KUALA LUMPUR: Celebrity chef Datuk Redzuawan Ismail has bad news for fans in the Lion City.
His restaurant, Chef Wan’s Kitchen, which offers most of his best known Malay recipes, has recently ceased its operations.
Redzuawan, better known as Chef Wan said he recently decided to close the restaurant, a joint venture with a Singaporean businessman, because of factors beyond his control.
“No, it's not because the cooks are not good, and neither are the staff to blame,” he said in a recent news report.
“The culinary team just did not follow my recipes according to specification, and as a result, many diners were not satisfied.”
Chef Wan added that some diners lamented that the lontong and nasi lemak served in the restaurant were “different” from what he actually prepared.
“It’s unfortunate that Chef Wan’s Kitchen Singapore has had to come to an end. As they always say, we win some and lose some. It’s better to close it than to invite further criticism from guests who enjoy what I cook.”
The celebrity chef also felt that his “lack of attention” to the restaurant resulted in lack of control over the dishes served there.
“I guess I’ve been too busy in KL to keep an eye on the restaurant in Singapore,” he said.
Located at The Esplanade, Chef Wan’s Kitchen was opened in July last year.