be teachable; don’t be a sponge; learn to accept failures; always be humble.”
He also gives a reminder: "Not everyone will share the same vision or values as you do, but you need to really hold on to them because these are what will set you apart from everyone else," he shares.
As he slices through the scallop to check its doneness, the gradients from the sauces all come together and meet at the centre. Without saying anything, Wong allows the dish to speak for itself as it is a microcosm of what Seroja stands for: a dialogue between diverse cultures, all coming together in the name of one of the world's most powerful universal languages: food.
Seroja is located at Duo Galleria, #01-30/31/32/337, 7 Fraser Street, 189356, Singapore. Make a restaurant booking here, or follow them on Facebook and on Instagram for updates.
